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

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor

Visit now

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
Book now

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.

What's on at Aviva Studios

Until
MusicCity Centre
The Hallé 2025-26 Season

The Hallé invites audiences to a year of classical masterpieces, world premieres and appearances by some electrifying artists and composers.

From £17

Where to go near David Hoyle: Please Feel Free To Ignore My Work at Aviva Studios

Castlefield
Event venue
Old Granada Studios

Manchester’s old Granada Studios is an iconic piece of the city’s history and home to Sidney Bernstein’s television empire.

Manchester Opera House by Phil Tragen
City Centre
Theatre
Manchester Opera House

A commercial touring theatre, the Manchester Opera House is reopening in August 2021, all set to host the city’s finest mainstream theatrical productions, music gigs, opera and ballet.

City Centre
Music venue
Low Four Studio

Old Granada Studios has announced Low Four: a new studio and music project that will stream and archive live music performance as part of a new generation of music TV programming. The inclusion of a viewing balcony also means that these recordings, along with special events and concerts, will be made open to a few […]

Manchester
Restaurant
20 Stories

High-end restaurant and cocktail bar, with stunning views of the Manchester skyline.

Manchester
Gallery
Smolensky Gallery

This appointment-only gallery is a hidden gem in Manchester. Art lovers and collectors can browse many high quality pieces.

What's on: Exhibitions

Culture Guides

Food and Drink in the North

Spring is here, so sign yourself up for some much-missed al fresco dining at these highly recommended (and mostly new) Manchester restaurants.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A busy image created using generative AI. The image depicts a man at the centre with grey hair and rosy cheeks, surrounding him are fairies that appear to be created in his own image with multiple limbs and unique bodily proportions. Around them are hundreds of vials, microscopes and dated scientific equipment.
Exhibitions

Spring has sprung a wealth of great exhibitions in the North West, from intimate photographic shows to huge installations.

Theatre

Closer, riskier, more immediate. Our small-scale theatre picks stretch from unsettling fables about nationhood to the inner workings of a mind trying to hold itself together.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.

Fatoumata Diawara by Alun Be.
Music

This month’s live music picks move between ambitious new work, grassroots celebrations and a few memorable settings.