Manchester’s £110m new theatre and arts centre The Factory has announced its first major appointment.

BBC England chief operating officer Jenny Baxter will take up the position of project director at the cutting-edge cultural hub set to be built on the Old Granada Studios site.

Scheduled to open in 2019, The Factory will create a permanent new home for the biennial Manchester International Festival and will also be a commissioning venue creating original theatre, TV, film, music, dance, technology, media and science works of its own in partnership with leading national and international organisations.

Jenny, whose previous roles include controller of production for BBC News and head of foreign news, said: “The Factory will showcase world-class creativity in the heart of this region and I am thrilled to be appointed to lead its development.

“It will be a stunning building that is going to make a key contribution to the UK’s ambitious cultural future.”

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Council leader Sir Richard Leese said: “We are very pleased to have secured such a creative, experienced leader for this hugely significant cultural project, especially as she comes from one of our great creative partners here in Greater Manchester, the BBC.

“Jenny will work with our artistic partners MIF as well as Arts Council England and our partners in government, to ensure this new building benefits the whole cultural ecology of the north.”

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