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New cultural hub proposed for centre of Manchester
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 13 June 2019
Plans have been announced to create new performance spaces in the centre of Manchester, next to Piccadilly Station, as part of a wider bid to regenerate the area.
Live music companies Broadwick Live, Vibration Group and Ground Control are all involved in the project that would take over the site of the old Mayfield railway station and Royal Mail depot, which has been disused for more than three decades.
The site has already been used for very occasional cultural and clubbing events in recent years, and more are planning for later this year, including shows as part of the Manchester Pride Live festival on 24-25 Aug.
Under the big new plan, new spaces for clubs, gigs, film screenings, exhibitions and theatrical performances would be set up, alongside a plethora of the obligatory street food vendors. They would all, in essence, be ‘pop-up’ spaces, as plans for more a permanent redevelopment of the site go through the motions.
“The new performance spaces as part of the Mayfield regeneration are a huge opportunity to welcome the city of Manchester to see [the site]”, says Broadwick’s Venues Director Bradley Thomson. “Using arts programming and cultural happenings we plan to create some amazing experiences in this new space”.
Meanwhile Vibration Group’s Creative Director Simeon Aldred adds: “Our team are famous for our work in cultural regeneration, but in a city as rich as Manchester culturally, we have an exciting opportunity to push the boundaries to the next level in terms of performance”.
Confirming that the planned spaces would host an eclectic mix of events, he goes on: “We are also super excited to programme a broad spectrum of arts in the venue from newly commissioned ballet through to orchestral residencies and free events for the people of Manchester”.
Beyond the upcoming events planned on the site, the bigger project still requires planning permission. If that permission is granted, the cultural complex is expected to be in operation for about five years while further redevelopment of the Mayfield site continues.
