The Cat's Mother & Factory Academy

Not Just London: Women Powering Music (Beyond The Mic) – Manchester & MOBO Awards Edition

Group photo with a glowing pink sign that reads 'The Cat's Mother'
Date
26 Mar 2026
Venue
The Lab, Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, M3 4JQ
Tickets
This event is created to support 18 - 25 year olds who identify as women and/or non-binary.
Free tickets, pre-booking required

12–2pm

12–1pm: Panel discussion

1–2pm: Networking

18–25 years old

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, please call 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.

18 - 25 years old
Running time: 2 hours

Accessibility features available for this event: Wheelchair Access

Join a panel discussion on careers in music for women and non-binary people aged 18 to 25

Interested in a career behind the scenes of the music industry? In celebration of International Women's Month, The Cat's Mother Network and Factory Academy are hosting a panel discussion and networking event exploring careers ‘beyond the mic’ from management to tech to programming.

Our panellists are Charlotte-Anne Myler (Partnerships & Engagement Manager - Universal Music Publishing Group), Jasmine Sidhu (Label Coordinator - EMI North), Keecia Ellis (Founder - Rekodi Music) and Rivca Burns (Head of Music - Factory International) – hosted by Anjola Akeju (Label & Artist Coordinator - Youtube Music)

Connecting opportunities between London and Manchester, this discussion will cover the skills needed to build sustainable careers within the music industry. Hear from women working across the music industry, learn what roles exist beyond the stage and connect with others looking to build their future in music.

The Cat's Mother Network focuses on and provides free mentoring for female and non-binary professionals aged 18 to 25 from low-income backgrounds who want to work behind the scenes in the music industry.

Please note this event is intended for women and non-binary young people aged 18 to 25.

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, 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

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).

Step-free seating and wheelchair access

There is step-free access to all areas of the venue. This event takes place in the Lab, which is on the ground floor.

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, please call 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.

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 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.

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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