Factory International is celebrating 20 years since its establishment, with its 2027 programme set to mark the milestone and continue its mission of presenting ambitious work from leading artists.
John McGrath, Artistic Director and Chief Executive, recalled a defining moment from summer 2017 when a bright yellow catwalk was raised above the pavements in Piccadilly Gardens as part of Manchester International Festival. The piece, What is the City but the People?, was created from an idea by Jeremy Deller and saw citizens from all walks of life walk the 60m catwalk backed by live music and large scale projected photographs.
A festival for everyone
"The gardens are a contested place, everyone has an opinion on it, and we wanted to own it and say this festival is for everyone," recalls John. "A big yellow fashion runway, 100 different citizens ranging from 100-year-old woman to a newborn baby, as well as beekeepers, campaigners, and everyone else, all walking that runway. I felt really proud to engage with the city and say the festival should start off with a really strong voice."
More than a decade later, he still firmly believes that the festival is and should be for everyone. In September 2022, the organisation re-branded as Factory International, though it continues to present MIF every two years, as well as a year-round programme of events spanning arts, culture, and music.
The organisation is also behind Factory Academy, its free training wing which aims to diversify the creative and cultural workforce by opening up careers in the arts, media and technical production to people from underrepresented or economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Aviva Studios and its impact
Much of this activity happens from within its relatively new mothership - Aviva Studios. The landmark cultural venue located on Water Street represented the largest investment in a national cultural project in the UK since the Tate Modern opened in 2000.
Since its opening, it has hosted a wide-range of world-leading cultural events including Yayoi Kusama's You, Me and the Balloons, the Danny Boyle directed Free Your Mind, and high profile gigs from the likes of Janelle Monae, Johnny Marr and Angelique Kidjo. This summer the venue hosted acclaimed artist and activist Ai Weiwei's monumental Button Up exhibition - one of his most extensive and ambitious projects to date.
"It is the absolute embodiment of the story of what culture has done for and with Manchester. Manchester is currently at the centre of the national story, and everywhere I go people are asking about the Manchester story - culture has been key," said John.
Looking to 2027 and beyond
2027 will see Sir Ian McKellen in the world's first Mixed Reality play, Florentina Holzinger's A Year Without Summer, as well as the nine UK and world firsts and the return of Manchester International Festival. There's also the world premiere of a major new production of Einstein on the Beach created in collaboration with the English National Opera (ENO) as it continues its commitment to the North, and Hetain Patel's collaboration with over 250 people from across Greater Manchester as Come As You Really Are reaches its conclusion with one of its largest presentations yet.
"There's a really huge range of work from cutting-edge technology, through to local people's hobbies, some of it on a huge scale, and we feel that sums up what we're about, the localism, the globalism, and the diversity of the programme," he said.
On a personal level, the 20-year anniversary also gives John time to set his own goals for the organisation as it enters its third decade. Leading on education, embracing technology, and extending Manchester's ambition beyond the city limits are all key pillars.
