Aviva Studios, home of Factory International

Aviva Studios is a global destination for arts, music, and culture in the heart of Manchester. Programmed and operated by the team behind Manchester International Festival (MIF), Factory International commissions, produces and presents an ambitious year-round programme of original creative work, music and special events by leading artists from across the globe. The building design is based around large, open, ultra-flexible spaces that can be constantly reconfigured, enabling large-scale artistic work of invention and ambition that isn’t made anywhere else in the world. The 13,350 square metre building includes a 21m high Warehouse with capacity for up to 5,000 people standing, which can also be divided by a movable, full-height acoustic wall, and a Hall with a flexible stage which can house an audience of up to 1,600 seated or 2,000 standing, as well as other spaces inside and out. The warehouse and the hall can also work together, with the proscenium capable of opening fully into the warehouse and allowing the stage to run deeper into the building. Its public spaces, from The Social to its outdoor areas, come alive with year-round activities such as family friendly workshops, pop-up food stalls, music, workshops and markets, many of them free, creating a thriving riverside destination for everyone to enjoy.