Future Arts Centres is pleased to be working with Dave Moutrey and the University of Manchester on an exciting new project documenting the important role of arts centres

For much of the first part of the 21st century arts centres have been through a renaissance as their critical social and economic role in the arts and cultural infrastructure of towns, cities, regions and nations is becoming more recognised and valued.  Their evolution in the UK and Ireland from 20th century beginnings to 21st century incarnations has been short, but they have been and continue to be democratic spaces that are highly impactful on changing arts practice, audiences, communities and places. However, they are rarely written about or celebrated. Over the last 10-15 years they have seen renewed interest as places for artistic production and presentation at the intersection of art forms and are hard-wired into their places and communities.

In light of this, when Dave Moutrey went in search of books about arts centres for a project he was contributing to at HOME, he 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 both Future Arts Centres and the University of Manchester, Dave will develop a podcast series and 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.

Over the course of the project, Dave will visit a number of art centres across the UK and Ireland to interview their leaders and seek their views on why the existence of arts centres matters. Dave will also be talking to artists, audiences and other stakeholders.

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

About Dave Moutrey

Based in Manchester, Dave Moutrey has held leadership roles in the arts since the 1980s. Dave is responsible for leading the creation and delivery of Manchester City Council’s cultural and creative industries policy and strategy, working 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. Before HOME, Dave was Director and CEO of Cornerhouse from 1998, having established and led the regional arts marketing agency Arts About Manchester.

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. He has also been named as a member of the advisory panel of senior figures from across the cultural sector that will support a review of Arts Council England led by Labour peer Baroness Margaret Hodge.

A qualified drama teacher, Dave is a strong advocate for the importance of the arts in education and wider society. He believes in the transformative power of art to change lives and is dedicated to creating spaces where audiences can experience this impact.