Factory International, Water Street, at the bottom of Liverpool Road, Manchester, M3 4JN, what3words means.putty.zone. Please note the only access to the site is via Water Street and Liverpool Road.

Factory International is currently a construction site. The area being used for First Breath has been cleared so that you can experience the installation up close.

You’ll find the main entrance to the First Breath site at Water Street at the bottom of Liverpool Road. The entrance is under a bridge with metal fencing to enter the site. There are signs located on Liverpool Road so look out for the arrows. There’s an accessible entrance with step-free access that will be staffed. There’ll also be someone from the Factory International team at the bottom of Liverpool Road to help you find the entrance.

Click here to view on Google Maps.

There is step-free access across all areas of the site – so you can move freely through the space on foot or using a wheelchair or pram. There’s no lift access on site but none is needed. The light installation is on at nighttime, so there will be no natural light but the site will be lit with underfoot lighting and the installation itself will provide lighting. You’ll be able to move around and inside of the installation – which is made up of three rings of lights. There’ll be wide gaps either side of the lights to allow for access. You can also travel over the footbridge near the Factory International building to see the installation set against the backdrop of the building. The bridge will only be accessible until the halfway point, where a fence will cordon it off. Throughout the site, the underfoot ground will be a combination of concrete slabs and stage decking, all of which is public-friendly. Exit is via the same route as entrance. There are also chairs available on site.

The installation runs from 1 to 29 Jan 2023 with the exception of Mondays 9, 16 and 23 January when the installation is closed. We recommend coming down after 5pm to get the full effect of the lights under the darkness of the sky. Last entrance to the site is 9:30pm, and the lights are turned off at 10pm.

The earliest entrance to the site is 5pm and the last entrance is 9:30pm, the lights are turned off at 10pm.

It's free to attend, and there’s no need to book – you can just drop by. There’s a maximum capacity of 80 people on-site at any one time so if it’s particularly busy, you may be asked to wait a short while. Best to wrap up warm!

We expect it’ll take around 30 minutes to take in the installation and wander through the lights. You can move around the site to see the installation from different viewpoints. There’ll be seats onsite for anyone who wants to rest or view the lights from a seated position.

Please dress appropriately for the cold and any wet weather and wear sensible shoes.

The lights are very bright and will gently pulse. There are no sudden flickers or flashing. There is no sound.

There are toilet facilities on site.