14 ARTS VENUES JULY/AUGUST 2005

MANCHESTER’S CORNERHOUSE turns 20 this year. No longer a precocious teenager, the Cornerhouse has matured to adulthood and is now established as the international centre for cinema and contemporary visual arts in Greater Manchester and the North West. Cornerhouse was launched in 1985, seeking to promote cinema and the visual arts at a time when Manchester was already at the forefront of the alternative cultural universe, exemplified by the iconoclastic Factory Records. The Cornerstone was the product of a partnership between North West Arts, British Film Institute, Manchester City Council and the now defunct Greater Manchester County Council. All believed that Manchester needed a regional film theatre and a contemporary art gallery so the two were brought into being together in one building. The Cornerhouse complex takes its name from its location on the junction of Oxford Street and Great Bridgewater Street. It is sited midway between Manchester’s city centre and its extended university district. In Manchester’s dog days the building had been a carpet shop. However, it had stood empty on the site throughout the 1970s, with only its status as a Grade-II listed building preventing its demolition. The city council eventually stepped in and bought the site and agreed to rent it out to Cornerhouse for a peppercorn rent, the proviso being that the location be used for the arts and culture. Cornerhouse is owned and operated by Greater Manchester Arts Centre, which is an independent charitable trust. The complex now consists of three screens, three art galleries, a publishing business, café, bar and bookshop. A cultural oasis Manchester’s Cornerhouse cinema and arts venue turns 20 this year, reports PATRICK McDONNELL ARTS VENUES 15

Cornerhouse caters for the cinema department with its staff accompanying film programme in discerning cinemagoer with its of six. In 1997 she moved to the cinemas is scheduled for the 100% specialist cinema Cornerhouse as cinema director. end of the year. programming policy, as defined She also serves as festival director To celebrate its twentieth by the UK Film Council, including and film programmer for birthday anniversary in October, arthouse films. Its three screens Cornerhouse’s ¡Viva! Spanish Film Cornerhouse is indulging in a can cater for a total audience of Festival and its UK/Dublin tour. screening 20 of the most 525. Cinema 1 has a seating Scheduled for July is a season memorable films from the last capacity of 299, Cinema 2 has examining the relationship two decades as chosen by the 168 seats and Cinema 3 has a between art and pornography in centre’s patrons, be they visiting capacity of 58 seats. All the moving pictures. filmmakers from Cornerhouses’s screens are equipped with 35mm history, through local film critics, projection — Cinema 1 has Director Dave Moutrey is to its staff, but most importantly Century projectors, while Cinemas Cornerhouse’s chief executive. He — its audience. 2 and 3 features 35mm Westar has been responsible for the Linda Pariser urges those in the projectors. Additionally screens 2 seamless integration between the Cornerhouse catchment area to: and 3 are equipped with 16mm two areas of Cornerhouse’s “Cast your mind back and choose Fumeo projectors. All the cinemas expertise in the picture arts. three films from anytime between feature Dolby Sound systems — Previously he was director of 1985-2005”. To do so, Cinema 1 is fitted to the Dolby Arts About Manchester and he Cornerhouse will utilise another SRD standard, with Cinema 2 helped establish an arts of its marketing successes, its fitted with Dolby SR film sound. marketing consortium in website, to collect and collate the Looking to the future Australia. Moutrey is also the results. Voters are allowed three Cornerhouse is currently company secretary for the choices in order of preference investigating the next phase in Association of Independent Film with number one being top cinema development, digital Exhibitors, among other choice. “The three choices gives projection. It was one of the first appointments. us options depending on the in the north-west to instal digital Due to its unique set-up of title’s availability. If the first isn’t projection in 2003. It is currently screen and exhibition areas available, then the second choice using a prototype Digital Cornerhouse is able to span both is activated, and so on,” she said. Projections machine and an EVS the moving picture and still The films with the highest scores The Cornerhouse has Broadcast Equipment server as picture environments to create a will form the 20 films shown in cinemas, gallery spaces, a part of a pilot scheme with synergy between these two quite the 20th Anniversary Season. bookshop and dining areas venture capitalist in new media, distinct disciplines — imagine the Cornerhouse seeks a further the Arts Alliance Media. National Film Theatre and contribution from its audience by Cornerhouse is also part of the Hayward Art Gallery in the same either writing a programme note UK Film Council’s Digital Screen building. This allows a cross or introducing a screening of the Network and is to instal Christie fertilisation between the two art 20 films that will be shown that Digital Systems 2K DLP forms, and Cornerhouse attracts month. Projectors. over 200,000 admissions a year Pariser says: “It will offer the Overseeing the film content to its screen and gallery spaces. opportunity for people to try their and booking programme for the Previous exhibitions have hand at film criticism via the Cornerhouse screens is Linda included Damien Hirst, Chris Ofili written or spoken word. It will Pariser. She was formerly at the and Peter Greenaway. give people a chance to bfi as programme advisor, Cornerstone has an education remember the last 20 years and responsible for advising and programme that complements to think about what the next 20 booking films for seven client the exhibitions to present a wide years holds for us.” venues and was revenue funding variety of events, including Seconding that Dave Moutrey officer for four of the venues. evening lecture programmes, says he has high hopes: “I am Following a move to Cardiff, practical workshops, artists’ talks looking forward to another 20 Pariser worked as cinemas and school workshops. An years of new audiences for programmer at the Chapter Arts exhibition of the work of fantastic cinema through Centre, and was also responsible Californian experimental innovative programming at for the programming of the 2- filmmaker Pat O’Neill in the Cornerhouse. We plan to be as screen cinema and managing the picture galleries and an vital in 2025 as we are today.”