- Date
- 24 - 26 May 2024
Women of the World Festival is coming to Aviva Studios for a weekend of innovative workshops, vibrant discussions, and a bustling Marketplace.
Celebrate with world-class speakers, activists, and performers, including Mel B, Jordan Stephens, Julia Gillard, Maxine Peake, Zawe Ashton, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, DJ Paulette, and Chimene Suleyman.
Unite with Greater Manchester and beyond for transformative conversations and incredible performances. Visit the Social for free events across the weekend featuring WOW pop-ups, poetry, workshops, and artwork. There’s plenty to stumble upon.
Whether you’re a seasoned activist or dipping your toes into ideas about gender equity for the first time, WOW Manchester is for you.
Attending WOW Manchester
- You need a ticket to access the main WOW Manchester day programme.
- Certain evening events require you to buy a separate ticket for that event, such as Mel B, Jordan Stephens and Sara Pascoe.
- You can still drop by to Aviva Studios that weekend and enjoy our free events and activities in the Social area but will need a ticket to access the WOW programme.
- Day tickets are available for Saturday and Sunday. Each day features a different line-up so take your pick, or bag a Weekend Ticket and come along to both.
- Kids under 12 can attend for free across the weekend.
Evening talks
These events require a separate ticket. Click on each event to purchase your ticket.
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An Evening with Jordan Stephens
Famed for Rizzle Kicks, Jordan Stephens talks masculinity, addiction and learning to love yourself
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Weirdo - An evening with Sara Pascoe
Step into the hilarious world of acclaimed comedian and writer Sara Pascoe as she joins WOW Founder and CEO Jude Kelly for an evening of conversation.
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Brutally Honest – An Evening with Mel B
Mel B joins WOW Manchester for a frank, unfiltered discussion on her bestselling memoir
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Saturday 25 May
These events are included in your Saturday or Weekend ticket.
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Book a Saturday Day Ticket
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In conversation with Julia Gillard
Join WOW Founder Jude Kelly and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard as they open Saturday at WOW Manchester.
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Who Cares? Women on TV
Sophie Willan and Liz Carr discuss the challenges and triumphs of being women on TV, and why representation matters.
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HERcienda: Women, Music And Manchester
Join Manchester legend DJ Paulette for a conversation on the absence of women in music and club spaces.
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HERcienda: Live
Eves’Drop Collective host an epic day rave filled with eclectic selections, good vibes and plenty of nostalgia.
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The Chain: Sisterhood, Sex And Storytelling
Join us as we explore how relationships can quickly turn sour in this talk by The Chain author, Chimene Suleyman.
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Pole dancing against the algorithm
What can pole dancers teach us about social media? Dr Carolina Are discusses online censorship and its relationship with the patriarchy.
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WOW Big Ideas – Saturday
Hear from speakers on a range of fascinating topics
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Artistic Installations
Artists Ina-Maria Shikongo and Tania Kovats will join us across the weekend to exhibit specially commissioned work.
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Total Block Out!
Join local non profit CDM for a full day of drop-in block printing.
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WAST choir – Women Asylum Seekers Together
The WAST choir open WOW with joy!
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Tatreez: Embroidery for Wellbeing
Learn about traditional Palestinian embroidery, its history and conservation, and give it a go with your very own cross stitch.
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Recycled Me!
Learn how to repurpose beautiful materials and offcuts from Pakistan to create a rod puppet with Yamina Peerzada.
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Katumba: Music, Movement & Mindfulness
Feel uplifted through this music and mindfulness workshop inspired by Afro-Brazilian dance and body percussion.
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Zine Making with Take Up Space Manchester
Join local feminist zine makers for a fun and creative session on storytelling and learn how to express yourself through zines.
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Sunday 26 May
These events are included in your Sunday or Weekend ticket.
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Book a Sunday Day Ticket
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The worlds we weave: fashion, freedom and choice
Join author and former hostage Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, curator and art historian Rachel Dedman and author on sustainable fashion Aja Barber.
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Maxine Peake In Conversation
Join Maxine Peake and WOW Founder Jude Kelly for a Sunday morning discussion on Manchester, the arts and creative industries.
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Zawe Ashton and Gemma Cairney: Sisters not Systems
Actor Zawe Ashton and broadcaster Gemma Cairney join forces for an open discussion touching on race, gender and new motherhood.
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Artistic Installations
Artists Ina-Maria Shikongo and Tania Kovats will join us across the weekend to exhibit specially commissioned work.
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Menstrual Mood Mapping
Menstrual Mood Mapping is a calming, playful and creative workshop exploring the different phases and moods of menstrual cycles.
