Merger of Manchester’s Library Theatre and Cornerhouse

April 2012 has been set as the date for the merger of two of Manchester’s leading creative organisations, Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre Company, which will formally join forces in preparation for their move to a purpose-built £19m home in the city centre in 2014. Although the organisations’ brand identities will be retained until the move, the Chief Executive and Director of Cornerhouse Dave Moutrey will become Chief Executive of the new organisation, which is currently known as the Greater Manchester Arts Centre. A new chair is being recruited and a new board will be constituted to ensure that both theatre and visual arts interests are represented. Cornerhouse is constrained by its current buildings which are unsuitable for it to expand its contemporary visual art and cinema programmes. The Library Theatre Company, which is currently directly managed by Manchester City Council, has already left its home for 58 years in the basement of Manchester Central Library and is performing at the Lowry and other more unusual performances spaces across the city. The new cultural facility will provide the new merged organisation with a 450–500 seat theatre, a 120–150 seat flexible theatre, 600m2 gallery space, five cinema screens, education spaces, digital production and broadcast facilities, café bar, restaurant and offices. The scheme will fit in with the City Council’s plans to redevelop a vacant 20-acre lot on First Street, only 600m from Cornerhouse’s existing premises, and will generate much-needed footfall for new commercial leisure and retail developments in the area. £16m has been earmarked for the capital project from the Library Theatre relocation, with the remaining £3m ultimately coming from third party contributions and future capital receipts. A successful joint bid for National Portfolio status earlier this year means that the new organisation has secured £2.8m revenue funding from Arts Council England covering three years, starting in April. The City Council’s own grant funding for the new organisation is still under negotiation.