It may be another four months until Manchester's £210m new arts centre will officially open to the public, but this morning the ground floor of the vast cultural space welcomed visitors as the 2023 edition of Manchester International Festival got underway.
A major exhibition of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s spectacular inflatable was unveiled this morning (Thursday) and gave visitors the opportunity to explore the flagship new home of Factory International, Aviva Studios, ahead of its official opening in October.
'You, Me and the Balloons' by Kusama has taken over the vast warehouse space of the building, and is inviting audiences to take an exhilarating journey through the artist's psychedelic creations, most of which have not been seen before in the UK.
Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features
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. And it is estimated that economic impact of new cultural space will be considerable, with 1,500 direct and indirect jobs created and adding 1.5 billion to the city's economy over a decade.
The design of Factory International's new home has been led by Ellen van Loon of the world-leading practice Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) - their first major public building in the UK. While it's development has been led by Manchester City Council, with backing from HM Government and Arts Council England.
Built with flexibility in mind, the 13,350 square metre building is based around large open, adaptable spaces than can be constantly refigured. The 21m high Warehouse space where Kusama's work is being shown has capacity for up to 5,000 people standing, and can also be divided into a movable, full-height acoustic wall, while The Hall with a flexible stage can house an audience of 1,600 seated or 2,000 standing.
When it opens to the public this October, audiences will be able to enjoy a broad range of art forms - from major exhibitions and concerts to intimate performances and immersive experiences, including over 80 gigs a year. It's public spaces meanwhile, will come alive with year-round family friendly activities such as workshops, pop-up food stalls, music events and markets.
Last week, the arts centre announced its new name as Aviva Studios following a multi-million pound deal with insurance firm Aviva.
The company will be working with Factory International and Manchester council on a number of initiatives linked to the long-term sustainability and community impact of the project including being the principle partners of the Factory Academy – the award-winning skills training programme which provides opportunities for careers in Manchester's ever-growing creative industries.
As well as Yayoi Kusama’s inflatable sculptures, a diverse programme of music acts will take to the stage in the Hall of Aviva Studios, including Angélique Kidjo, Alison Goldfrapp and revered Sufi singer Sanam Marvi as part of MIF. The space will also host a collaboration between AFRODEUTSCHE and Manchester Camerata, as well as the premiere of a new show from John Grant and the Richard Hawley band celebrating pop and country legend Patsy Cline.
Outside, where the building meets the River Irwell and the Ordsall Chord, the biennial event's Festival Square also has a new home, and will host free live music from over 190 performers, and a wide variety of food and drink, creating a new riverside destination for the city.
Other highlights from this year's festival include a collaboration exploring art and the beautiful game by curator Hans Ulrich Obrist and ex-United footballer Juan Mata, featuring new work by Tino Sehgal, a mixed reality concert by the late Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.
