Midlands Art Centre (MAC)

This place deserves a couple of pages all to itself, but we don't have room, so here's the abbreviated version. Not just a gallery, theatre, cinema, but a centre of excellence for the arts in the city. Usually the heart of a city–centre park sees little more than glue–sniffing and spliff–smoking kids, but the MAC has changed all that. Set in the resplendent Cannon Hill park, this is the key focus for arts in the city. With over half a million visitors every year, they cater for just about everything –from theatre, to cinema – the stuff you won't find at the multiplex –, to dance and comedy. There are so many events here it's hard to catch up –suffice to say, if you're after a dose of culture, whether it be a Spanish class or life painting classes, you're bound to find something of interest here. Home to a café restaurant, bar and bookshop too.

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