Step into Aviva Studios for a sensory-led artist takeover
- Alan Hulme
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Manchester-based South Asian theatre, film and radio director Gitika Buttoo and writer and storyteller asfhan d’souza-odhi, will take over the vast North Warehouse at city centre Aviva Studios next month (May 7-11).
The pair will offer a live experience in which audiences can move, feel, listen and make decisions, exploring how communities resist, adapt and imagine ways forward through storytelling.
Theirs will be the fourth in a seres of artist takeovers at the landmark venue - events "not intended to be a polished performance" but rather a "living process and an invitation to feel, to question and to shift the systems we’re part of."
Gitika Buttoo and afshan d-souza-lodhi explain: “We bring a collaborative approach that draws from our diverse backgrounds in theatre, film, radio, and poetry. Over the years we have consistently produced work on mid-scale platforms but, as South Asian artists, we have often felt constrained by the lack of opportunities to experiment on a larger scale.
"Stepping into this vast space is more than just a career milestone, it’s a chance to redefine what is possible for artists like us. It provides the platform to test bold, cross-disciplinary ideas and to craft work that is ‘good enough to try and safe enough to fail.’
"This is us taking the leap from mid-scale to large-scale, to experiment with work as ambitious as the space itself. This takeover is not just about audiences observing a story, but about them being a part of it.”
Kee Hong Low, artistic director at Factory International said: “Artist development is at the heart of what we do at Factory International. This edition of our artist takeover opportunity is a vital step towards making sure our spaces reflect the multiplicity of stories, communities, and visions that are present in the creative community in North.
"We’re thrilled to hand over the keys to the North Warehouse this May to Gitika and afshan - two bold and brilliant artists.”
More info and tickets here
