mac building project
| Published: 11th September 2007 09:43 |
Background
During the 1950s Birmingham residents Mollie Randle and her husband John English had a vision: to create an arts centre for local children and young people. In 1962, their dream was realised when Birmingham City Council granted them 8.6 acres of land in Cannon Hill Park and The Midlands Arts Centre for Children and Young People opened its doors for the first time.
mac - as it became known - was ahead of its time. With a belief in the value of lifelong learning and participation in the arts, it brought together artists, both aspiring and professional, to create new work across a wide range of art forms.
Access to the arts
Since it was founded, mac has introduced over 10 million people to the arts, and is now used by over 10% of Birmingham's population each year. The centre enjoys strong relationships with its two key stakeholders - Birmingham City Council and Arts Council England, West Midlands.
But there has been no significant investment in the buildings since they were built in the 1960 and 70s.
"The buildings are crumbling," admits director Dorothy Wilson. "The ventilation is unreliable. The roof leaks and we are prone to flood. There aren't enough toilets and the existing ones are badly located. Large parts of the building are very worn and somewhat tatty. It's far from completely accessible for those with mobility impairments. For artists and visitors alike, the gallery spaces and meeting rooms are inadequate."
"And it doesn't look like the Midlands' most vibrant and welcoming arts centre, which it is," she adds.
The plans
In just two years' time, the new mac will have lifts, more toilets, bigger foyers and much more art. Dorothy Wilson pledges the centre will be greener and more energy-efficient too.
Plans include a brand new double-height gallery - and the café and bar areas will be almost doubled in size
There will be a new main entrance from a specially commissioned bridge across the River Rea. All this, according to the mac director, will increase the amount and the range of educational work by building new media studios and learning rooms so that the centre can work with even more adults and young people.
Project partners
The project is a partnership with sampad, the Birmingham-based South Asian arts development agency which is resident at mac. The two key funders are the Arts Council of England and Birmingham City Council.
The total cost of the capital project is around £13.5 million, of which mac has already raised over £12 million from statutory and other funders. A campaign has been launched to help plug the remaining funding gap of £1.5 million.
Temporary closure
The mac will close in Spring 2008 and reopen in Autumn 2009, in plenty of time to celebrate its 50th birthday in 2012.
While the centre is closed, mac is planning a programme of events to take place during the building works, including events in Cannon Hill Park and collaborations with other city arts organisations. "Obviously we won't be able to sustain the levels of activity that our customers currently enjoy, but we will be trying our best to provide something for everyone," says Dorothy Wilson.
