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.

We're a new purpose-built cultural space in the heart of Manchester. The approach to Aviva Studios is flat, with smooth concrete flooring.

The entrance to our building is through double glass doors. There are automatic doors at both entrances and these are also staffed when the building is open to the public.

Once inside, there is step-free access to all areas of the venue. Lifts to the Warehouse are located through the glass doors beside the city entrance. Lift and escalator access to the Hall is located next to the river entrance, just beyond the brick arches.

You will first arrive into the Social, a large public space where there are a range of seats (including those with arms), a bar and toilets (including accessible toilets and a Changing Places facility).

The bars in the Social and Hall Foyer have lowered accessible service points, and induction loops for hearing-aid users.

To book access tickets and personal assistant tickets please call 0161 817 4531 (Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm) or email access@factoryinternational.org

Access bookings can be made by email or phone. They are also available in person at Aviva Studios.

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).

There is step-free access to all areas of the venue, with lift access to the North Warehouse from the Social. The experience is step-free and there is access for wheelchair users throughout. The rooms have been designed with wide doorways and clear pathways.

The exhibition is suitable for all ages. Younger children need to be supervised in the space and we ask that parents are considerate of the experience for all our guests.

The exhibition contains one instance of nudity.

The show runs in a continuous loop, with no fixed beginning or end. One complete loop is around 50 minutes long. You can enter at any time, and are welcome to stay as long as you like, unless you are attending the final showing of the day.

Projection is used for the duration of the show and is on all four walls of the Warehouse, with occasional projection on the floor. There are bright lights and patterns used during some parts of the show. While the show contains no flashing images (in the 16-25Hz range) it does contain high contrast moving patterns.

Sound is constant during the show, and consists of both orchestral music and a recorded voiceover. The sound level does vary during the show, with some sections quieter or louder than others.

We have audio described showings on the following dates:

Wednesday 11 December 2024, 11am

Thursday 19 December 2024, 7.30pm

Tuesday 24 December 2024, 11.30am

Monday 30 December 2024, 3pm

Sunday 12 January 2025,7pm

Friday 17 January 2025, 10pm

Saturday 25 January 2025, 9.30pm

Open captions are built into the show and are visible at all times. The captions are located at the top of the projection.

British Sign Language (BSL) will be incorporated into some showings, with BSL interpreter Ramon Woolfe, as well as enhanced subtitles. We have BSL showings on the following dates:

Saturday 14 December 2024, 7.30pm

Sunday 22 December 2024, 8pm

Monday 23 December 2024, 3pm

Tuesday 31 December 2024, 10am

Friday 10 January 2025, 1.30pm

Wednesday 15 January 2025, 8.30pm

Thursday 23 January 2025, 5pm

The overall capacity of the Warehouse will be reduced for these showings. Attendees should feel comfortable to make noise, leave/enter and move around as they like. No changes will be made to the show itself. 

We have reduced capacity showings on the following dates:

Friday 13 December 2024, 2pm

Thursday 2 January 2025, 7pm

Friday 24 January 2025, 11am

These showings are intended for those who might benefit from the show sound being quieter and the lighting more subtle. Changes will be made to the show and show space to make it more comfortable. The house lights will be turned on. The sound level of the show will be slightly reduced. The overall capacity of the Warehouse will be reduced.

We have relaxed showings on the following dates:

Friday 20 December 2024, 2pm

Friday 10 January 2025, 8.30pm

Sunday 19 January 2025, 11am