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Business News Live Business
Owners of new Manchester venue talk up ambitions ahead of June launch
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 23 May 2022
The Canvas Venues Group – which is already involved in London venues Oval Space and The Pickle Factory – last week announced more details about its new venue in Manchester called, simply, Canvas, which opens its doors next month.
The company says that the new complex will consist of a “music venue with a capacity of 600, a members bar and lounge, and a late night bar and restaurant”, with its line-up of gigs and club nights also accompanied by a programme of panels and workshops, including music and technology courses.
The Canvas Venues Group is led by Dean James, who previously co-founded the MAMA Group, which operated a network of venues and festivals, much of which were ultimately acquired by Live Nation. His current company took a stake in the Oval Space and The Pickle Factory back in 2015, and first announced in 2020 its intent to develop a new venue and cultural space in Manchester as part of the city’s Circle Square development.
Speaking about the new venue last week, James said: “Manchester was always where we were going first outside of London as a city of huge cultural significance, especially in the music scene. We launched Canvas here because Manchester represents music, community, and entertainment in spades”.
“We have aimed this venue specifically at the youth market because we believe, now more than ever, this generation needs a place to re-establish and re-build the social connections that were taken from them over the past two years”, he went on. “We will aim our programming and our members’ events squarely at helping them to rebuild those connections and a way of life that involves connecting with people”.
The new venue’s Head Of Programming, Joe Splain, added: “Manchester has a history of being creative and rebellious within the fabric of its music scene from the beginning. The appeal to open Canvas here comes from the breadth and diversity of Manchester’s live music and cultural scene and the influence it has not just on British music culture, but also internationally”.
“By giving people a platform to share and collaborate”, he continued, “Canvas has a really unique way of bringing together artists and audiences from underrepresented backgrounds. We try hard to avoid being polarised – I think it’s this passion that keeps us ahead of the curve and relevant to what our communities actually want”.
