Factory International, a new arts complex and cultural space, is opening in Manchester in June 2023 with an immersive production based on The Matrix and directed by Danny Boyle.
Operated and programmed by the team behind the Manchester International Festival, Factory International is a £186 million destination for art, music and culture.
The opening production, Free Your Mind, is a large-scale performance inspired by The Matrix and presented across the building’s flexible spaces. Directed by Boyle, it also features stage sculptures by Es Devlin.
“It’s a space that gives you an enormous amount of potential,” said Boyle.
“It’s wildly ambitious in terms of its scale. In my lifetime, to see a new space like this open is hugely empowering, and I hope the new generation of artists feel that power.”
Ahead of the official opening, the venue will serve as the centrepiece of next year’s Manchester International Festival, which runs from 29 June through 16 July.
Part of the festival, ‘You, Me and the Balloons’ is an immersive exhibition that celebrates three decades of Yayoi Kusama’s inflatable sculptures. The exhibition will be Kusama’s largest ever, featuring giant dolls and a constellation of polka dot spheres.
Designed by architectural firm OMA, Factory International will cover an area of 13,350 square metres. It will be home to exhibitions, events, concerts and experiences.
Ellen van Loon, OMA partner and Factory International’s lead architect, said it is “a new type of performance space – a unique crossover between a fixed theatre and flexible warehouse”.
“Super-sized moveable walls enable endless configurations within a large space, allowing audiences unexpected vistas of performers,” she said.
“I hope that whenever people come to Factory International they always experience something different, as if with each visit they encounter a different building.”
The Matrix and Yayoi Kusama
Factory International will also include Factory Academy, a training centre for people from all backgrounds who want to start new careers in the creative industries.
John McGrath, the artistic director and chief executive of Factory International, described the venue as an “extraordinary space” where artists can “let their imaginations fly”.
“This remarkable new space, rooted in Manchester, will be a significant addition to the national and international arts landscape and a major visitor destination,” said Councillor Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council.
“Factory International will further strengthen the city’s role as a centre for culture, creativity and innovation,” she added.
“As well as changing lives directly, Factory International will provide a huge economic boost to Manchester, creating or supporting up to 1,500 jobs and adding £1.1 billion to the city’s economy over a decade.”
Images: Manchester International Festival / Pawel Paniczko / OMA
