THE Arts Council England has awarded Manchester City Council £5.5 million in funding for HOME, the new production centre for international contemporary art, theatre and film. This is the merged Cornerhouse and Library Theatre company.
It's fantastic that in such difficult times a local authority can have the confidence and vision to invest in such an ambitious cultural project.
The new venue, at First Street, is due to open in spring 2015 and will have a 500-seat theatre; a 150-seat flexible studio space; a 500m2, 4m high gallery space; five cinema screens; digital production and broadcast facilities; a café bar and restaurants.
HOME will also incorporate three of the existing viaduct arches along Whitworth Street, which will house the venue's education spaces.
The investment from Arts Council England represents another step forward in the regeneration of the 20-acre First Street site, for which HOME is providing a powerful catalyst.
The name HOME has proved controversial since being chosen in September last year as the comments on this Manchester Confidential article show.
Dave Moutrey, Director and Chief Executive of HOME, said: "From the start of the project our aim has been to create a shared space, where people can come together in their passion for art, cinema, theatre, good food and conversation. We want to create the right venue for artists to make great work and for audiences to come together to experience it, to take part, learn and have fun. This grant is a major step in helping us to achieve this ambition."
Jane Beardsworth, North West Regional Director, Arts Council England, said: "It's fantastic that in such difficult times a local authority can have the confidence and vision to invest in such an ambitious cultural project and Arts Council England is delighted to be able to support Manchester in the development and realisation of this major new arts venue for the city."
Manchester City Council has committed £19 million to fund the creation of HOME. The overall budget for the project is £25 million, with the remaining £6 million being met by a combination of the Arts Council England funding and fundraising.
