Hetain Patel: Come As You Really Are

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Hetain Patel standing in an exhibition with his artwork made from a car, with other people around him Hetain Patel standing in an exhibition with his artwork made from a car, with other people around him
Date
13 - 20 Feb 2027
Venue
North Warehouse, Aviva Studios, St John's, Manchester, M3 4JQ
Tickets
Free tickets, booking required

Tickets for the exhibition are available to book in advance, with timeslots every two hours at:

10am–12pm, 12–2pm, 2–4pm and 4–6pm

You are welcome to arrive at any time during your slot. Last entry for the 4pm-6pm slot is 5pm. 

Walk-ins are welcome – we will have a limited number of tickets available on the door.

All access tickets – including wheelchair user spaces, accessible viewing platform tickets and essential companion tickets – must be bought directly from Factory International.

To book access tickets online or register for free essential companion tickets, please sign up to our Access Scheme. We aim to process all applications within five working days.

If you need to book access tickets while your application is being processed, or would prefer to book your tickets by phone, please call up on 0161 817 4531. Phone lines are typically open 10am to 6pm, Tuesday to Friday, but for our latest phone line opening hours, please visit our Contact Us page.

If you need to make an access booking but are unable to do so over the phone, please email  access@factoryinternational.org. We aim to respond to all emails within two working days.

For more information, please visit How to Book Access Tickets.

Suitable for all ages

Anyone under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+

Babes in arms (aged 2 and under) do not require a ticket

Become a member for priority booking

Suitable for all ages. Anyone under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+. Babes in arms (aged 2 and under) do not require a ticket.

Accessibility features available for this event: Audio Description Relaxed Performance Wheelchair Access

Explore the playful worlds of Greater Manchester’s hobbyists, makers and collectors in this free exhibition by Hetain Patel and Artangel

What links Star Wars stormtroopers and Polish film posters? A momentous collection of Spice Girls memorabilia and light-up jellyfish? Miniatures, model railways and the Muppets?

Every day, millions of us dedicate time to our favourite hobbies – and Greater Manchester is no exception. From foraging to clowning, larping to skating and swimming to singing, our region is filled with people who have a passion. Come As You Really Are brings together thousands of objects to tell their stories in an interactive, family-friendly exhibition.

Come As You Really Are is a nationwide project by Artangel and artist Hetain Patel, who has presented objects from hobbyists in galleries and museums across the UK with a network of partners. Now he brings the project to a close here at Aviva Studios with one of his largest presentations yet.

Bringing together over 250 makers, modifiers, enthusiasts and collectors from every borough of Greater Manchester, ranging from five to 90 years old, Come As You Really Are is a celebration of the diversity of our city, its people and their pastimes.

Amidst their objects, find Hetain Patel’s own artwork including a new cinematic film, which adopts Hollywood aesthetics to explore hobbies across the UK, two Spider-Man outfits and two sculptures created from cars: Fiesta Transformer (2013) and Somerset Road (2024).

Looking for a new hobby? On select days, join tours and workshops – or watch a surprise performance – curated by Hetain Patel and Greater Manchester hobbyists who have joined us as Community Curators.

Hetain Patel is a London-based artist and filmmaker. Often rooted in personal experience and that of his immigrant family, Patel’s work explores the complex and multi-dimensional nature of identity. Come As You Really Are is his most ambitious and far-reaching project to date.

A celebration of self-expression and creativity, Come As You Really Are is the loudest presentation of our quiet pastimes.

Tickets

Factory International members priority booking: Tuesday 13 October, 12pm

Amex Cardmembers priority booking: Friday 16 October, 10am

General tickets available: Tuesday 20 October, 10am

For ticketing and box office related enquiries, please contact tickets@factoryinternational.org or call 0333 322 8679 (phone lines are typically open 10am to 6pm, Tuesday to Friday, but for our latest phone line opening hours, please visit our Contact Us page).

For more information please visit Ticketing and Sale of Goods Terms & Conditions – Factory International

Credits

Commissioned and Produced by Artangel. The presentation at Aviva Studios is produced in partnership with Factory International. 

