In collaboration with groundbreaking artists and companies such as Lightroom, Ahmed Masoud and Cephas Williams, Factory International today announces a programme of thought-provoking theatre, visual arts and 360° immersive experiences for autumn-winter at Manchester’s landmark cultural destination Aviva Studios.
Tickets will go on sale for Factory International members on Tuesday 16 June ahead of public on sale on Thursday 18 June. Tickets are available from £10 across all shows:
- Utilising the versatility of Aviva Studios’ Warehouse space, Lightroom returns with a new 360° immersive experience. David Bowie: You’re Not Alone gives audiences insight into the creative mind and performances of one of the world’s most visionary artists, featuring David Bowie as its sole voice.
- Artist photographer, speaker, activist and campaigner Cephas Williams’s Portrait of Black Britain is a powerful collection of portraits interrogating what it means to be a Black person living in the UK. Part of a project to build the largest collection of photographic portraits of Black British people ever created, the exhibition was originally commissioned for Manchester International Festival (MIF) 2021 and shown as a major public exhibition in Manchester’s Arndale Centre. The exhibition will run at Aviva Studios as part of Black History Month (from 1 October).
- The irreverent and sharply satirical black comedy Application 39 from Palestinian theatre maker and writer Ahmed Masoud imagines Gaza as host of the 2048 Olympics, exactly 100 years after the Nakba. A surreal yet pressing journey through occupation, bureaucracy, absurdity and reconstruction – rooted in hope and drawing on real-life testimonies – the bold theatre work is produced by ETT, Matthew Schmolle Productions and Theatre Royal Stratford East. (9 – 10 October).
- The programme joins the visceral new dance piece inspired by Channel 4’s award-winning series It’s a Sin which went on sale earlier this month and makes its World Premiere at Aviva Studios. Presented by Rambert and Factory International, the era-defining story of love and survival is directed and choreographed by Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer, with series creator Russell T Davies, Pet Shop Boys and Gyn Fussell as Executive Producers (16 – 27 February).
John McGrath, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Factory International said: “This autumn’s programme includes work by extraordinary artists exploring key issues of our time, as well as a joyous treat celebrating the world of David Bowie. Following our Spring season of premieres and our amazing summer show from Ai Weiwei, we are thrilled to celebrate Cephas Williams and Lightroom’s return to Manchester, as well as welcoming the resonant and surprising Palestinian play Application39.
“Every season at Factory International we have the privilege of hosting some of the UK’s most exciting musicians, artists and writers, and the rest of the programme for this year brings more great talent. From Interpol to Manchester Collective and the spectacular Black Creative Trailblazers the programme Aviva Studios will be full to the brim of celebration and stimulation. And not to be missed in October, we continue to highlight our homegrown artists with the 6th edition of Factory International’s Artist Takeover, supporting the very best of Manchester talent.”
With gigs from international headliners spanning genres from pop to metal and rave to classical, Aviva Studios has established itself as the new hub for music in the UK, recognised for its flexible spaces and outstanding acoustics. This season sees co-headline events from Bloc Party and Interpol (23 – 24 November), plus country duo Ward Thomas celebrating the 10th anniversary of their landmark album Cartwheels (19 September), indie singer-songwriter Bill Callahan with his new album My Days of 58 (12 October) and Canadian bluegrass and neo-folk ensemble The Dead South (6 March). Further feature musical experiences at Aviva Studios include the return of shapeshifting classical ensemble Manchester Collective with compositions from Bach, James Tenny, Sasha Scott, Hildur Guðnadottir and Luke Mombrea (4 December) and 10-piece band Slippery People recreating Jonathan Demme and Talking Heads’ iconic 1984 concert film in Stop Making Sense: Live (17 April).
Highlights in the autumn-winter season also include the return of Black Creative Trailblazers (4 September), a spectacular black-tie celebration of unapologetic Black excellence showcasing the work of Black artists through fashion, music, art and poetry. Plus talks from chef and food-writer Yotam Ottolenghi with his new cookbook Simple Too (6 September), The Rest is Politics: US host Anthony Scaramucci in conversation with political satirist Matt Forde (16 September) and bestselling author Jon Ronson with Enter The Castle (20 September).
Further events will be announced over the coming months including the full Black History Month programme, which also features a collaborative interpretation of Gemma Cairney’s literary work The Immortal Sisterhood through music, movement and poetry (8 October, on sale from 15 July).
Alongside its work with established artists, Factory International is committed to nurturing the future of Manchester’s creative workforce through its free industry-focused training programme, Factory Academy, and supporting artists at every stage of their careers with artist development initiatives offering a range of financial support, mentorship and opportunities.
Five early-mid career artists based in the North of England will begin their Factory Fellowship from August 2026 – July 2027, developing their producing skills and creative practice over a year, with the opportunity to shadow large-scale productions and MIF27 commissions. The 6th edition of Factory International’s Artist Takeover lands in October, with artists taking over Aviva Studios’ North Warehouse for 5 days to experiment, play and test ideas on an epic scale. Applications for 2027’s Factory Sounds, Factory International’s programme supporting people working in music in Greater Manchester, open in November.
Factory International is among the UK’s largest cultural exporters. Its work, created in Manchester and the North of England, has now been seen by audiences in over 35 countries. Forthcoming international presentations include Marina Abramović’s masterpiece Balkan Erotic Epic, which premiered at Aviva Studios in Autumn 2025, at Ruhrtriennale and New York’s Park Avenue Armoury, plus a specially adapted stage version at Berliner Festspiele, following its success at Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona in the Spring. The Surge: An Ode to Sinead O’Connor, which makes its world premiere at Aviva Studios from 25 – 27 June, will open at The Joyce Theater, New York in September.
