Ming de Nasty: Under Construction

11 - 19 Nov 2023

Free to attend. No booking required.
Photo of a worker wearing a helmet and hi vis
Date
11 - 19 Nov 2023
Venue
Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, M3 4JQ
Tickets
FREE, no ticket required
Free to attend. No booking required.

Accessibility features available for this event: Audio Description Wheelchair Access

Celebrate the unseen work and workers that have built Aviva Studios with these powerful portraits from Ming de Nasty

Think of all the hard work that goes into making a building. The skills, the strength, the early starts. You see the finished product sure enough – but what about the people who made it?

That’s just what we want to uncover. And what better way to do that than placing construction workers front and centre with life-size photography?

Under Construction is all about paying tribute to the people behind the scenes. Over the course of the Aviva Studios build, iconic photographer Ming de Nasty captured portraits of the workers bringing the space to life.

As part of The Welcome, a selection of these portraits are displayed in full size across Aviva Studios, as close to the original spot they were snapped as possible.

Along with anecdotes Ming collected, the photos tell a story of the building and its physical transformation – and about who gets to take up space and where.

Join Ming de Nasty in conversation with the curators Factory Assembly on Saturday 11 November 6.30 – 7pm.

Ming de Nasty topped my selections during Factory Assembly discussions about opening events. Their portraits authentically reveal character and self-identity [for example] the poignant, beautiful images of refugee women almost stencilled on Soho Loop in Birmingham... I can’t wait to see the Aviva portraits!

Nakib Narat, Factory Assembly member

CREATED BY THE PEOPLE OF GREATER MANCHESTER

The Welcome is a series of events celebrating the opening of Aviva Studios, curated by the Factory Assembly. Representing a cross-section of the people of Greater Manchester, we’re calling the shots with a programme that brings together the best in circus, street culture, music, food, art and more.

Access information

Our full address is Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ and the what3words is chop.feeds.chase.

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.

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, as well as ambulant accessible cubicles with grab rails. This is also where you can find our Changing Places facility. The toilets in the brick arches of the Social are gender neutral, so you can use facilities in any of the three arches.

There are additional accessible toilets in located in both Hall Foyers, at stalls and circle level.

You do not need a key to use the accessible toilets at Aviva Studios.

Assistance dogs are welcome at Aviva Studios, 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 are attending a ticketed event and do not want to take your dog into the performance space. If you’re bringing an assistance dog to this event and would like us to make arrangements to care for them, you’re welcome to let us know by contacting access@factoryinternational.org or calling our access phone number: 0161 817 4531 (phone lines are open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)

Audio descriptions of each portrait are accessible onsite via QR codes or can be accessed online here: Ming de Nasty: Under Construction - Audio Description.

This project is visually-led and has no audio, so there is no captioning for this work.

This project is visually-led and has no audio, so there is no BSL interpretation for this work.

You will be able to explore Under Construction at your own pace and take breaks as you need to.

Under Construction will feature life-sized portraits which some people might find disorientating.

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.

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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