Venue hire
Hire the Burgess Foundation for your event
The International Anthony Burgess Foundation is a unique venue within one of Manchester’s oldest mill buildings. (Want to skip this? Scroll down and fill in our quick hire request form – or click here.)
The high-quality conversion of our home at Chorlton Mill retains original architectural features – plenty of brickwork akin to a New York comedy club – and houses Anthony Burgess’s own furniture and musical instruments to create a distinctive location for your event. (Want to see? Jump to the pictures at the bottom of the page.)
We have a licensed bar and a flexible event space that hosts a wide range of activities: readings and book launches; concerts and rehearsals; conferences and away days; lectures and workshops; broadcasts and recordings; theatre and comedy; screenings and social gatherings.
We have extra measures in place to ensure mitigation against Covid-19. We currently accept selected event hires, mainly broadcasts and recordings. On 19 July 2021, our building reopens to the public and will once more host audience events. As public safety increases, we expect to return to our usual room capacity of 100 people.
Your hire includes opening of the Burgess Bar, perfect for a relaxed location for your audience or guests before they move into the main venue. Ask us about drinks receptions and bar tabs. We have modern audio-visual facilities on hand to bring your event to life, along with assistance from experienced and friendly venue managers who will help your event run smoothly.
Details of our facilities can be found beneath the video below. Tell us about your event requirements – scroll down this page and fill in our quick request form. If you want to talk about your event further, please contact Ian Carrington on events@anthonyburgess.org.
In recent years, we have hosted events with (deep breath): Alex Bellos, Olivia Laing, Chuck Palahniuk, Ben Aaronovich, Kevin Cummings, Margaret Drabble, Jonathan Meades, Henry Normal, Robin Ince, Monique Roffey, Scott Capurro, Ocean Vuong, Kamila Shamsie and many more We have also hosted conferences, workshops and away-days for organisations such as The British Council, Manchester Metropolitan University and Manchester City Council, plus featured as a venue for the Manchester International Festival, Manchester Literature Festival, Manchester Science Festival, Manchester Pride, Commonword, the Portico Prize, Manchester Jazz Festival and Manchester Folk Festival.
And now, a useful form…
Doves: Cycle of Hurt, recorded at the Burgess Foundation:
Click here to hire us via: Big Venue Book | Meetings Booker