Manchester railway arches to become spaces for artists

Three historic railway arches in Manchester are to be transformed into new training and rehearshal spaces for artists.

The £3.7m project is being funded with £2.3m from the government's Levelling Up fund, £900,000 from Manchester City Council and £500,000 from nearby arts venue HOME, which will operate the spaces when they open in May next year.

HOME director Dave Moutrey said the arches "will allow us to grow the work that we do with artists in the North West, across theatre, film, visual art and digital works".

The scheme is part of the council's Culture In The City project, which it secured nearly £20m of Levelling Up funding for.

Council leader Bev Craig said: "These arches are part of our heritage which have sat unloved and underused for many years. 

"This scheme is bringing them back to life with a very modern purpose – complementing the thriving cultural economy in our city."