Cannon Hill Park walk introduces the refurbished Midlands Arts Centre

• Mar. 8 by Wiza Kimbidima (1)

A discovery walk into Cannon Hill Park on the 6^th March marked the opening of new and improved Midlands Arts Centre.

Midlands Arts Centre has underwent a £120,000 refurbishment and will open it’s doors to the rest of the public on the 1^st May.

This ‘re-discovery’ walk was set up and led by employees at the MAC and included a large group of passionate conservationists from the community.

This event, named Amplifying the Map, was a creative audio project fused with Be a Voice in The Park.

Be a Voice in the Park

Be a Voice in the Park is an event that was set up in order for visitors to comment on the changes being made to Cannon Hill Park and see areas which they may have not been permitted to access usually.

Members of the community gathered at the Edgbaston Russell Road Entrance at the Information Office and began their walk into the park at 11am.

Cannon Hill Park, which had already been awarded the prestigious Green Flag award from the leading urban environment charity The Civic Trust, welcomed this group of conservationists amongst the beautiful variation of greenery.

This award-winning park boasts a wonderful collection of lakes, flowerbeds, pools, and caters for fitness purposes also. Cannon Hill Park has a number of tennis courts and a bowling alley.

The Cannon Hill Park Information Office Secretary said:

“It is nice to see how often this park is used; it has got a lot of appreciation from the community, so much so that even the military use it!”

Midlands Art Centre

The Midlands Arts Centre was first thought of in the 1950’s by Mollie Randle and her husband, John English.

They believed that the community lacked a real arts centre which would satisfy the needs of both children and young people in the community.

By 1962, their dream became reality as Birmingham City Council granted them 8.6 acres of land in Cannon Hill Park. Months later, the MAC was up and running.

Since the MAC has been open, it has featured a range of artists within the contemporary arts field such as theatre, film, dance, music, comedy and literature.

The MAC embody a strong sense of culture and have put on a lot of activity days for young children and families within the local community.