Legal eagle helps Manchester cultural vultures fly through funding

Published: 2nd April 2008

One of Manchester's leading property lawyers has played a key role in the rebirth and expansion of two of the city's best known arts venues.

Mace & Jones Head of Real Estate Karl Jackson is a specialist in the arts sector. And this year he has helped Band on the Wall and the Cornerhouse on two vital projects with his in-depth knowledge of property law and public sector funding.

Mr Jackson is deputy chairman of the Cornerhouse and has helped the arthouse lease new premises towards the rear of the building. The new building will be used over three floors as offices for up to 25 staff as well as for events. The move will free up space in the existing building for a much bigger educational and events facility.

Cornerhouse director Dave Moutrey said Karl's expertise was indispensible on winning the funding, and sealing the deal, to lease the new property.

"Everyone should have a Karl Jackson," he said. "Karl was able to help us win the funding through the Arts Council and Manchester City Council. And once we got that funding he was able to work with us on securing the lease. More generally Karl keeps a watching brief on legal issues for us as well as having great skills in the property sector. And he knows about what we do and is passionate about film and visual arts which makes a massive difference."

Mr Jackson and his team have further played a key role in the rebirth of Manchester's famous Band On The Wall venue. The Swan Street live music venue is due to reopen in 2009 as transformed multi purpose music and arts centre after being shut down in 2005.

Using his arts funding expertise Mr Jackson advised Inner City Music (ICM) on buying the venue and the building next door, the Picture House. The project is being funded by nearly £4m in combined awards by Arts Council England, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Manchester City Council. Complex documentation was required to satisfy the funding bodies that the building complied will all relevant law so it could be used for the proposed purposes.

Mr Jackson said knowledge of funding requirements of bodies such as the Arts Council is critical for arts venues.

"Band on the Wall is going to be much more than a music venue when it reopens," he said. "To secure the funding it needed to show it was going to help the community. Critical to this is its music education centre. There will also be rehearsal rooms and a recording studio available for local musicians. The Picture House meanwhile will be used during the day to offer exhibition space and access to the Band on the Wall Archive. All of these factors are very important when applying for funding."

To encourage business support Band on the Wall will be offering corporate membership packages and part of the venue will be a private members club.

If you are an arts project and require advice contact Karl.jackson@maceandjones.co.uk Tel: 0161 214 500

Cornerhouse background

The Cornerhouse is Greater Manchester's international centre for cinema and contemporary visual art. It was conceived by a group of people in Manchester known as the Greater Manchester Visual Arts Trust. With the support of the then Greater Manchester County Council and Manchester City Council, North West Arts Association (now part of Arts Council England) and the British Film Institute, a feasibility study for the organisation was commissioned and the old furniture shop on the Oxford Road site was chosen. Cornerhouse was opened in 1985 after the former Shaw's furniture store and Tatler Cinema Club were converted into the three cinemas, three galleries, two bookshops, café and bar you see today.

Its mission, as it still is, was to be a place where audiences, artists and filmmakers are brought together to experience and debate cultural practice and ideas through a unique programme that aims to stimulate, entertain and inform.

Cornerhouse is registered as an educational charity, and strives to encourage lifelong learning. The education programme stands at the heart of Cornerhouse's activities for both film and the visual arts, and Cornerhouse employs both an Education Director, Cinemas Education Officer, Galleries Education Officer and a Youth Programme Officer. Events are both formal and informal, and activities include film introductions, talks, guests, programme notes, information packs, discussions, debates and exhibition tours. Evening courses also take place throughout the year, and there is an ongoing schools programme for both the cinemas and exhibitions programme.