Factory Spotlight: inner Presents at Aviva Studios

Name: Factory Spotlight: inner Presents at Aviva Studios
Start: 2024-12-18T18:30:00
End: 2024-12-18T23:00:00
Location: Aviva Studios

Creative Tourist Last Updated 27 November 2024

Visit now

Factory Spotlight: Inner Presents

Aviva Studios, Manchester

18 December 2024

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

Free

Blue, Green and Pink paint splattered on a yellow and blue canvas. — Factory International

Book now

Factory Spotlight returns with a special edition this December. Curated by Manchester music collective inner, the night will feature performances from acoustic storyteller Naomi Kalu, Secret Night Gang singer Kemani Anderson as well as newly formed soul trio The Divines and spoken word vocalist 2b.Frank.

Plus, enjoy a warm-up set from DJ Lenny and a closing mix from producer Channell. There will also be live art painted on the night by multi-disciplinary artist aya dia.

Factory Spotlight is happening as part of Factory International’s inclusive and accessible programme of free activity this December.

What's on at Aviva Studios

A black-and-white image of Ai Weiwei sitting upright on a small stool in a sparse, cell-like room. He faces the camera with his hands resting on his knees. Behind him is a white brick wall, and to his right there is a simple metal bed frame with a thin mattress. The lighting is stark, casting strong shadows on the wall and floor, giving the scene a stark, surveillance-like atmosphere

3 Jul – 4 Jul

Visual ArtsCity Centre

Ai Weiwei: Sewing a Button at Aviva Studios

In a live, 24 hour-performance, Ai Weiwei will place himself back inside a room that once governed every aspect of his daily life.

From £10.00

Visual of the earth from space, and half a space module

6 Jun

MusicManchester

Space Station Earth at Aviva Studios

See through the eyes of an astronaut in this epic concert and visual experience, Space Station Earth at Aviva Studios. .

From £15.00

5 headshots of all comedians performing on the night

30 Apr

ComedyManchester

Crippled with Laughter at Aviva Studios

A hilariously funny disabled-led comedy night curated and hosted by Wheels and the Legman at Aviva Studios this April.

Free entry

Group of people line dancing, following the steps of a single person on stage with a glittery backdrop.

25 Apr

DanceManchester

Street Symphony x Red Rodeo Club at Aviva Studios

This April at Aviva Studios, Manchester’s dancefloor gets a queer makeover with Street Symphony x Red Rodeo Club.

Free entry

Crowd of people holding up their newly created artworks in front of a sign for Sip and Paint.

23 Apr

ActivityManchester

Sip and Paint: Movement and Expression at Aviva Studios

Creativity is taking centre stage at Aviva Studios. Black Creative Trailblazers host Sip and Paint, an evening dedicated to colour, culture and community.

From £8.00

Illustrated purple hands applauding on an orange background.

16 Apr

MusicCity Centre

Factory Spotlight: After The Applause at Aviva Studios

Factory Spotlight hands the mic to After the Applause for a free live edition celebrating the launch of season two of the Manchester podcast.

Free entry

Two young men performing on stage, dressed in Grunge attire.

29 Mar

CinemaCity Centre

Manchester Film Festival 2026 – Closing Night at Aviva Studios

Manchester Film Festival closes with James McAvoy’s directorial debut California Schemin’. And a post-show Q&A.

From £16.95

Until 27 Jun

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

Black and white photograph of Sinéad O'Connor

25 Jun – 27 Jun

DanceManchester

The Surge: An Ode to Sinéad O’Connor at Aviva Studios

A major new dance work brings Sinéad O’Connor’s uncompromising voice back into the room, responding to a life lived against the grain.

From £10.00

27 Mar

MusicManchester

Thundercat at Aviva Studios

From cult hero to global collaborator, Thundercat is back with his first album in six years, and a headline show at Aviva Studios.

From £37.50

Where to go near Factory Spotlight: inner Presents at Aviva Studios

Castlefield

Restaurant

Bar Lina Manchester

Elegant Italian cocktail bar with plush seating, low lighting and a peerless drinks menu.

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

Restaurant

Caravan Restaurant & Roastery

New Zealand-inspired food and drinks, plus a dedicated coffee roastery at this high-profile new restaurant, opening in August.

Manchester

Music venue

The Blues Kitchen Manchester

The Blues Kitchen is a Quay Street highlight, not only for live music, but drop-in dining that delivers surprises alongside the classics.

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

Cinema

Everyman Manchester St John’s

Experience luxury moviegoing at this three-screen boutique cinema and bar located close to Spinningfields.

City Centre

Restaurant

Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill Manchester

At Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill Manchester, you can enjoy the finest all-you-can-eat steaks and skewered meats, carved at the table.

City Centre

Restaurant

The Ivy Spinningfields

Four floors of luxury dining in this impressive development from the team behind the world-famous Ivy restaurant.

Manchester

Café or Coffee Shop

92 Degrees Coffee Quay St

Friendly Coffee Shop that also hosts events in Spinningfields.

Manchester

Gallery

Smolensky Gallery

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

See all places

What's on: Music

27 Mar

MusicLeeds

Mandy, Indiana at Brudenell Social Club

Musical brutalism is having a moment – and Mandy, Indiana are right in it, bringing URGH’s raw force to Brudenell.

From £15.00

27 Mar

MusicManchester

Thundercat at Aviva Studios

From cult hero to global collaborator, Thundercat is back with his first album in six years, and a headline show at Aviva Studios.

From £37.50

15 Apr

MusicManchester

deathcrash at YES

Quiet introspection and cathartic eruptions – the mysterious kids in the corner of the Brixton Windmill scene bring their new album Somersaults to YES.

From £17.45

16 Apr

MusicCity Centre

Factory Spotlight: After The Applause at Aviva Studios

Factory Spotlight hands the mic to After the Applause for a free live edition celebrating the launch of season two of the Manchester podcast.

Free entry

3 May

MusicManchester

Sounds From The Other City

One of the country’s foremost festivals showcasing new and emerging talent, Sounds From The Other City is back over Early May Bank Holiday.

From £30

12 May – 16 May

MusicManchester

English National Opera: Angel’s Bone at Aviva Studios

Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Angel’s Bone brings a dark contemporary parable about exploitation, coercion and the abuse of power.

From £10.00

Images of The Age of Consent artists on stage

17 May

MusicCity Centre

The Age of Consent at Aviva Studios

A new live staging of Bronski Beat’s The Age of Consent revisits a landmark queer pop album through contemporary voices.

From £10.00

Four band members in a liminal space with a blue background.

24 May – 25 May

Music

Pixies – P40 Celebrating 40 Years at Aviva Studios

Pixies bring two nights of feral alternative rock to Aviva Studios this May, marking 40 years of the band

From £55.00

Culture Guides

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

Across Manchester and Salford, exhibitions are thinking hard about how things are made – and how materials carry stories.

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.

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.

Tours and Activities in the North

Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.

Music

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

Food and Drink in the North

Spring has arrived, bringing with it al fresco dining and a rush of high-profile food and drink-related events in Manchester.

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.

See all guides