In February 2027, ENO and Factory International are handing over the North Warehouse at Aviva Studios for up to six days with the Artist Takeover, with an open call inviting an artist, collective or creative team to take over the space and explore new approaches to opera, musical theatre, performance and storytelling.
The Artist Takeover collaboration forms part of ENO’s growing programme of artist development, new work and creative skills in Greater Manchester, creating opportunities for artists and young people to develop, experiment and build careers within opera and the wider creative industries.
This programme is an opportunity to take a creative risk and explore ambitious creative ideas, to work at scale and explore something that might not be possible elsewhere. With a focus on experimentation, testing and discovery, there is no expectation to create a finished or public work. The priority is to provide artists with the time, space, resources and expertise to explore an ambitious idea and see where it could lead.
The programme welcomes artists from any discipline, working individually or as part of a collective or creative team, with a particular interest in those exploring with fresh and contemporary approaches to storytelling, music and performance, crossing artforms or working in new ways.
Artists will receive up to six days in the North Warehouse at Aviva Studios and will be supported to shape how the residency time is used. This could include creative development, research, workshops, rehearsals, making, testing, technical experimentation or bringing collaborators into the space.
Applications for the Artist Takeover open on Tuesday 12 October and close on Monday 9 November.