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Celebrating 60 Years Of Arts

Midlands Arts Centre celebrates huge milestone

This year, MAC (Midlands Arts Centre) is celebrating its 60th anniversary as a pioneering arts centre in Birmingham, with the mission to make creativity and art accessible to everyone.

As one of the liveliest arts centres in the Midlands, MAC welcomes over one million visits from audiences every year. Specialising in contemporary work, the charity offers a busy programme of theatre, cinema, free visual arts exhibitions and special events, as well as a wealth of practical classes in all aspects of creativity.

Through MAC's award-winning learning and outreach programme, the charity runs workshops and projects for young people, older people, local communities and schools. MAC is a national leader in developing work with families. Their community work is designed to encourage participation in areas where engagement with the arts is particularly low, providing access and entry points for people regardless of their background.

Creativity And Wellbeing

At the beating heart of MAC's education programme is the aim to bring people together from all walks of life to share their stories and creativity. Practical learning and safe spaces for creative expression has been proven to have a positive impact on people's wellbeing. One such outlet is MAC's award-winning music programme for children and young people with additional needs. With the funding from players of People's Postcode Lottery, MAC is able to continue to offer free inclusive events to support and nurture future artists and audiences.

Deborah Kermode, CEO & Artistic Director MAC, said, "We are extremely proud to be celebrating sixty years of this incredible arts charity for the people of Birmingham, working with talented local and international artists to produce high-quality theatre, cinema, free exhibitions and creative courses. At MAC, we thrive on being a centre for the whole community to enjoy.

"As the former Midlands Art Centre for Young People, founded on the idea of providing creative opportunities for younger generations, we are proud to welcome over 350,000 children and young people and almost 1 million visits from the wider public to our venue each year. The arts charity couldn't be what it is today without the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery. We are thrilled to celebrate this landmark anniversary and continue to provide access to the arts for the people of Birmingham and beyond, with help from the players."

Life-Changing Experiences

MAC Makes Music is an award-winning programme which provides inclusive music making opportunities for children and young people with additional needs, celebrating musical, social, and personal outcomes equally. It places young people's voices and creativity at the centre, and has seen life-changing results for members.

"I've been playing the guitar for about two years, and I've been in SWITCH (inclusive band) for one year. I like the chance that I get to go on stage and play in a band."

"It brings me positivity and uplifts me in difficult periods of time. Writing music is therapy to me and it allows me to express myself. MAC Makes Music helps me so much – I go to sessions at MAC, which is a huge creative space for us to collaborate. It helps musicians come out of their shell and comfort zones. I would say to any young musician out there that wants to be creative, to be yourself, to have fun when you making music, and don't be shy."

Making A Difference

People's Postcode Lottery players are helping deserving causes like MAC make a difference every single day. Read more about the range of Charities which our players support.