Award-winning property developer Tom Bloxham has announced he will stand down as chairman of Manchester International Festival and Factory International next year.
Writing on Twitter, he shared a link to a recruitment page for the role and appealed for help to 'shape one of the most ambitious cultural projects for a generation'. Mr Bloxham, founder of pioneering Manchester regeneration company Urban Splash, has held the MIF position for almost 20 years.
He said this year's MIF would mark a 'milestone' as visitors will get the chance to see inside Factory International, the new £210 million arts, music and culture space, for the first time.
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The flagship venue, due to open its doors in June, has been designed in the form of a gigantic hangar and built on the former Granada TV Studios site. It is expected to attract around 1.15 million visitors a year.
Mr Bloxham said he felt it an 'appropriate time' to hand over the role to someone who could 'provide strategic leadership for the years to come'.
Running from June 29 until July 16, 2023, MIF's 18-day takeover of the city will be jam-packed with unmissable gigs, shows, art, exhibitions, talks and more. Welcoming huge names from all corners of the globe, the festival is proudly showcasing premiering shows, making visitors among the first to witness the magic.
Programme highlights include Yayoi Kusama's 'You, Me and the Balloons' which will see the Japanese artist's inflatable artworks brought together for the first time in this major exhibition conceived especially for the soaring spaces of MIF's new home - including giant dolls, spectacular tendrilled landscapes and a vast constellation of polka-dot spheres.
Mr Bloxham described the role on Factory International's website as 'one of the great privileges of my life'.
"Growing from just an idea based on Manchester City Council's ambition to centre culture in its vision for the city in the new millennium, MIF has, since its inception, been focused on creating ambitious, surprising and exciting experiences for the widest-possible range of audiences and has established an international reputation as the place where many of the world’s best artists want to make their newest work," he said.
"As we've grown, we’ve continued to explore and expand our horizons, developing an ever-deeper connection to Manchester’s many and diverse communities, pioneering new ideas and projects in the digital realm, and creating a network of international venues and festivals with which we co-produce our work.
"In any given month there will be MIF shows appearing in cities ranging from New York to Hong Kong, from Sydney to Helsinki, from Singapore to Karachi.
"Our new Factory International building is our most ambitious undertaking yet. In line with all our projects, it’s something that’s never quite been done before – designed by OMA built by Manchester City Council with fresh £200 million funding from MCC & UK government to Manchester and the Arts, a very different art space with a unique design focussed on providing artists at all stages in their development with limitless possibilities.
"I believe it belongs as part of great tradition of cultural venues that help define the cities – like Sydney’s Opera House, Paris' Pompidou Centre , Bilbao’s Guggenheim or London’s Tate Modern.
"I'm very much looking forward to the opening of the space, with our 2023 festival providing the first opportunity for the public to look inside the completed building for a huge Yayoi Kusama show. And our official opening production, Free Your Mind, will undoubtedly mark a milestone in Manchester's cultural history.
"As that milestone passes, I feel it will be an appropriate time for me to hand on the role of chair to a new candidate, who can provide strategic leadership for the years to come. As incoming chair, not only will you have one of the world’s great festivals and one of the world’s great cultural buildings under your remit, you will also be working with an extraordinary, diverse and dedicated staff team, led by John McGrath and his exceptional executive. I know that you will enjoy their creativity, passion and vision.
"Our new board chair will be chosen by the current members of the board, but I will be available to talk to potential candidates as the process develops, and to share any insights I can on the wonderful opportunities and challenges of this role."
It's expected Mr Bloxham will stand down in February, 2024.
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