WHEN Manchester’s new arts centre HOME opens its doors in April, it’s certain to  have a major impact way beyond the north-west of England, both in Britain and internationally.

A merger of two of Manchester’s best-loved arts organisations, Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre, the centre cost £25 million, £19m of which has been underwritten by the city’s Labour council. 

That’s a hugely welcome initiative at a time when so many local authorities are slashing their arts budgets.

Manchester is buzzing at the prospect of this new venture and the centre’s artistic team is very clear about its potential audience, seen as “curiosity-seekers, lovers of the dramatic, the digital and the deeply engaging, radicals and reciprocators.”

Two new theatres seating 700 are to be the base for new commissioned work, five cinemas will present challenging, independent and provocative film, the gallery is to house contemporary art and there’ll be a library, a cafe and a restaurant on the site too.

HOME aims to be a centre for co-production and artistic creation and, laudably, it’s firmly dedicated to learning for people of all ages. 

Engaging with the community is core to its operations and  the centre will be laying on arts courses for the public. Its outreach team is to work with schools and community groups on projects and education programmes. 

A real positive is the commitment to have a progressive pricing policy in order to ensure those from less well-off backgrounds are not excluded from enjoying the arts. 

Announcing the centre’s opening programme recently, artistic directors Walter Meierjohann and Sarah Perks gave a mouthwatering taster of what’s in store. 

It includes the world premiere of The Funfair, Simon Stephens’s adaptation of Odon von Horvath’s classic European play Kasimir and Karoline, a production in the summer of The Oresteia, Aeschylus’s masterpiece, directed by Blanche McIntyre and Cornelia Funke’s excellent Inkheart is bound to be a big hit with families next Christmas. 

In the cinema, the focus will be on Spanish and Latin American film this year and next. 

Among the major exhibitions will be I Must Apologise... from Beirut-based artists Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, which explores the history of online spam and scamming through film, sculpture, photography, and installation. 

Meierjohann stressed the importance of political debate within the arts and the programme has a deliberate political theme to it and it was great to see that within the beautifully produced launch brochure the Morning Star’s arts coverage gets a mention.

Details: homemcr.org