International Women's Day: Love & Rage

Free to attend. No booking required.
Explore What's On
A collage of black and white photos of Girl Gang members on a red background
Date
8 Mar 2024
Venue
The Social, Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, M3 4JQ
Tickets
Free, no booking required.
Free to attend. No booking required.
Explore What's On

Running time: 6pm to midnight

Accessibility features available for this event: Wheelchair Access

See and feel red with Girl Gang Manchester this International Women’s Day – featuring dancing, workshops, catharsis and connection

Join Girl Gang Manchester for an International Women’s Day like no other with a party inspired by Kate Bush’s iconic song Love and Anger. Toast regrets, dance and scream into the void as we celebrate all the love and rage that we experience as women moving through the world.

Make a friendship bracelet, co-create a community protest banner or write a self-love sonnet – Girl Gang Manchester present a series of drop-in activities centred around love and rage. Blow off some steam at Angst Aerobics – an alternative exercise class for anxious times – discuss the powerful potential of channelling our unbridled emotions or simply let loose with a Democratic Disco where you help chose the tunes.

Girl Gang Manchester are a collective of artists, activists, academics and party instigators known for producing events across the city, which connect audiences over debates, discussions and dance floors.

Fancy dressing up? Put on your favourite red outfit in honour of Kate Bush’s timeless album The Red Shoes.

Open to people of all genders and ages – come celebrate with us! See the full schedule below.

Highlights

Hannah Barnes

Show & Tell Sharing Circles

6.15–7pm (Anger) and 8–8.45pm (Love) | The Social

Discuss the transformative power and potential of both love and rage from a political or personal perspective.

Bring an item from your life or a quote, article, book or question you would like to discuss, or simply listen to others.

Our first discussion is on Anger before a second on Love.


Photo by Hannah Barnes.

The Social at Aviva Studios during a DJ set

Democratic Disco 

9pm–12am | The Social

Put the politics back into partying in the year of the election and the city of the suffragettes! More than 4 billion people across the world are eligible to vote this year, so get used to having your say!

Girl Gang’s Democratic Disco democratises the dancefloor, allowing the audience to have a say over the direction of their night by voting for which song they want to hear next. Featuring tunes from the wonderful Meme Gold.

Photo by Chris Payne.

Sign-up activities

You can sign up for these activities on the day. Sign-up sheets available at the Mass Destruction Station to the right of the stage. 

Party of Mass Destruction 

6–9pm | The Social

Do you have something you’d like to smash? Something significant you’d like to destroy forever? Join artist Lowri Evans to experience the sheer joy of decimating things. Let's discuss our mistakes before commemorating them in all their glory by raising a glass, making a toast and throwing it against the wall!

Bring your own glass or choose from a selection of glasses available.


Angst Aerobics

7–7.45pm, Lower Hall Foyer | 8–8.45pm, The Social

Let it all out in this alternative exercise class for anxious times. Think Jane Fonda meets Rainbow Rhythms with Broadway aspirations – high camp, high energy and no judgement. Follow along moves from pretending to be a ballerina to giving it your best lip sync assassin and release the tension from your body – led by Chloe Senior.

See Access information below. Concept by Megan Marie Griffith.

Self-soothing workshop

7–7.45pm, The Social | 8–8.45pm, Lower Hall Foyer

In today's fast-paced world, how do we find calm amidst the chaos? This workshop blends mindfulness, somatic work, creativity and movement to equip womxn with practical skills for self-soothing and restoration. Leave feeling refreshed, empowered, and ready to navigate life's challenges with resilience and grace.

Don't miss this opportunity to connect with a supportive community and invest in yourself – led by Rosalyne Norford.

See Access information below.

And more

Love & Rage Community Protest Banner

6–9pm | The Social

Make a fiery red and pink community banner with Astarte Cara and Louise McIntyre. The theme? You guessed it – Love & Rage!

I See Red

6–9pm | The Social toilets

What is passion to you? Or anger? Add your own phrases, lyrics and quotations to our toilet mirrors.

Portraits with your bestie/mum

6–9pm | The Social

Let live illustrator Nasha Cash capture a moment with your bestie – or bring your mother figure with you for a Mother’s Day keep sake.

Self-platonic Love Sonnets

6–9pm | The Social

Drop into our poetry corner and write off the male gaze, with support and guidance from our resident poet Gem.

Friendship bracelet making

6–9pm | The Social

Get ready for some friendship magic with the GG crew – inspired by Taylor Swift’s Eras tour! Make a bracelet and swap it with a new friend.

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 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 5pm, Monday to Friday).

Please bring or wear clothes you can move freely in and stay hydrated.

The instructor will provide modifications and can adapt the session, so everyone can get involved in whichever way they can / would like to.

Wear something comfortable.

The workshop will be seated – please sit however feels comfortable.

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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