David Hoyle: Please Feel Free To Ignore My Work at Aviva Studios

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor

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David Hoyle: Please Feel Free To Ignore My Work

Aviva Studios, Manchester
10-28 April 2024

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

David Hoyle: Please Feel Free To Ignore My Work at Aviva Studios
Lee Baxter
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David Hoyle is bursting into Aviva Studios with an extraordinary programme of events commissioned and produced by Factory International, bringing the comedy, anarchy and glamour that he’s so known and loved for. 

From visual art and writing to acting and comedy, Please Feel Free to Ignore My Work is a celebration of Hoyle’s prolific output over the last four decades. Born in Blackpool and later living in London before finally settling in Manchester, Hoyle has firmly established his place in the queer performance tradition yet his riotous shows and infamous alter-ego place him in a league of his own – a truly unique artist.

Visit the Social to find rarely seen paintings, slogan works and new commissions, alongside screenings of his television and films. A staunch anti-capitalist with a nihilistic streak, Hoyle’s themes recur across his chosen mediums: comments on mental health and gender meet ideas of decadence, revolution, politics and the need for alternatives to mainstream culture. This extensive body of work finally seen together questions how and why we value our art and artists.

David Hoyle: An Artist at Work is a chance to see a live painting performance from the artist in the Undercroft. Anything could happen when an icon is faced with a blank canvas so you certainly want to be there when it does!

In homage to the beginnings of his career which started out by hosting pub quiz shows (and gave life to Hoyle’s Divine David alter-ego), he’s back for another show with an alternative twist but keep those geography facts to yourself – this is not your average quiz night.

David Hoyle: On Screen & In Conversation promises a trip down memory lane for the artist who takes audiences along for the ride, as he discusses his long film and TV career through on screen highlights and a live Q&A.

Finally, to finish off with a bang, David Hoyle: Still Got It..?!  is the grand finale of his Aviva Studios takeover. For this extravagant evening of live performances, Hoyle is joined at the end of the pier by an array artists from the worlds of burlesque, music, drag, film, circus and cabaret.

Whether you’ve long been a fan or you’ve recently discovered the wild world of David Hoyle’s art, this is an unmissable chance to dive head first into his life’s work.

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