Factory International has today announced two new development and performing opportunities for creatives involved in Manchester’s thriving music scene, ahead of the opening of its landmark new cultural space later this year.
Programmed and operated by the team who also deliver the world-famous Manchester International Festival (MIF), Factory International will commission and present a year-round programme by leading artists from across the world, creating a global destination for arts, music and culture in the heart of Manchester.
With music a key part of its offer, the ultra-flexible building will present around 80 gigs a year across its spaces, adding to the city’s thriving music scene which generated £51m for Manchester in 2019*.
Initially launched to support musicians through the Covid-19 pandemic, Factory Sounds is a programme for music producers, artists, collectives, labels, bands, DJs and beyond.
10 successful applicants will be offered £1,000 of financial support towards the creation of a new project and also benefit from peer-to-peer support, access to Factory International’s talent development programmes and networking opportunities. With no restrictions on what the project can be, previous Sounds alumni have created music management companies, financed the release of singles, EPs and albums, fitted out recording studios, run production workshops, and supported artists to tour.
Previous beneficiary Test Card Girl said:
“With so many artists producing their own music these days, trying to reach new audiences and funding your own work can be a real challenge without the right support. The Sounds programme not only funded the launch gig for my first EP, but gave me a community of artists and industry professionals as well as some amazing opportunities (festival slots, making a music video and interviews with international magazines to name a few!) that I would never have had without applying. If you believe in your sound and want to take it to the next level, you have nothing to lose by applying – opportunities, mentors, new directions, and new friends all lie ahead!”
Other Sounds alumni include: All Hands on Deck, Balraj Samrai, Bitez, Chris Massey, Dirty Freud, Edane Ng, Fixed Abode, Gibbon, Hur̃guf, Jacob Connor, Ku’umba, Lone Taxidermist, Loose Articles, Magpahi, Mali Hayes, Maryanne Royle, Obeka, OneDa, SAF-S2E, Sam Malik, SIBZ, Sophie Cooper, Sprechen, Test Card Girl and Vzion.
Factory International is also offering paid opportunities for local musicians and performers to showcase their talent at this year’s Manchester International Festival which will take place across the city from 29 June – 16 July. A range of performers from power-punk to steel bands, classical contemporary collectives to hip hop artists, community choirs and folk musicians, even dance troupes are being sought to perform on the live stage at Festival Square, the Festival’s much-loved hub, which will welcome thousands of visitors throughout the 18-day event.
Jane Beese, Factory International Director of Music states: “Our year-round programme at Factory International will give audiences the chance to enjoy the broadest range of art forms, and music will be a massive part of that. But beyond the shows and events that we put on in the venue, it’s also a space for the creators and artists of the future. We’re delighted to be able to offer these opportunities for those in our city’s fantastic music scene.”
Factory Sounds and the Festival Square call-out are just two of the ways in which Factory International supports local artists. Building on the organisation’s track record of commissioning artists to make new work, Factory International will be a training ground for the next generation of creators.
The focus will be on creating opportunities for artists from the North of England, particularly those most underrepresented in the sector, to develop work at scale, to be interdisciplinary and support the development of new international networks to export talent from the region. Other initiatives include a new annual Factory International Fellowship which will offer six artists from the north the opportunity to shadow the creation of major new work at Factory International and the festival, as well as providing bursaries and dedicated artistic support; and Artist Takeover – a new Factory International programme dedicated to showcasing new and exciting artists from Greater Manchester and the North of England.
Applications close 14 March, 12 noon
https://factoryinternational.
