Factory International Schools
Takeover
- Date
- 26 - 30 Jun 2024
- Venue
- Aviva Studios
Accessibility features available for this event: Wheelchair Access
Our partner schools took over Aviva Studios for an end-of-year celebration – with free exhibitions, workshops and music curated by 181 brilliant young people. Find out more about the project here.
Takeover was the end-of-year celebration of Factory International’s year-round schools partnership programme. It included a series of free events and exhibitions on the theme of imagination.
Over the last year, 181 young people across five partner schools created exciting artistic work, public products and performances to share alongside a curated selection of artists and artwork co-created with a leadership collective of 20 young people.
From giant inflatables to mindfulness workshops, there was something for everyone.
Photos
Watch: Home is a feeling not a place
DWAYNE | Factory International Creative Learning x SODA
00:03:16
God's-Victory | Factory International Creative Learning x SODA
00:01:56
Events
-
Past event
Bruce Asbestos: Hooboos
- Art & Exhibitions
- Free
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Home is a feeling not a place
- Film
- Free
- Literature & Poetry
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Jungle Book – Melland High School
- Film
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
My Stomping Ground
- Art & Exhibitions
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
On Brand
- Art & Exhibitions
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Power
- Art & Exhibitions
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Doodle with Pete Obsolete
- Courses & Workshops
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Mindful Music with Manchester Camerata
- Music
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Movement and Mindfulness with Company Chameleon
- Courses & Workshops
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
-
Past event
Printing with Ibukun Baldwin
- Courses & Workshops
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
About
Artists LayFullStop, Reece Williams, Femi Tahiru and Tallulah Millington are embedded into five partner schools – Levenshulme High School for Girls, Falinge Park High School, St Peters RC High School, Parrs Wood High School and Melland High School.
Beyond doing art and creativity in schools, we are interested in how to share power with young people. We have spent the last six months co-designing and co-creating what a youth-led takeover of the building could look like.
The young people chose ‘Imagination’ as the theme for their takeover. They wanted ‘to transform different areas of the building into themes’ and have ‘workshops where you can make things to take home with you’ as well as ‘a doodle wall, dance workshop, chill out space, DJs playing RnB, local drill, and professional performances’. Most importantly, they said, ‘we want to celebrate all the things we have done with other young people’.
We have taken their wants, wishes and hopes and turned them into a celebration of joy, imagination and boundless potential. We are so proud of everything they have achieved in the last year and hope you enjoy the exhibition.
Exhibition guide
Thanks
Special thanks to all of the young people.
Adam
Ainsha
Amelia
Amina
Ana-Maria
Aroosa
Asia
Aysha
Ayzah
Bethel
Corey
Ethan
Farzana
Hiba
Inaya
Iqra
Isaac
Jackson
Kainaat
Kayci
Lamia
Leah
Lucas
Maaria
Maira
Maliha
Maryam
Mohammed
Nitasha
Oliver
Oscar
Sameera
Sayf
Shama
Sienna
Sophia
Tahmina
Tasmin
Adeenah
Alfie
Alice
Alice-Mary
Angel
Anisa
Ashley
Candice
Chizalum
Christobel
Dado
Derrick
Dwayne
Eyob
Harley
Humphrey
Isabella
Jaiden
Jakisha
Jayden
Jeslyn
Jorja
Kaiser
Keira
Layna
Lily
Lindsey
Mabel
Nana
Nitai
Oluwatemlora
Peyton
Shania
Shay
Tommy
Tresor
Veronica
Wilonja
Abby
Aishah
Aleena
Alison
Aliyah
Aliza
Brooke
Darein
Eshal
Fareeha
Hamna
Inaayah
Isabella
Kawsar
Layan
Lazya
Lily May
Maryam
Myar
Naayma
Nandana
Neha
Sanaz
Sara
Saroosh
Seher
Seher
Sejeela
Siyana
Sheza
Tamilini
Yusra
Zainab
Alara
Amina
Ariadna
Ayad
Cameron
Cora
Cuba
Edie
Eleanor
Elliot
Emily
Emma
Fergus
Finn
Flossie
God’svictory
Hamna
Hano
Imaan
Imogen
Jasmine
Joe
Katie
Leyla
Logan
Martha
Maya
Michael
Molly
Pratik
Riley
Sade
Seth
Shannayah
Sofiya
Sookie
Thomas
Zara
Zuzanna
Abdullah
Adam
Aishah
Asfa
Dzatsins
Gavin
Helena
Jack
Lana
Malik
Mariam
Matab
Meerab
Ruhma
Saabir
Sanad
Shojoon
Willian
Yasemin
Zahreen
Aisha Mian
Danyella Otosio
Emma Rainford
Miss Bowie
Mr Hughes
Mr Morgan
Serene Phillips
Simon De Courcey
Sameed Rezayan – Head of Creative Learning
Amber Calland – Creative Learning Manager
Femi Tahiru – Artist Facilitator
Lay Juma – Artist Facilitator
Recce Williams – Artist Facilitator
Tallulah Millington – Artist Facilitator
Rawan Yousif – Creative Learning Assistant
Alina Akbar – Photographer
Boy Blue – Dance Artists
Caroline Daley – Puppet Artist
Jasmin Issaka – Graphic Designer
Maya Cross Odemudia – Collage Artist
Meme Gold – Performer and Fashion Designer
MikeSian – Graphic Designers
Nasima Begum – Poet
Night People – Dance and Film Artists
Owen Smith – Rapper
Tina Ramos Ekongo – Collage Artist
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 6pm, Monday to Saturday).
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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