Co-commissioned with Factory International, Manchester; Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool; Museum of Making, Derby Museums Trust; Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea; National Festival of Making with Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery and Wolverhampton Art Gallery.

In partnership with Barnsley Civic; Inverness Museum and Art Gallery and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland. With thanks to CCA Derry~Londonderry and Tate St Ives. 

Supported by Artangel’s Guardian Angels. 

Artangel is generously supported using public funding by Arts Council England, and by the private patronage of The Artangel International Circle, Special Angels, and The Company of Angels.

Access information

Getting to Aviva Studios

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.

Inside Aviva Studios

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 Warehouse is by lift or stairs from the Social. Two lifts and a staircase to the Warehouse are located in the Social opposite the bar.

The entrance to the Andrew Law 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 Andrew Law 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.

Toilets

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.

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.

Please note, our Changing Places facility is temporarily out of action. We are working to fix this and apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Assistance dogs

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).

Tickets and booking

All access tickets – including wheelchair user spaces, accessible viewing platform tickets and essential companion tickets – must be bought directly from Factory International.

To book access tickets online or register for free essential companion tickets, please sign up to our Access Scheme. We aim to process all applications within five working days.

If you need to book access tickets while your application is being processed, or would prefer to book your tickets by phone, please call up on 0161 817 4531. Phone lines are typically open 10am to 6pm, Tuesday to Friday, but for our latest phone line opening hours, please visit our Contact Us page.

If you need to make an access booking but are unable to do so over the phone, please email  access@factoryinternational.org. We aim to respond to all emails within two working days.

For more information, please visit How to Book Access Tickets.

Step-free seating and wheelchair access

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.

Relaxed slot

There will be a relaxed slot of Come As You Really Are on Tuesday 16 February from 10am to 12pm.

Audio description

There will be an audio-described slot (with a touch tour) of Come As You Really Are on Wednesday 17 February from 10am to 12pm.

Advice on content

We know that visitors appreciate detailed information on the content of our shows in order to make informed decisions and to prepare themselves or members of their party.

This page will be continuously updated as the show is developed, and will be finalised on 13 February 2027.

If there are specific themes or technical effects not spoken to above that you are concerned about, please reach out to us by emailing access@factoryinternational.org or by giving us a call on 0161 817 4531.

Travel information

Aviva Studios can be approached along Water Street (coming from Quay Street) or along Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield).

Train and tram

There are a number of rail and tram stations within the city centre which are just a short distance from Aviva Studios. The closest stations are:

By bike and active means

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 Starling Bike docking stations to our venue are on current on Quay Street, New Quay Street and Liverpool Road. 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.

Bus

Free bus

The free bus 1 service connects Piccadilly Station, Oxford Road and Deansgate rail stations, as well as other areas of the city centre to Aviva Studios.

The service stops on both Liverpool Road and Quay Street, close to the venue. Buses operate every 10 minutes during the day from Monday to Sunday and they are wheelchair accessible. For full details of the free bus 1 route and timetable, please visit the Bee Network website.

Bee Network services

Piccadilly Gardens is situated in the heart of Manchester and there are a number of bus services that will take you on to Aviva Studios. The 33 bus which starts at Shudehill, calls at Piccadilly Gardens and will take you straight to Liverpool Road. Services operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and every hour on Sunday.

Alternatively, you can board either a 35, 36 or 38 bus to Bridge Street bus stop which is a seven-minute walk via Left Bank and Water Street to the venue.

Coming into Manchester Victoria rail station? Head on over to Shudehill Interchange (which is a seven-minute walk via Hanover Street) where you can catch the 33 bus to Liverpool Road.

Alternatively, you can board either an 8, 67 or 100 bus from Manchester Victoria to Bridge Street bus stop, which is a seven-minute walk via Left Bank and Water Street to the venue.

Car

There is a NCP car park (Manchester Spinningfields) approximately 0.25 miles (400m) 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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