Cornerhouse

Cornerhouse was a former contemporary visual arts centre and independent cinema in Manchester, England. Located beside Oxford Road Station on Oxford Street, it operated from 1985 until 2015 and combined three floors of gallery space with three cinemas, a bookshop, bar, café, and public programme. The organisation was operated by Greater Manchester Arts Centre Ltd, a registered charity, and was conceived by the Greater Manchester Visual Arts Trust under the chairmanship of Sir Bob Scott. The centre was established with support from Greater Manchester County Council, Manchester City Council, the North West Arts Association, and the British Film Institute. Its first director was Dewi Lewis, previously associated with Bury Metro Arts. Cornerhouse opened its building on 3 October 1985; its first film screening, held on 18 October, was Nic Roeg's Insignificance. The venue occupied two historically distinct buildings. The principal building at 70 Oxford Street had been constructed for the John Shaw family and used as a furniture store until 1985. The second building, completed in 1934 to a design by Peter Cummings, had opened in 1935 as the Tatler News Theatre and later operated under names including Essoldo, Tatler Classic, and Tatler Cinema Club before closing in 1981. Cornerhouse developed a programme spanning independent, international, experimental, archival, documentary, animated, short, and foreign-language film. Its three screens typically showed around 30 titles in a month, with daily matinee and evening sessions on most days and nearly 3,500 screenings annually. The centre also hosted festivals, including the Viva! Spanish and Latin American Film Festival and exposures, and presented both new releases and rediscovered or under-seen films. Among its notable film achievements was hosting the UK premiere of Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. Its visual arts programme concentrated on contemporary artists who had not yet received major institutional recognition in Britain, while also commissioning new work from established or mid-career artists. Cornerhouse produced or co-produced its exhibitions and accompanying publications, supported projects across multiple media, and placed particular emphasis on the relationship between film, video, and gallery practice. It was the first UK public gallery to commission work from Damien Hirst and later participated in the plus Tate partnership programme. In 2011 it launched Artist Film, an initiative supporting the production and distribution of longer artist-made films, beginning with Gillian Wearing's Self Made. Publishing was another part of the organisation's activity. Dewi Lewis established the Cornerhouse Publications imprint in 1987 with John Davies's A Green and Pleasant Land. The imprint received joint recognition as The Sunday Times Small Publisher of the Year in 1990 and remained active until 1994, issuing books by a range of internationally known photographers. In 2012, Cornerhouse announced that it would merge with the Library Theatre Company. The combined organisation became HOME, a new centre for theatre, visual art, and film. In 2015 Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre Company left their former venues and moved into the new HOME building in Manchester. Cornerhouse therefore ceased operating as a standalone venue, although much of its cultural mission continued through HOME. The former cinema building was later occupied by the Loose Space Collective between March and August 2017 before the group was evicted.

Cornerhouse emerged from the development of contemporary visual arts infrastructure in Greater Manchester during the 1980s. The Greater Manchester Visual Arts Trust, chaired by Sir Bob Scott, conceived the centre as a venue that could bring together contemporary art, specialist cinema, and public cultural activity. Its creation was supported by Greater Manchester County Council, Manchester City Council, the North West Arts Association, and the British Film Institute. The organisation operated through Greater Manchester Arts Centre Ltd, a registered charity. The venue opened on 3 October 1985 at 70 Oxford Street, beside Oxford Road Station. Its first director was Dewi Lewis, who had previously directed Bury Metro Arts. Cornerhouse used two buildings with different histories. The main Oxford Street property had been built for the John Shaw family in the early twentieth century and had served as a furniture store until its conversion. Across the station approach stood a 1934 building designed by Peter Cummings. It opened in May 1935 as the Tatler News Theatre and subsequently operated under several names, including Essoldo, Tatler Classic, and Tatler Cinema Club, before closing in 1981. Cornerhouse's operating model linked film exhibition and visual art rather than treating them as separate activities. The cinema programme focused on independent and international work, combining current films with re-releases, archive screenings, classics, documentaries, animation, shorts, experimental material, and foreign-language cinema. The three screens together presented roughly 30 titles each month and almost 3,500 screenings annually. The venue also hosted touring programmes and recurring festivals, notably the Viva! Spanish and Latin American Film Festival and exposures. Its UK premiere of Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs became one of the centre's notable film milestones. The galleries concentrated on contemporary artists who had not yet achieved major recognition from British institutions. Cornerhouse also supported mid-career artists through commissions and new projects, including work shown outside the building. Exhibitions were generally produced or co-produced by the organisation and accompanied by dedicated publications. The programme frequently addressed social and political concerns through international group exhibitions and gave particular prominence to film and video. Cornerhouse was the first UK public gallery to commission Damien Hirst, and it participated in the plus Tate partnership programme. In 2011, Cornerhouse expanded its screen-based arts activity through Artist Film, a programme intended to support production and distribution of longer films by artists. The first project was Gillian Wearing's Self Made. This initiative reflected the institution's broader interest in the movement of artists' moving-image work between cinema, gallery, and public audiences. Publishing formed a related strand of the centre's work. In 1987 Dewi Lewis launched Cornerhouse Publications with John Davies's A Green and Pleasant Land. The imprint later received joint recognition as The Sunday Times Small Publisher of the Year in 1990 and published books by numerous major international photographers. It remained active until 1994. Dave Moutrey became director and chief executive in 1998 and remained associated with the organisation through its transition into HOME. In 2012 Cornerhouse announced a planned merger with the Library Theatre Company. The two organisations ultimately relocated to the new HOME centre in 2015. Cornerhouse's standalone identity and premises therefore ended, while its combined cinema, theatre, visual arts, and public-programming legacy continued under HOME. The former cinema building subsequently became the site of a temporary occupation by the Loose Space Collective from March to August 2017, followed by eviction.

