Factory International

Yayoi Kusama Family Workshops

Free to drop in. No booking required.
A young girl looks at a Yayoi Kusama artwork
Date
25 Jul - 18 Aug 2023
Venue
The Social and the Undercroft, Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, M3 4JQ
Tickets
FREE

Workshops take place every Tuesday to Friday from 11am, starting on Tuesday 25 July.

See below for the full schedule of workshops.

Free to drop in. No booking required.

Children should be supervised by an adult at all times.

Accessibility features available for this event: BSL Interpreting Wheelchair Access

Entertain the kids this summer holiday with our free, drop-in workshops inspired by Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons

Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons continues its highly popular run in Aviva Studios this summer. Join us for a series of creative, family workshops and watch your child explore Kusama’s joyful world.

From infinity rooms to polka dots and giant pumpkins, Kusama’s immersive universe has proved a big hit with families and is a great way to get children thinking about art. Her work stimulates imagination and creativity, covering themes including nature, joy, infinity and the cosmos.

Entertain your kids with dressing up, creative writing and craft making. Each session encourages children to play and collaborate while linking back to their own learning in school and at home.

Workshops have been specially designed by Factory International’s Creative Learning team, Yayoi Kusama’s studio, the You, Me and the Balloons curators and local artists, makers and creators.

You don’t need a ticket – just drop in to the Social at Aviva Studios from 11am, Tuesday to Friday. The bar is open throughout for teas, coffees and cakes.

For more Kusama-inspired kids activities, see our Creative Learning Resources here.

What's On

Access information

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

There are accessible toilets on all public levels of Aviva Studios.

A mixture of wheelchair accessible toilets with right- or left-hand transfer as well as ambulant accessible cubicles with grab rails are located in the brick arches in the Social.

There are additional accessible toilets in both Hall Foyers.

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

Aviva Studios is a new purpose-built cultural space in the heart of Manchester. The entrance to our building is through double glass doors. There are automatic doors at both entrances.

Once inside, there is step-free access to all areas of the venue. You will 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).

The bars in the Social and Hall Foyer have lowered accessible service points.

If you need to bring an assistance dog to one of the workshops, please contact access@factoryinternational.org.

The Kusama Seed and Plant Pots session on Friday 11 August is BSL interpreted by Lizzie Wharton, and the Friday 18 August session is BSL interpreted by Maria Brennan.

Getting here

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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