Black History Month
1 - 31 Oct 2024
- Date
- 1 - 31 Oct 2024
- Venue
- Aviva Studios
Accessibility features available for this event: Wheelchair Access
Black History Month landed at Aviva Studios with music, poetry, talks and the world premiere of Jenn Nkiru’s THE GREAT NORTH
Black History Month featured a diverse programme of events including the highly anticipated world premiere of Jenn Nkiru’s new film THE GREAT NORTH.
Curated events included Black Creative Trailblazers – a glamorous black-tie event showcasing the work of Black creatives. Plus, we hosted our regular free events with a twist, honouring the legacies that have shaped Black history through spoken word, poetry and music at Poetry Place and exploring Black Joy at Sip and Paint.
From gospel choirs to new music to talks on decolonizing the theatre space, there was something for all moods and ages. Explore the full programme below.
Events
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Past event
The Future of Amapiano
- Talks
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
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Past event
Traplord
- Music
- Dance
- Captioning
- Audio Description
- BSL Interpreting
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
The Rap Academy: Amapiano Powerhouse Tour
- Music
-
Past event
BIG SOUL Living Room Chats
- Talks
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Open Deck Listening Session with Ashley Holmes
- Music
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Factory Remix
- Music
- Art & Exhibitions
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Black Creative Trailblazers
- Music
- Literature & Poetry
- Art & Exhibitions
- Dance
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Black in the Day Scanning Social
- Art & Exhibitions
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Jenn Nkiru: THE GREAT NORTH – world premiere
- Talks
- Film
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Poetry Place
- Music
- Literature & Poetry
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Haiesha Mistry: There’s Always a Seat at the Table
- Talks
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Reclaiming Narratives
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
AMC Gospel Choir
- Music
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Sip and Paint
- Courses & Workshops
- Music
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
The Audacity Leader
- Literature & Poetry
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Sounds of the Diaspora
- Music
- Talks
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Street Symphony x Afrosounds
- Music
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
SOUP
- Courses & Workshops
- Food & Drink
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Crowning Culture
- Art & Exhibitions
- Wheelchair Access
New Writers
New Writers brings you flash fiction, poetry and prose from emerging writers based in the North of England. For our second callout, we asked global majority writers to respond to the themes of Ivan Michael Blackstock's TRAPLORD and Jenn Nkiru's THE GREAT NORTH.
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New Writers | Autumn 2024
> -
V.I.S.I.B.L.E. (Valued Identity Seen In Black Lives Everywhere).
Courtney 'CourtsWrites' Hayles explores societal pressures and stereotypes through the story of a young Black man journeying home
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Bronze is the colour of failure
Obesi Osi-Iyere looks back through generations of men to tell a story of migration, persistence and survival
> -
Kaleidoscope
Jennifer Luciano pens an essay on Black History Month and the superpower of her culture
> -
The TRAPLORD
Griot Gabriel imagines a dramatic battle for the soul of a young Black man
> -
The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth
Chris Adedigba reflects on how underdogs achieve their loftiest goals
> -
A Letter to My Father
Evita Akomode explores some of the hardships faced by Black fathers, through the eyes of a child
>
Access information
Our full address is Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ and the what3words is chop.feeds.chase.
You can approach Aviva Studios along Water Street (coming from Quay Street) or along Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield). Both entrances to the building have double sets of glass doors.
Once inside Aviva Studios, there is step-free access to all areas of the venue. The flooring throughout the building is smooth concrete.
The entrance to the Hall is by lift, escalator or stairs from one side of the Social beside the brick arches. There is only one escalator, and this will take you up to the Hall before the show, and will be reversed so that you can travel down at the end of the performance.
The Social has a range of seating, including those with arms and backs.
The bars in the Social and Hall Foyer have lowered accessible service points.
Our building is large. We have portable stools available to borrow if you would benefit from resting along the way during your visit.
We have wheelchair spaces and seats at standing events for all events.
There are accessible toilets on all public levels of our building.
Accessible toilets are located inside the main toilets space in the brick arches of the Social.
Here you’ll find a mixture of accessible cubicles with left- or right-hand transfer, towards the back of the space, as well as ambulant accessible cubicles with grab rails, as well as a Changing Places facility.
The toilets in the brick arches of the Social are split into male, female and gender neutral – all of which contain accessible cubicles. There are shared handwashing facilities in each arch – they have soap dispensers under the mirrors to your left and dryers to the right. There are separate handwashing facilities inside the accessible cubicles.
There are additional single-room accessible toilets located in both Hall Foyers, at stalls and circle level.
There are additional single-room accessible toilets located in the Warehouse Foyer.
You do not need a key to use the accessible toilets at Aviva Studios.
Assistance dogs are welcome in our building, and we can provide mats and water bowls on request, just ask a host when you arrive. We can also take care of your assistance dog if you do not want to take your dog into the performance space. Please also refer to our assistance dogs policy.
If you are bringing an assistance dog to a ticketed event, please let us know in advance by contacting access@factoryinternational.org or calling our access phone number: 0161 817 4531 (phone lines are open 10am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday).
Travel information
Our closest stations are:
Salford Central station: 0.4 miles
Deansgate station and Deansgate-Castlefield tram: 0.6 miles
St Peter’s Square tram: 0.6 miles
Manchester Victoria station is approximately one mile from Aviva Studios
Manchester Piccadilly station is approximately 1.3 miles from Aviva Studios
Click on the links above to find detailed access information for each station.
By Bike
There are 40 bike parking spaces at Aviva Studios including space for two accessible bikes.
National Cycling Route 6 passes close to the venue and this TfGM webpage can help with route planning.
You can also hire bikes from on-street docking stations across the city centre. The closest docking stations to our venue are currently on Deansgate by Liverpool Road and (400m from the building) and by King Street (500m from the building). Take a look at Transport for Greater Manchester’s webpage for advice on cycle hire.
By Walking and Other Active Means
Aviva Studios can be approached along Water Street via Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield).
If you're coming from Quay Street, the safest route to avoid construction works is via the cut-through opposite Gartside Street and past Booking.com.
All footways in the surrounding area are well lit and there are appropriate crossings across all main roads.
Pedestrians with visual impairment are recommended to approach the building via Water Street, from Liverpool Road. This route has traditional carriageway and footway design with fixed street furniture which should help with navigation to the entrance.
A footbridge at Left Bank in Spinningfields provides an accessible link across the River Irwell to Salford Central station, and a further footbridge also links Aviva Studios with the Salford area of Middlewood Locks.
Free bus services stop at all city-centre stations, and near to Aviva Studios along Deansgate, Bridge St and Quay St. Buses on these free routes are wheelchair accessible. For full details of the free bus routes, please visit the TfGM website.
There is a car park approximately 0.6 miles from Aviva Studios at Water Street Car Park, New Elm Rd, Manchester, M3 4JH.
There is also a NCP car park (Manchester Spinningfields) approximately 0.5 miles away from Aviva Studios at Spinningfields, New Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3BE. It has 35 accessible bays.
There are a small number of Blue Badge spaces along Water St and Quay St. Otherwise head towards Liverpool Road, Great John St and Lower Byrom St – close to our neighbours, the Science and Industry Museum where there are a small number of additional Blue Badge spaces.
For a list of other parking bays available in the area, visit Manchester City Council website.
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