Manchester's £210m arts centre which will be opening its doors later this month will be known as Aviva Studios as a multi-million pound deal is agreed. The Factory International building, which will be the permanent home of the Manchester International Festival, will be sponsored by the insurance firm.
It comes as the final preparations are made before the long-awaited venue opens to the public for the biennial festival with an official opening in October. The development at the old Granada Studios in the city centre is the largest investment in a national cultural project since London's Tate Modern in 2000.
However, the project - which is being funded mostly by the government and Arts Council England - has been plagued by delays and increased costs. Last year, Manchester council agreed to put another £25m towards the scheme at the heart of the regeneration of the St Jonn's area - taking the town hall's total investment above £80m - some of which would be recouped by sponsporship.
