Jenn Nkiru: THE GREAT NORTH – world premiere

This event has ended
Film coming to Factory+ in 2025
The image shows a side-by-side composition. On the left is a photo of Jenn Nkiru wearing a patterned high-neck top layered with a yellow snakeskin dress. On the right, there is an extreme close-up of an eye, with a honeycomb texture replacing the iris. The image shows a square composite. On the top is a photo of Jenn Nkiru wearing a patterned high-neck top layered with a yellow snakeskin dress. Below, there is an extreme close-up of an eye, with a honeycomb texture replacing the iris.
Date
4 Oct 2024
Venue
The Hall, Aviva Studios
Tickets
FREE, Pre booking required

8pm - film screening

8.50pm - Q&A

We have free personal assistant tickets available for wheelchair users and disabled visitors. We do not require proof to book a personal assistant ticket with your access ticket. 

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

This event has ended
Film coming to Factory+ in 2025

12A - Suitable for 12+ only - Under 14s must be accompanied by an Adult aged 18+
Running time: Film: 50 mins (approx.) Q&A: 40 mins (approx.)

Accessibility features available for this event: Wheelchair Access

Join us for the world premiere of THE GREAT NORTH – a vibrant reflection on Black history and architecture in Manchester, followed by a Q&A with director Jenn Nkiru and historian David Olusoga

Black history and modern-day architecture intertwine in a meditative new film about Manchester. Created by the visionary British artist and filmmaker Jenn Nkiru, THE GREAT NORTH pays homage to the people and cultures that make up a city.

Taking Manchester’s industrial history as a starting point, THE GREAT NORTH moves through the city’s Black communities and spaces – from living rooms in Moss Side to social clubs and community centres in Hulme. THE GREAT NORTH is the story of Manchester told through its Black, Asian and Irish communities, spanning outwards to the North of England and the rest of the world.

Nkiru weaves together new footage and archival material from Manchester’s cultural and historical institutions – set to a soundtrack of the city’s underground music scene featuring Barry Adamson, A Guy Called Gerald as well as London-based Lord Tusk.

Grounded in the history of Black music, Afro-surrealism, experimental film and the Black arts movement, Jenn Nkiru has developed her own style of filmmaking, switching between eras and locations in a process she describes as “cosmic archaeology”.

THE GREAT NORTH was commissioned for Virtual Factory – a series which invited artists to create works inspired by the architecture and site of Factory International’s new cultural space, Aviva Studios.

After the screening Jenn will be giving a Q&A joined by special guest host, the British-Nigerian historian, author, presenter and BAFTA winning film-maker David Olusoga.

The Great North by Jenn Nkiru

The image shows a close-up of a human eye, where the iris is replaced by a honeycomb pattern, giving the eye an unnatural, surreal appearance. The honeycomb texture has a small bee inside, creating a striking and unsettling visual contrast. The skin around the eye is dark, and the detail in the eyelashes and texture of the skin is emphasised.
Vibrant reflections on architecture, time and memory from a visionary filmmaker

On demand

The film will be available to watch on Factory+ in 2025.

Keep an eye out for more information coming soon!

Tickets

For ticketing and box office related enquiries, please contact tickets@factoryinternational.org or call 0333 322 8679 (phone lines are open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm).

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

Credits

The film was commissioned by Factory International, co-produced by Factory International and MOTHERSHIP. Written and Directed by Jenn Nkiru.

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).

Assistive listening is available for this event. To request an assistive listening device please add the assistive listening preference in the ‘Other Preferences’ section of your online account, or contact us by email (access@factoryinternational.org) or phone (0161 817 4531, Monday to Saturday, 10am – 6pm). When you arrive, head to the Orange Box where a member of our Front of House team will be on hand to accompany you to the relevant pick-up point.

Travel information

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

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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