In an exciting new collaboration, Future Arts Centres is pleased to announce a partnership with Dave Moutrey and the University of Manchester on the critical social and economic role that arts centres play in the arts and cultural infrastructure of towns, cities, and regions across the UK and Ireland. As democratic spaces that are highly impactful on changing arts practice, audiences, communities and places, the role of arts centres is becoming more recognised and valued, however, they are rarely written about or celebrated, and Moutrey is planning a new project to address this.

A leading figure in the arts, locally, nationally and internationally, Dave Moutrey is Director of Culture and Creative Industries for Manchester City Council where he’s responsible for the delivery of the council’s cultural strategy. In his previous role as Director and Chief Executive of HOME, a multi-art venue and major contributor to the arts sector in Greater Manchester and beyond, Moutrey went in search of books about arts centres for a project he was contributing to and was surprised to find only two. One was about Bluecoat in Liverpool, the ‘first arts centre’, and another was published in 1976. Having worked in arts centres for most of his 40-year career, he thought it was time to add to the ‘canon’.

With the support of Future Arts Centres and the University of Manchester, he plans to do this through a project which will see him develop a podcast series and a book that look at where arts centres have come from, their business models, what makes them work, and their role in artist development, audience development, and place-making.

Dave Moutrey said: ‘Arts centres are hard-wired into their places and communities, and I’m looking forward to uncovering some of the stories that make them so special.’

Gavin Barlow and Annabel Turpin, Co-Directors of Future Arts Centres commented: ‘We are thrilled to be working with Dave to bring this project to life. His wealth of experience will help highlight the unique role and impact that arts centres have in the UK and Ireland, and to celebrate their renaissance over the last fifteen years.

Over the next 12 months Dave plans to visit arts centres across the UK and Ireland and interview their leaders to seek their views on why the existence of arts centres matters. He will also be talking to artists, audiences and other stakeholders.

If you would like to contribute case studies or data to this research you can contact Dave directly at artscentres@moutrey.com.

The Future of Arts Centres research event

The work will also include a series of events, the first of which will take place in April 2025. Dave will be joined by other researchers and representatives from FAC and Arts Council England (ACE) to look at what ACE funding data tells us about how arts centres they are funded, and the impact of that funding.

The event will take place 12.30pm-2.15pm on Tuesday 29 April 2025 at Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama in Manchester.

You can find out more and sign up for a free place to attend here: The Future of Arts Centres – research event

About Dave Moutrey

Based in Manchester, Dave Moutrey has held leadership roles in the arts since the 1980s. Currently responsible for leading the creation and delivery of Manchester City Council’s cultural and creative industries policy and strategy, Dave works closely with the city’s cultural and creative sectors on joint initiatives. He was appointed to this role after a 6-year part-time secondment to the Council as Director of Culture.

Until March 2024, Dave was Director and Chief Executive of HOME, a purpose-built multi-art venue that opened in May 2015. He conceived and led the merger of Cornerhouse and Library Theatre Company to create HOME, along with the £25m capital project for the building, which has attracted almost 1 million visits per year since opening.

Dave was awarded an OBE for services to culture in 2022 and a Doctor of Arts honoris causa by the University of Salford in 2018. He is a member of the Chartered Management Institute and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He was previously an advisor to the British Council and in February 2025 he was reappointed Chair of the Theatres Trust for a second term of three years.