MAC (stylized as mac) (formerly Midlands Arts Centre) is a non-profit arts centre situated in Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England. It was established in 1962 and is registered as an educational charity which hosts art exhibitions, Indie Cinema, live performances and Creative Courses for all ages. The centre re-opened in May 2010 after a £15m facelift. It has four performance auditoria, rehearsal and media studios, a cinema, café, bar and

art gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...

. With 1,028,371 visits in 2015, MAC is the 14th most-visited free attractions in England.

History

The idea for an arts centre in Cannon Hill Park was the result of a meeting between local residents: theatre writer and director John English, his wife, Mollie Randle, and local politician Frank Price in the late 1950s. Eventually of land in Cannon Hill Park was made available by Birmingham City Council in 1962 for this purpose. It also housed the Cannon Hill Puppet Theatre under John M. Blundall. In 1965 director Mike Leigh went to work at the theatre and started experimenting with the idea that writing and rehearsing could potentially be part of the same process. Between 1972 and 1987 it was the home of the former

Birmingham Youth Theatre The Birmingham Youth Theatre was founded in 1971 in Birmingham, England by local teachers Derek Nicholls and Ray Speakman, and was based at the Midlands Arts Centre and Birmingham Repertory Theatre. From 1984 it was also run by teacher and director ...

, a company aimed at encouraging and nurturing talent amongst people aged 15 to 23 who were not involved with drama or theatre. This company was founded by local teacher Derek Nicholls, who later became Director of the mac. Adrian Lester and

Andrew Tiernan Andrew James Tiernan (born 30 November 1965) is a British actor and director. Biography Theatre Tiernan began acting with the Birmingham Youth Theatre and moved to London in 1984 to study a three-year diploma in acting at the Drama Centre Lo ...

began their careers there. Other artists who performed here include Yoko Ono,

Kate Malone Kate Olivia Malone (born 29 January 1959, in London) is a British ceramic artist known for her large sculptural vessels and rich, bright glazes. Malone is a judge, along with Keith Brymer Jones, on BBC2's '' The Great Pottery Throw Down'' present ...

, and Ewen Henderson; and renowned musicians and bands such as Ruby Turner, Ocean Colour Scene, UB40, and

ELO Elo or ELO may refer to: Music * Electric Light Orchestra, a British rock music group ** ''The Electric Light Orchestra'' (album), the group's debut album ** ''ELO 2'', the group's second album * ELO Part II, an offshoot band of Electric Light ...

played at MAC in the early stages of their career. Indian classical dancer Nahid Siddiqui taught Kathak classes here, and famous Bharatanatyam exponent Chitra Bolar started teaching at MAC in 1978. Their contributions established MAC as a centre for South Asian dance and performing arts. The centre closed from April 2008 to 1 May 2010 for a £14.8 million refurbishment.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Music venues in Birmingham, West Midlands Arts centres in England Theatres in Birmingham, West Midlands Art museums and galleries in Birmingham, West Midlands Art galleries established in 1962