Emerging artists take over Manchester’s flagship £240m arts venue

Up-and-coming artists are being given the chance to show off their work in a £240m flagship arts venue described as “one of the most unique places this side of the Atlantic”.

Two Manchester-based artist collectives will be given free rein of the city’s Aviva Studios “to play, and think big!”

The Artist Takeovers events are the brainchild of Factory International, which operates the vast Aviva Studios warehouse in Water Street.

Artist development manager Punam Ramchurn said it was an “opportunity to experiment”, and part of the organisation’s remit to support emerging talent.

Both collectives have been offered up to £10,000 to cover expenses such as artists’ fees and production costs.

They will also receive practical advice from experts on how to display their work in the vast space.

British-Bolivian theatre-maker Jenny Jackson is taking part in the first takeover, alongside theatre designer Rosie Elnile and Glasgow-based artist Craig McCorquodale.

The trio have created an amphitheatre from clay inside the warehouse at the Aviva Studios.

Jenny said the group are “conjuring this idea of a gladiatorial arena or a market square”.

“We’re inviting 250 local people to come in and interact with the structure,” she explained.

“We’ve got cheerleaders, we’ve got a football team, a brass band and a police male voice choir”.

Jenny, who moved to Manchester in 2018, said the project chimes with her adopted city’s proud sense of identity.

“Manchester feels like a city with a strong cultural identity, and it has a really strong sense of community. It feels right that it’s here.”

The £240m Aviva Studios, which opened in 2023, is the largest arts project to open in the UK since the Tate Modern in London.

This summer’s Takeover initiative aims to give artists the freedom to create original work in a way that is not possible in other spaces.

“Every week I see about five artists because they want to get in the door,” said Ms Ramchurn.

“The Aviva Studios is probably the most unique place on this side of the Atlantic, and its great to see artists at different levels get the opportunity to show off their work and get more commissions in future”.

Factory International also runs a creative learning programme for secondary school pupils across Greater Manchester.

Over the past year, more than 180 young people from five schools across the region have taken part in creative workshops, watched shows and seen their artwork showcased at the studios.

Sameed Rezayan, head of creative learning at Factory International, wants to encourage children from underprivileged backgrounds to aim for a career in the creative industries.

He said: “We take young people that don’t have the economic means to come to a place like this, and give them the opportunity to showcase what they’ve done.

“Creativity is a great way for young people to explore the world.”