INVITATION TO TENDER PR AGENCY FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE FACTORY CONTENTS 01 SCOPE OF PROJECT 02 INTRODUCTION 03 KEY BENEFITS 04 THE BRIEF 05 APPLICATIONS INVITATION TO TENDER PR AGENCY FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE FACTORY SCOPE OF PROJECT We are seeking to appoint a PR agency to develop a dynamic international PR campaign for the launch of The Factory. The new world-class cultural space will be a permanent home for the world-famous Manchester International Festival (MIF), commissioning and presenting a year-round programme of extraordinary, ground- breaking and interdisciplinary work by leading artists from across the world. We are looking for an agency to communicate the opening of one of the most significant developments in Europe to both the most influential international audiences and the widest popular base in Manchester and beyond with a campaign that matches the ambition of the project. The project scope will involve working closely with the MIF team, as well as key stakeholders such as Manchester City Council, Arts Council England, Allied London, Laing O’Rourke and others. Construction of The Factory will be completed in late 2022 and open to the public in early 2023. INTRODUCTION Described by The New York Times as ‘one of the leading worldwide incubators for new, cutting-edge art’, Manchester International Festival (MIF) launched in 2007 as the world’s first festival of original, new work and special events. It is an artist-led festival staged every two years, presenting new works from across the spectrum of performing arts, visual arts and popular culture, at venues and spaces across the city. Since 2007, MIF have presented eight city-wide biennial Festivals – most recently MIF21, which featured world premieres in music, dance, theatre, visual art, digital art, videogaming and more, by artists from more than 20 countries. The national and international success of MIF has led directly to the development of The Factory - a state-of-the-art building and producing organisation in the heart of Manchester and an important new cultural and training resource for the whole of the UK. Designed by Rem Koolhaas’s OMA, with Ellen van Loon as lead architect, The Factory is backed by Manchester City Council, HM Government and Arts Council England, and is scheduled for completion in late 2022. The Factory is driven by the same interests and ambitions that defines MIF, where we encourage artists to create work in new ways, to collaborate across disciplines and blur the boundaries between art and popular culture. Its design is based around large, open, flexible spaces that will constantly change and reconfigure to meet the needs of the work created and shown in the building: from large- scale multimedia performances to epic installations, and to work created for the digital and virtual worlds that have forever changed our engagement with culture. Our programme will be international – but The Factory will also be deeply, proudly local. We’ll be working with the people of Manchester in countless creative ways, inviting individuals and communities to meet, exchange ideas and take part in remarkable new projects. And we’ll be offering training in many of the skills required for a career in the arts, helping to build new generations of technicians, producers and other creative talent. KEY BENEFITS − The Factory is a major investment of national significance, which puts culture at the heart of Manchester’s plans to ensure the future success of the city. − At 13,300 square metres, The Factory will be ultra- flexible, enabling large-scale artistic work of invention and ambition that isn’t made anywhere else in the world. − This radical new space will be a significant addition to the arts landscape, nationally and internationally, while playing an important role in the lives of people in and around Greater Manchester. − It will redraw the UK cultural map, and bolster Manchester’s and the North’s credentials as an economic and creative powerhouse to rival London. It will spearhead the recovery of the cultural sector which has been devastated by Covid and be part of a positive drive forward. − The Factory will contribute £1.4 billion to the economy of Manchester and the surrounding region over a decade, creating or supporting up to 1,500 full-time jobs. − It will create up to 1,400 skills and training places, and reach 10,000 more through learning and engagement opportunities that form part of The Factory Academy, a new initiative helping people from all backgrounds to start new careers in the creative industries. − The Factory will be the anchor of a new enterprise and innovation quarter for the region and make a major contribution to the ongoing regeneration of this part of the city centre THE BRIEF WHERE WE INVENT TOMORROW, TOGETHER The Factory has ambitious goals to integrate arts and culture into the everyday lives of Manchester’s citizens - to be part of the authentic life of the city whilst reaching out to the world. The opening campaign provides an opportunity to establish The Factory as a new and important global cultural institution and an essential destination for local, national and international visitors alike, one which reflects Manchester’s dynamism and creativity and forms an integral part of the city’s urban fabric. The Factory functions not just on the physical platform of the building but also through two other crucial manifestations: The Factory Academy, putting skills and training at the heart of organisation, and Virtual Factory, with digital innovation as its central concept, blazing a trail for The Factory globally well before the physical building in Manchester opens. THE BRIEF WHERE WE INVENT TOMORROW, TOGETHER The aims of the successful communications campaign will match the ambition of the project making best use of these unique initiatives. We are looking for an agency to: − Produce and deliver a big impact PR strategy for the launch of The Factory that delivers significant, timely and strategic media coverage and profile locally, nationally and internationally. − Create a compelling narrative around the benefits and impact of the project to build a sense of excitement and anticipation amongst the public, media, and stakeholders − Generate compelling creative ideas that reflect our ambition and communicate our values to support the opening, launch programme and event announcements − Raise awareness of the Factory with potential stakeholders, sponsors and commercial partners − Develop relationships and bespoke partnerships that will raise the profile and help position The Factory with different audience groups. The successful agency will be expected to collaborate closely with The Factory team to implement all aspects of the roll-out, which will include but not be limited to the following: − Preparing a communications plan, incorporating key messages, project timelines, media targets − Conducting extensive outreach to journalists, including distributing press announcements and invitations − Planning and managing media events and initiatives, including announcements, press trips, press previews − Liaising with the communications team, and attending regular virtual meetings, as necessary − Providing intensive support in the months leading up to the opening − Reporting on progress of media outreach, and sharing of coverage as it appears APPLICATIONS To apply we would like you to submit a presentation that outlines your approach to an innovative communications campaign incorporating key milestones, targets and success measures. Applications are to be submitted by email to [email protected] by Friday 20 August. Interviews will be held w/c 23 August and the contract start date will be 1 September. If you have any questions please contact the Head of Press & PR, Emma Robertson, via email at [email protected] REPORTING TO: Emma Robertson, Head of Press & PR Helen Faulkner, Director of Audiences mif.co.uk Manchester International Festival 0161 817 4500 Blackfriars House, Parsonage, Manchester M3 2JA.