The Factory

Factory International runs Aviva Studios, a large cultural space in Manchester’s St John’s district. It stands beside the River Irwell near other city centre venues such as the People’s History Museum and the Opera House. The building occupies the former Granada Studios site where Coronation Street was filmed. Designed by Office for Metropolitan Architecture, it is the first major permanent cultural building by OMA in the United Kingdom. The site also includes two public squares and a restored section of the Grade II-listed Colonnaded Railway Viaduct. The organisation grew from Manchester International Festival, which presents performing arts, visual arts and popular culture across Greater Manchester. Factory International opened in 2023 after receiving £78 million from the Northern Powerhouse programme and £9 million annual revenue support from Arts Council England. Its naming rights were secured by Aviva for £35 million, one of the UK’s biggest cultural corporate sponsorship deals. The building’s adaptable spaces can host large performances for up to 5,000 people or intimate events for 1,600 seated. Inside, visitors find a ground floor, a flexible warehouse and a theatre-style auditorium that can be divided or combined for different events. Past programmes have featured works by artists including Akram Khan, Yayoi Kusama and Laurie Anderson. The opening season included Free Your Mind, a Matrix-themed dance and visual effects experience led by Boy Blue founders Michael Asante and Kenrick Sandy. The site also hosts training programmes through the Factory Academy, supporting local people into creative careers.