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FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) started in 1989, as Merseyside Mervola, formed for the Video Positive festival.

The biennial festival for digital art and film was a success, and therefore the company survived and started as an agency for commissioning work - such as that displayed at Tate Modern.

"It's somewhere to highlight and profile the genre as the idea of digital art and creative technology is still relatively unknown. If you have a big flagship project like this not only are you regenerating the area, but you are also screaming at people to give it a go," says James Hanks - Press Officer for FACT.

The FACT Centre has been redeveloped in the Tea Factory in the Ropewalks area by architect Austin-Smith Lord. The glass and concrete exterior is surrounded by deserted buildings and newly decorated squares, with low-lit lighting to welcome you in and out.

The view as you approach FACT from Bold Street.

Opposite the box office you have a periscope-type view over the entire FACT centre as a navigation wall displays a number of screens showing what's going on in each space in the building. Beside this is a media lounge, where you can chill out whilst browsing websites, burning CDs or looking through DVDs.

As you walk through the foyer past Gallery One you can make your way to the cafe perched in front of the large facade of glass at the back of the building, or go inside The Box, which can be a screen, gallery, event or exhibition space.

James Hanks, Marketing & Press - FACT

The first and second levels hold three high quality cinema screens seating 260, 150 and 100 people. The cinemas have the extra comfort details - with tilting chairs, drink holders and THX sound, providing a better quality of audio enjoyment.

Alan Sieglow, of Picturehouse UK.

PictureHouse, part of CityScreen, are in 15 cinemas around the country including York and Oxford. They are responsible for what is exhibited on the FACT screens:"We're very interested in what's happening locally; each of our cinemas is programmed differently and we will be keying into local interests. If there are things going on locally, such as a festival or similar events, we will be work alongside to reflect that," says Alan Sieglow of Picturehouse UK.

PictureHouse will be featuring a whole range of films from independent productions from Liverpool and across the world which you can't see at your local cinema, including movies which you could only previously see on a Sunday afternoon on your TV... such as Singin' in the Rain. "To actually appreciate film you need to be sat there in a darkened room, on a very big screen, with the best sound possible. That's the best way to see it," says Alan Sieglow.

The centre is meant to cater for all the people of Liverpool, with different events and films to suit most. A kids club, Ben and Jerry's nights (with free ice-cream!), and a peak admission price of five pound and fifty pence will hopefully wet all appetites.

The FACT Centre holds different spaces that are tucked away for you to explore. You don't know whether to push the door open, but when you get the door right and stroll down dark corridors you'll find amazing spaces and a place to enjoy film, new media, video and art.

Come on over... pay FACT a visit!

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