A new installation at The Factory has given the public a chance to look inside the under-construction £186 million landmark arts complex for the first time.
Although still predominantly a building site and not due to open its doors fully until next year – with budget issues and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic cited as reasoning – audiences were invited inside The Factory this past weekend to experience major new sound and light installation Arcadia.
Created by theatre and opera director Deborah Warner and partly-inspired by a painting of Manchester by William Wyld, Arcadia saw a field of luminous tents emitting an original sound composition that wove together some of the greatest nature poetry ever written, by poets including Sappho, John Clare, WB Yeats, G. E. Patterson, Seamus Heaney, Jackie Kay, Simon Armitage, Alice Oswald and Sabrina Mahfouz, among many others.
It featured recorded contributions from several leading Northern actors and musicians including Jonathan Pryce, Jane Horrocks, RoxXxan, Brian Cox, Simon Russell Beale, Lioness and David Thewlis.
Arcadia was designed as a space for “thought and reflection” / Credit: MIF / Andrew BrookesAudiences were invited to wander freely through the space to connect with nature / Credit: MIF / Andrew Brookes
Arcadia was designed as a space for “thought and reflection”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Audiences were invited to wander freely through the space to connect with nature and consider “the relationship between the urban and the rural”.
“It has been enormously exciting to create a project for MIF inviting the public into The Factory for the very first time,” said Deborah Warner.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s been thrilling to watch this extraordinary landmark building take concrete form from the core of one lift shaft, to its present stage of well-defined auditoria, rehearsal spaces, loading docks and offices.
“The Factory will not only change the cultural face of Manchester, but that of the UK, Europe and the world.”
John McGrath – Artistic Director at & Chief Executive of MIF and The Factory – added: “We are delighted to welcome such a visionary director to this year’s festival to transform a space that will ultimately play a crucial role in the future of Manchester and the arts internationally.
ADVERTISEMENT
“This work has created an opportunity for audiences to encounter The Factory as it is being shaped and invites them to reflect on the juxtaposition of urban and rural.”
The Factory will be a “world-class cultural space” once it opens in 2022 / Credit: MIF / OMA
The Factory – being developed by Manchester City Council in partnership with Manchester International Festival (MIF) – will be a “world-class cultural space” in the heart of the city centre and the year-round home for MIF once it opens in 2022, with a programme of groundbreaking, and interdisciplinary work by leading artists from across the globe.
The landmark building is setting out to be one of the “largest, most ambitious, and most versatile purpose-built arts spaces in the world”.
Featured Image – MIF / Andrew Brookes
What's On
Science and Industry Museum’s adults-only ‘after hours’ event returns with a Halloween twist this month
Emily Sergeant
A popular adults-only ‘after hours’ event is returning to Manchester later this month… and there’s some spooky surprises in store.
If you need an excuse to leave the little Mancs at home, or you just fancy releasing your inner child, then one of Manchester’s most visited museums might have just what you’re looking for, as the Science and Industry Museum has announced that its popular After Hours event especially for adults is returning for one night only at the end of the month.
The museum will become your playground once it’s closed for the day as you settle in for a unique evening of live music, giant interactive games, and spooky surprises for Halloween.
Science and Industry Museum’s adults-only ‘after hours’ event returns with a Halloween twist this month / Credit: Science Museum Group
The Museum’s permanent galleries and displays will be open after hours, so you can get hands-on with science in Experiment, meet mighty machines in the Textiles Gallery, and discover Manchester‘s rich legacy of industrial innovations, creativity, and world-changing ideas in Revolution Manchester.
You’ll also get free access to the popular Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos exhibition, which just opened earlier this year, and get to indulge your playful side in Power Up – with more than 150 consoles to choose from in the ultimate gaming extravaganza.
Especially for spooky season, you can look forward to some very special one-off events too, like stellar performances from Manchester drag royalty, Anna Phylactic, a cosmic cabaret with live vocals, and a monster mash-up soundtrack guaranteed to get you into the Halloween spirit.
There’ll also be a chance to meet Albert Slime-stein – a larger-than-life monster popping up the museum as part of Halloween in the City’s iconic Manchester Monsters trail.
And as this is an adults-only event, the museum’s events bar will be open on the night, serving up a wide range of wines, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks to wet your whistle while you’re looking around, with some delicious food to accompany too.
Museum After Hours is happening on Thursday 29 October from 7pm-10pm, with tickets setting you back £12 each or £6 for concessions.
Manchester’s largest outdoor ice rink confirmed for a return this festive season with tickets NOW on sale
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s massive outdoor ice rink has been confirmed for a return to Cathedral Gardens once again this festive season.
Skate Manchester has always been a festive staple of our city centre, and 2026 is set to be absolutely no different.
Families, friends, and festive fun seekers will be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas whatever the weather has in store, as although the rink will be outdoors in the heart of Cathedral Gardens, the ice is fully covered.
Off the back of a hugely successful 2025 season, there will be a specially curated programme of events this year too, including themed nights, competitions, and inclusive skate sessions designed for an accessible and enjoyable experience for as many people as possible.
And if you’re not too confident on the ice, the rink will also offer a variety of skate sessions that are tailored to meet the needs of all visitors too.
This includes dedicated quiet and toddler sessions to create a more relaxed skating environment.
Discounted tickets and weekly events will also be on offer too, meaning students can skate for just £10 on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, families can enjoy dedicated Parents & Mini Skater sessions in the same period, and group discounts will also be available for larger bookings.
There will also be £5 Community and school sessions, free skating for children on selected Tuesdays, accessible SEND sessions, and 20% off for Blue Light workers.
Manchester’s largest outdoor ice rink is confirmed for a return this festive season / Credit: Supplied
“Skate Manchester has established itself as the highest Google-rated rink in the UK, located in the heart of Manchester next to the world-renowned Christmas Markets – it’s the perfect way to enjoy a Mancunian Christmas,” commented Rob Derry, who is the Director at Tamarisk Events – the coordinator of Skate Manchester.
Skate Manchester will open to the public from Friday 6 November 2026 until Sunday 3 January 2027, excluding Christmas Day.
From 6 November to 6 December, the rink will be open daily from 11am to 9pm, and then from 7 January onwards, opening hours will extend from 10am to 9pm – with all skating sessions lasting 45 minutes.
Emily Sergeant -
13th July 2021 
