Factory International to host free creative industry courses at Aviva Studios

Factory International, the organisation behind this year’s Manchester International Festival, has announced a number of free skills and training opportunities for people in Greater Manchester.

Through its award-winning Factory Academy, the organisation, which is also behind the Aviva Studios venue, will provide a number of free courses to local people seeking to get their foot in the door within the creativity industry.

Upcoming courses will focus on stage management, succeeding in a freelance career and learning how to manage creative projects. A Broadcast and Film course, starting in October, will look at production filming, editing and visual effects (VFX) and will also allow students to gain a BTEC-accredited qualification in digital media.

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Factory International has also launched a new partnership programme with schools across Manchester. Starting next week, it will provide 200 students from Melland High School, Parrs Wood High School, St Peter’s High School, Levenshulme High School for Girls and Fallinge Park High School with free artist-led creative sessions designed in line with the National Curriculum to boost arts access for young people.

Led by local artists Lay Full Stop, the weekly artist-led sessions will feature trips to the Aviva Studios venue, which is opening next month, alongside guest workshops from artists such as the award-winning Boy Blue who are co-creating the venue’s opening show.

Randel Bryan, Executive Director at Factory International said: “As we prepare to move into our new home, this marks an exciting new chapter where for the first time we’ll have a world class cultural venue that will provide