• 2017

  Former cinema building occupied and later cleared

  [1]Cornerhouseen.wikipedia.org

  The vacant former cinema premises were occupied by the Loose Space Collective from March to August before eviction.

• 2015

  Cornerhouse transitions into HOME

  [1]Cornerhouseen.wikipedia.org

  The organisation moved with the Library Theatre Company to the new HOME centre, ending Cornerhouse's standalone operation.

• 2012

  Merger with Library Theatre Company announced

  [1]Cornerhouseen.wikipedia.org

  Cornerhouse announced that it would combine with the Library Theatre Company to create HOME.

• 2011

  Artist Film launches

  [1]Cornerhouseen.wikipedia.org

  Cornerhouse introduced Artist Film to support the production and distribution of longer artist-made films, beginning with Gillian Wearing's Self Made.

• 1990

  Publishing imprint receives national recognition

  [1]Cornerhouseen.wikipedia.org

  Cornerhouse Publications was joint winner of The Sunday Times Small Publisher of the Year Award.

• 1987

  Cornerhouse Publications launches

  [1]Cornerhouseen.wikipedia.org

  Dewi Lewis launched the publishing imprint with John Davies's A Green and Pleasant Land.

• 1985

  Cornerhouse opens in Manchester

  [1]Cornerhouseen.wikipedia.org

  Cornerhouse opened on 3 October, establishing a combined contemporary art and independent cinema venue beside Oxford Road Station.

• 1985

  First film screening

  [1]Cornerhouseen.wikipedia.org

  The first film screened at Cornerhouse was Nic Roeg's Insignificance on 18 October.

• 1981

  Former Tatler cinema closes

  [1]Cornerhouseen.wikipedia.org

  After operating under several names, the cinema building closed before becoming part of Cornerhouse.

• 1935

  Former cinema building opens as Tatler News Theatre

  [1]Cornerhouseen.wikipedia.org

  The building later incorporated into Cornerhouse opened in May 1935 as the Tatler News Theatre.

A publicly oriented Manchester cultural venue connecting independent cinema, contemporary art, artist development, festivals, publishing, and critical discussion. Cornerhouse positioned itself between a specialist cinema, a contemporary gallery, and an accessible civic arts centre, with a particular interest in emerging artists, international film, and the overlap between screen-based and gallery practices.

• Cinema exhibition · 1985

  Independent cinema programme

  Cornerhouse operated three cinema screens with an international and specialist programme. It showed new independent films, second runs, re-releases, classics, archive titles, documentaries, shorts, animation, experimental work, avant-garde film and television, and foreign-language productions. The programme balanced accessible public screenings with films unlikely to receive substantial exposure in commercial cinemas.

• Visual arts · 1985

  Contemporary visual arts programme

  The gallery programme presented emerging and under-recognised artists, while also commissioning new work from mid-career practitioners. Exhibitions covered multiple media and frequently explored social and political questions. Film and video were especially important, allowing the gallery programme to connect directly with the centre's cinema activities.

• Artist moving-image production · 2011

  Artist Film

  Artist Film was launched as a production and distribution initiative for longer films made by artists. The programme began with Gillian Wearing's Self Made and extended Cornerhouse's role beyond exhibition into the development and circulation of artist-led screen work.

• Arts publishing · 1987

  Cornerhouse Publications

  The publishing imprint issued photography and visual arts books, beginning with John Davies's A Green and Pleasant Land in 1987. It was recognised by The Sunday Times in 1990 and published works by a number of internationally prominent photographers before ending activity in 1994.

• Film festival

  Viva! Spanish and Latin American Film Festival

  Viva! was Cornerhouse's recurring festival devoted to Spanish and Latin American cinema, extending the venue's international film remit through a concentrated programme of specialist screenings and related activity.

• Film festival

  exposures

  exposures was a recurring Cornerhouse film festival associated with short, experimental, emerging, and artist-led moving-image work.

• 2011Artist Film

  United Kingdom

  Cornerhouse launched Artist Film to produce and distribute longer films by artists, beginning with Gillian Wearing's Self Made.

  Outcome. The initiative broadened Cornerhouse's commissioning role and reinforced its connection between contemporary art and cinema.

  Source

• 2015

  Relocate into the HOME centreStrategy

  Background

  The planned organisational combination required Cornerhouse to leave its Oxford Street premises and operate from a purpose-built or newly developed HOME venue.

  Action taken

  Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre Company moved to the new HOME centre in Manchester.

  Aftermath

  Cornerhouse's brand and former venue ceased operating independently, while its film and visual arts mission continued within HOME.

  Source

• 2012

  Merge with the Library Theatre CompanyM&A

  Background

  Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre Company planned to combine their complementary film, visual arts, and theatre activities in a new Manchester cultural centre.

  Action taken

  The organisations proceeded with a merger and adopted the name HOME for the combined operation.

  Aftermath

  In 2015 the combined organisation moved into the new HOME centre, ending Cornerhouse as a standalone venue.

  Source

1. 1Cornerhouseen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Cornerhouse official websitecornerhouse.org