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Scream into the Void
Do you struggle to find the time to fit your uncontrollable rage into your busy schedule?
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WOW Closing Event
Join us for the grand finale of the WOW and a joyous send-off by WOW Founder Jude Kelly.
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Total Block Out!
Join local non profit CDM for a full day of drop-in block printing.
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Black Joy
Explore the resilience, strength and beauty inherent in Black joy and make your very own care plans.
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Drawing your Inner Self
Discover the power of art as a tool for self-discovery and introspection in this drawing workshop with Promina Shrestha from WOW Nepal.
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The Girl Generation
Hear from The Girl Generation, Dr Leyla Hussein and young people who are leading the fight against gendered violence in their communities.
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DIY like a Drag King!
Join Morris Choudry Qreations for a fun and practical upcycling workshop as we learn how to do it like a drag king!
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Safe Space Sisterhood
Audrey Hall facilitates a sharing circle for women creatives over the age of 35 as part of her Safe Space Sisterhood community.
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WOW Big Ideas – Sunday
Hear from a range of fascinating speakers
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Crash and Burn
Learn some practical strategies to take care of your mental wellbeing and address burnout with psychotherapist Dr Leyla Hussein.
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Angst Aerobics
Let off some physical, mental and emotional steam in a workshop from Girl Gang Manchester.
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Weekend Ticket
All events below are included in your Weekend ticket.
Events
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The Hope Brigade at Selfridges
- Art & Exhibitions
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
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WOW bus
- Courses & Workshops
- Family
- Free
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WOW Manchester: Speed Mentoring
- Courses & Workshops
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
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Artistic Installations
- Art & Exhibitions
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ClayLife
- Courses & Workshops
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
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HERcienda: Live
- Music
- Family
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HYPEHUNZ
- Wheelchair Access
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To Dye For
- Courses & Workshops
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
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Total Block Out!
- Courses & Workshops
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
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WAST choir – Women Asylum Seekers Together
- Music
- Wheelchair Access
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WOW Marketplace
- Courses & Workshops
- Talks
- Art & Exhibitions
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
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"I will not be lectured about misogyny by this man” – in conversation with Julia Gillard
- Talks
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Tatreez: Embroidery for Wellbeing
- Courses & Workshops
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
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WOW Manchester: Women in Footnotes
- Talks
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
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WOW Bites
- Talks
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
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HERcienda: Women, Music And Manchester
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
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Katumba: Music, Movement & Mindfulness
- Courses & Workshops
- Wheelchair Access
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Recycled Me!
- Courses & Workshops
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
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All Cisterns Go
- Courses & Workshops
- Wheelchair Access
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Pole dancing against the algorithm
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
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WOW Big Ideas – Saturday
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
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A Different Kind of Dragon’s Den
- Courses & Workshops
- Free
- Wheelchair Access
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The Chain: Sisterhood, Sex And Storytelling
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
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Who Cares? Women on TV
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
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Zine Making with Take Up Space Manchester
- Courses & Workshops
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
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Maxine Peake In Conversation
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
-
Scream into the Void
- Courses & Workshops
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
-
Drawing your Inner Self
- Courses & Workshops
- Wheelchair Access
-
The Girl Generation
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
-
Black Joy
- Courses & Workshops
- Wheelchair Access
-
DIY like a Drag King!
- Courses & Workshops
- Wheelchair Access
-
Zawe Ashton and Gemma Cairney: Sisters not Systems
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
-
Crash and Burn
- Courses & Workshops
- Wheelchair Access
-
Safe Space Sisterhood
- Courses & Workshops
- Wheelchair Access
-
WOW Big Ideas – Sunday
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
-
Angst Aerobics
- Courses & Workshops
- Wheelchair Access
-
Menstrual Mood Mapping
- Courses & Workshops
- Family
- Wheelchair Access
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The worlds we weave: fashion, freedom and choice
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
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WOW Closing Event
- Talks
- Wheelchair Access
Free events
You do not need a day or weekend ticket to attend these events.
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Speed Mentoring
Share challenges, exchange stories and meet a whole range of incredible women and non-binary people, including WOW speakers
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Women in Footnotes
Discover the side-lined women of Manchester in a walking tour led by Philippa Vishnyakov
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WOW bus
Bringing the family? Hop onto the WOW Girls Festival Bus and take part in a creative exploration of gender equity.
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The Hope Brigade at Selfridges
Step outside Aviva Studios and head to Selfridges Exchange Square to check out our very special Manchester edition of The Hope Brigade.
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To Dye For
Get stuck in making dyes from natural ingredients in this free workshop.
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A Different Kind of Dragon’s Den
We’re calling out to female and non binary-led North West social businesses with a product to sell!
