Mancunian charm: Aviva Studios

Regular visitors to Manchester cannot have failed to notice the seemingly unending collection of building works that makes passing through the city centre increasingly fraught. Skyscrapers, roadworks and bold, emerging buildings are now so commonplace that it's almost as if they've always been here. If you're familiar with the Castlefield area of the city centre, you'll have noticed an unusual, modernist ‘barnacle’ emerging out of the side of a gigantic and imposing structure which now dominates the skyline.

This is the forthcoming Aviva Studios. It's the genuinely exciting and hopefully ground-breaking new offering from the Factory International, the team behind the bi-annual Manchester International Festival which has given us over a decade of world premieres by peerless and talented creatives.

The space

Aviva Studios is made up of a 13,350-square metre building, incorporating the enormous Warehouse performance space, which is big enough for a 5000-strong standing audience. There's also the Hall (1600 seated or 2000 standing) and several other performances spaces, all of which can work independently or collaboratively.

It strikes me that it's typically Mancunian to erect this pioneering creative performance space on what was (pretty much) the site of the old Granada TV studios. This summer, if you were one of the thousands who trekked to the sold-out You, Me and the Balloons, the immersive Japanese inflatable art exhibition by the celebrated Yayoi Kusama, then you might well have been standing on the same spot where Bet Lynch poured a pint of Newton & Ridley for Ken Barlow on Coronation Street.

Finding its feet

The programming has been emerging gradually and, without a full season announcement, it's too early to get a real sense of the tone and direction of the venture. But Drama teachers and students could start to get excited about what's already on offer. Following the aforementioned art installation, the first ‘proper’ show in the space – and one which is hoped will highlight its potential and possibilities – is Free Your Mind.

This is a world premiere production based on The Matrix, and is a retelling of the celebrated film using music, dance, visual effects and heightened sound to create a unique synthesis of storytelling. As Drama teachers, we're forever pushing our students to be more imaginative, and this is especially true when it comes to their own work. This might well be the perfect demonstration of how creatives can take an existing narrative and adapt and present it within their own artistic lens. With music by Michael Asante, design from Es Devlin, text from Sabrina Mahfouz and direction from local-ish boy Danny Boyle, this is an almost-guaranteed white-hot hit.

Upcoming events

There's a brief pause after this for some more official-looking launch events, before the next theatrical production. After all the sound and fury of Free Your Mind, the more traditional looking offering of Lost And Found looks no less impressive and just as creative. This is the venue's festive offering – a show for children and families. Oliver Jeffers' award-winning children's book is a firm favourite nearly 20 years after its publication, and this new adaptation could find fresh admirers of all ages.

It's the story of a little boy who finds a penguin on his doorstep, and it's being brought to life by director Will Brenton, musician Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals fame) and puppetry director Olly Taylor. Blending performance and puppetry is a winning theatrical combination, and this could be a very exciting addition to Manchester's busy December theatrical slate. This should hopefully a great insight into how different types of performance can be constructed for Drama students and teachers alike.

Big names and good opens

Manchester already offers so much for Drama teachers and students but with the slightly hesitant ‘restart’ of the Royal Exchange and HOME after the various lockdowns, here's hoping that this latest addition will enrich what's on offer and provide even more opportunity. If Aviva Studios manages to successfully programme a decent educational package to sit alongside its productions and can communicate this to schools in a timely manner, then it could become the preferred venue of choice for those in the northwest.

It's early days yet, of course, and we've yet to see a fully realised Aviva Studios production. But there are big names, good omens and a wealth of enthusiasm behind what's on offer, together with attractive ticket pricing and a very comprehensive website. It's also heartening to see the dramatic legacy of Britain's longest running soap opera (and, in its early days, a proper kitchen sink drama) continue with these new shows. Hopefully, like all great things from these parts, Aviva will strive to be uniquely Mancunian.

factoryinternational.org/aviva-studios