This weekend, Factory International launches The Welcome – a community takeover celebrating the opening of Aviva Studios and Manchester’s place in the international arts scene.
From 11 to 19 November, visitors can enjoy everything from rap battles to circus performances, immersive installations, and skateboarding demonstrations.
The Welcome has been curated over two years by Factory Assembly, a group of residents aged between 17 and 70 from across Greater Manchester.
Sarah Hiscock, Creative Engagement Manager at Factory International, said: “We are making sure that everything that is part of The Welcome programme has been created for, and dreamt up by, representatives across greater Manchester.
“This group of residents have literally poured their hearts and souls into the future of the building and what it should mean to people.
“As a Greater Manchester resident, I’m super proud of it and super excited by it: people just need to know this is a building for them, and it has been programmed by them for this.”
The cultural celebration will offer a taste of the creative and development opportunities that Aviva Studios will offer to local communities over the coming years.
Workshops and qualifications delivered by Factory Academy and Factory Schools will ensure that Mancunians feel the impact of the city’s newest cultural asset long after The Welcome has concluded.
By engaging with people who are traditionally underrepresented in the creative industries, Aviva Studios aims to become a centre of cultural excellence to help level up the North West.
Find more information on The Welcome here.
Feature image courtesy of Jiaqi Wang
