Over the next two years, Contact will have a major expansion and refurbishment, transforming our building for the next generation of audiences, artists and young people.
Arts Council England has awarded Contact £3.85 million towards this £6.5 million redevelopment project. We have secured funding from Manchester City Council and Bruntwood and help in kind from Manchester University. We have also received generous support from several charitable trusts and foundations including the Foyle Foundation, the Granada Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation and the Oglesby Charitable Trust. We continue to fundraise to secure the remaining target.
While the building work is happening, we will move into a temporary home nearby and run an exciting year-long programme of events and festivals in new locations, with major partner venues, and in the heart of local communities. We will also continue to deliver our award-winning work with young people across Greater Manchester.
Contact will re-open in 2019 with two new performance spaces; a new recording studio for our young people’s music projects; new offices for artists and cultural organisations to hire and work alongside us; a new café/bar and many other exciting new features.
This vital project will:
- Increase the number and range of creative opportunities for young people
- Strengthen our financial performance and sustainability
- Improve access throughout the building
- Improve our environmental performance
Our new building will enable us to:
- secure a sustainable, long-term future for our work locally, nationally and internationally
- nurture talent, creativity and leadership among the young people of Greater Manchester
- take new, distinctive cultural work – created in Manchester – to the world stage
- help more young people at risk of exclusion to connect, create and thrive
FIND OUT MORE
To find out more and help us to realise our vision, please contact Jane Hall, Development Manager, janehall@contactmcr.com or call 0161 274 0657.