Manchester’s landmark new cultural venue, Aviva Studios - home of Factory International - officially opened today (October 18).<br /><br />Aviva Studios is a global destination for arts, music and culture located right in the heart of Manchester. Its large multi-functional warehouse and hall will enable artists to create ambitious works not seen anywhere else in the world.<br /><br />The 21-metre high warehouse - taller than four double decker buses stacked on top of each other - is a flexible performance space with capacity for up to 5,000 people standing.<br /><br />The development has been led by Manchester City Council, with almost £100 million pounds from the government and 7 million National Lottery Funding from Arts Council England.<br /><br />The space has officially opened and its first performance will be taking place on the evening of October 18 with the world premiere of Free Your Mind, a large-scale immersive performance based on The Matrix.