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WOW Bites
Hear from inspirational local activists and speakers about the issues that matter to them.
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WOW Lates – Friday
Celebrate WOW Manchester with an evening of music, food and drinks – featuring a headline set from Suffragette City
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WOW Lates – Saturday
Celebrate WOW Manchester with an evening of music, food and drinks – featuring tunes from SHEwillprovide
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My City My Voice: from Istanbul to Manchester
Brighter Sound and Kreşendo connect musicians from Istanbul and Manchester create new music that weaves in live recordings from across Manchester.
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Credits
WOW Manchester commissioned and produced by Factory International and The WOW Foundation.
WOW Festival was originally produced and presented by Southbank Centre.
Access information
Our full address is Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ and the what3words is chop.feeds.chase.
You can approach Aviva Studios along Water Street (coming from Quay Street) or along Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield). Both entrances to the building have double sets of glass doors.
Once inside Aviva Studios, there is step-free access to all areas of the venue. The flooring throughout the building is smooth concrete.
The entrance to the Hall is by lift, escalator or stairs from one side of the Social beside the brick arches. There is only one escalator, and this will take you up to the Hall before the show, and will be reversed so that you can travel down at the end of the performance.
The Social has a range of seating, including those with arms and backs.
The bars in the Social and Hall Foyer have lowered accessible service points.
Our building is large. We have portable stools available to borrow if you would benefit from resting along the way during your visit.
We have wheelchair spaces and seats at standing events for all events.
There are accessible toilets on all public levels of our building.
Accessible toilets are located inside the main toilets space in the brick arches of the Social.
Here you’ll find a mixture of accessible cubicles with left- or right-hand transfer, towards the back of the space, as well as ambulant accessible cubicles with grab rails, as well as a Changing Places facility.
The toilets in the brick arches of the Social are split into male, female and gender neutral – all of which contain accessible cubicles. There are shared handwashing facilities in each arch – they have soap dispensers under the mirrors to your left and dryers to the right. There are separate handwashing facilities inside the accessible cubicles.
There are additional single-room accessible toilets located in both Hall Foyers, at stalls and circle level.
There are additional single-room accessible toilets located in the Warehouse Foyer.
You do not need a key to use the accessible toilets at Aviva Studios.
Assistance dogs are welcome in our building, and we can provide mats and water bowls on request, just ask a host when you arrive. We can also take care of your assistance dog if you do not want to take your dog into the performance space. Please also refer to our assistance dogs policy.
If you are bringing an assistance dog to a ticketed event, please let us know in advance by contacting access@factoryinternational.org or calling our access phone number: 0161 817 4531 (phone lines are open 10am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday).
Travel information
Aviva Studios can be approached along Water Street (coming from Quay Street) or along Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield).
Our closest stations are:
Salford Central station: 0.4 miles
Deansgate station and Deansgate-Castlefield tram: 0.6 miles
St Peter’s Square tram: 0.6 miles
Manchester Victoria station is approximately one mile from Aviva Studios
Manchester Piccadilly station is approximately 1.3 miles from Aviva Studios
Click on the links above to find detailed access information for each station.
By Bike
There are 40 bike parking spaces at Aviva Studios including space for two accessible bikes.
National Cycling Route 6 passes close to the venue and this TfGM webpage can help with route planning.
You can also hire bikes from on-street docking stations across the city centre. The closest docking stations to our venue are currently on Deansgate by Liverpool Road and (400m from the building) and by King Street (500m from the building). Take a look at Transport for Greater Manchester’s webpage for advice on cycle hire.
By Walking and Other Active Means
Aviva Studios can be approached along Water Street via Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield).
If you're coming from Quay Street, the safest route to avoid construction works is via the cut-through opposite Gartside Street and past Booking.com.
All footways in the surrounding area are well lit and there are appropriate crossings across all main roads.
Pedestrians with visual impairment are recommended to approach the building via Water Street, from Liverpool Road. This route has traditional carriageway and footway design with fixed street furniture which should help with navigation to the entrance.
A footbridge at Left Bank in Spinningfields provides an accessible link across the River Irwell to Salford Central station, and a further footbridge also links Aviva Studios with the Salford area of Middlewood Locks.
Free bus services stop at all city-centre stations, and near to Aviva Studios along Deansgate, Bridge St and Quay St. Buses on these free routes are wheelchair accessible. For full details of the free bus routes, please visit the TfGM website.
Free bus services stop at all city-centre stations, and near to Aviva Studios along Deansgate, Bridge St and Quay St. Buses on these free routes are wheelchair accessible. For full details of the free bus routes, please visit the TfGM website.
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