Today, Factory International announces Common Frequency, a new exhibition on the transformative power of music, curated by the 2026 adidas Originals Creator Network North cohort.
Taking place 3 – 6 October in the vast North Warehouse of Manchester’s Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, Common Frequency, is a free exhibition and event series created by the adidas Originals Creator Network North – a group of 20 young creatives from across the North West.
The exhibition traces the influential presence of music in our lives. Over six months, the emerging creatives in the Originals Creator Network North cohort have come together with the support of Factory International and adidas Originals to interrogate the relationship between music, community and identity.
Common Frequency is the outcome – bringing together moving image, visual installation, a zine, and two films, which explore experiences of release and resilience through music. These elements are held within an immersive soundscape carrying words and memories recorded by the cohort.
On select days, the exhibition transforms into an event space kicking off with an evening of live music and poetry, featuring musicians from Manchester Camerata (3 October) – the UK’s most relentlessly pioneering orchestra, known for constantly innovating and redefining what an orchestra can be.
Audiences can also join a hands-on creative workshop (4 October) in the space, exploring music, identity and transformation, and can meet the adidas OCN North cohort (6 October) to hear about their experiences of curating Common Frequency, with a contribution from DJ and Broadcaster Mary Anne Hobbs, and a relaxed networking session.
Pelumi Fatayo, adidas Originals Creator Network North, said: “Being part of OCN North has allowed me to develop creatively. Being in the cohort of 20 talented multifaceted creatives, I have learnt so much from all of them. Through the six months, we’ve grown as individuals and as a collective. Being able to collaborate and cultivate this exhibition, from ideation to release, has been an immersive experience and I’m forever grateful for the creative community that we’ve built.”
Phoebe Bonser, adidas Originals Creator Network North, said: “Working on Common Frequency as part of a group of 20 emerging creatives has been an incredibly exciting experience. What makes this exhibition so special is not just the number of artists involved, but the genuinely collaborative nature of the work. Rather than presenting a collection of individual pieces, we have created something together, shaped by shared ideas, conversations, and creative processes.
“Throughout the exhibition, we invite visitors to engage with ideas of music, transformation, identity, community, resilience, release, and memory. What I find particularly exciting about Common Frequency is that it offers an immersive experience without relying heavily on XR technologies. Instead, immersion is created through multimedia practices, carefully crafted soundscapes, collaborative methods, and a programme of events that bring people together. If you’re looking for an exhibition that encourages reflection, participation, and a sense of shared experience, I believe Common Frequency is one not to be missed.”
Established in 2024 by adidas Originals and Factory International, Originals Creator Network North builds on the success of OCN South, which was founded in London in 2022 to provide opportunities to underrepresented talent in the UK’s creative scene.
Based at Aviva Studios, this second edition of OCN North has brought together 20 emerging creatives from across Manchester and the North over the past six-months. The programme offers a career-defining opportunity for emerging talent to develop their skills, build networks and explore new opportunities in the creative industries through masterclasses, hands-on experience and mentorship from adidas Originals and Factory International.
Scott McVittie – Executive Commercial Director, Factory International said: “The best way to support emerging creatives is to trust them with something real. Through our partnership, Factory International and adidas Originals have brought together their expertise, networks and resources to give 20 young creatives the chance to respond to a live brief and produce an ambitious exhibition for the North Warehouse.
“Common Frequency is an impressive achievement, but the impact goes beyond the exhibition. The cohort leaves with practical experience, greater confidence and industry relationships that will directly strengthen their future employment prospects.”
The Originals Creator Network North programme champions diverse voices, reflecting Factory International and adidas Original’s shared ambition to cultivate an inclusive creative industry and to offer development opportunities for emerging talent in the region.
Find out more about the creatives selected for the 2026 cohort of Originals Creator Network North on the Factory International website here.
Now, responding to a brief from adidas Originals inspired by the transformative power of music, Common Frequency (3 – 6 October) is the culmination of the cohort’s work – an exhibition and event series inviting visitors to experience music as a vessel for human connection, through which stories are shared, truths are celebrated and identities are found.
-ENDS-
Common Frequency – Exhibition
3 – 6 October | Factory International, Aviva Studios
Explore a free exhibition on the transformative power of music – curated by the adidas Originals Creator Network North cohort.
Free to drop in, find out more here
Common Frequency – LIVE
3 October | Factory International, Aviva Studios
An evening of live music and poetry as part of the adidas OCN North exhibition, Common Frequency – featuring Manchester Camerata.
Book free tickets here
Common Frequency – Meet the Cohort
6 October | Factory International, Aviva Studios
A chance to experience the exhibition, followed by a curated evening hearing from the adidas OCN North cohort about their experiences creating Common Frequency, with a contribution from DJ and broadcaster Mary Anne Hobbs, and a relaxed networking session.
Book free tickets here
For more information, please contact:
Anja Samy – Press Officer, Factory International
anja.samy@factoryinternational.org
ABOUT ADIDAS ORIGINALS
Inspired by the rich sporting heritage of adidas – one of the world’s leading sports brands and a global designer and developer of athletic footwear and apparel – adidas Originals is a lifestyle brand founded in 2001. With the adidas archive at its foundation, adidas Originals continues to evolve the brand’s legacy through its commitment to product innovation and its ability to filter the creativity and courage found on the courts and sporting arenas through the lens of contemporary youth culture. Marked by the iconic Trefoil logo that was first used in 1972 and championed by those that continue to shape and define creative culture, adidas Originals continues to lead the way as the pioneering sportswear brand for the street.
ABOUT FACTORY INTERNATIONAL
Factory International is the organisation behind Manchester International Festival and the city’s landmark cultural space, Aviva Studios. Factory International commissions, produces and presents a year-round programme of original creative work and special events at Aviva Studios, online, and internationally through its network of co-commissioners and partners. It also stages the city-wide Manchester International Festival (MIF) every other year.
MIF is one of the world’s leading arts festivals, and the first to be entirely focused on the commissioning and producing of ambitious new work. Staged every two years in Manchester since 2007, the festival invites world-renowned artists from different art forms and backgrounds to create dynamic, innovative and forward-thinking new work in venues and spaces across Greater Manchester. Previous artists include, Björk, Jeremy Deller, Akram Khan, Yayoi Kusama, David Lynch, Wayne McGregor, Steve McQueen, Yoko Ono, Maxine Peake, Skepta, and The xx.
Factory International plays an important role in the lives of Greater Manchester residents, bringing jobs, skills, training and creative opportunities. Through the Factory Academy, Factory International is training the creative workforce of the future, while its pioneering creative engagement and artist development programmes create year-round opportunities for local people to get involved, from participating in flagship commissions to shaping the organisation through involvement in its public forums.
Aviva Studios was designed by the world-leading practice Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), with Ellen van Loon as lead architect – their first major public building in the UK. Its development was led by Manchester City Council, with backing from HM Government and National Lottery funding from Arts Council England.
Factory International is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
factoryinternational.org
ABOUT ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. From 2023 to 2026 we will invest over £467 million of public money from Government and an estimated £250 million from The National Lottery each year to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. This year the National Lottery will celebrate 30 years of supporting good causes in the United Kingdom through raising £49 billion and awarding over 690,000 individual grants since the first draw was held in 1994.
