MANCHESTER is to become the new national centre for Chinese arts and culture, thanks to a £2.2m grant.

The Arts Council’s Lottery Fund has awarded the cash to the Manchester Chinese Arts Centre to expand its operation vastly out of its Edge Lane premises into a far bigger building in the Northern Quarter.

The new centre will be in the Smithfield development on Market Street and Shudehill and will feature two galleries, an education suite, a resource centre and a retail unit, as well as offices and rehearsal rooms.

As part of its £90m national package, the Arts Council has also announced a £1m grant for the Cornerhouse visual arts and cinema centre.

The cash will go towards a £5.1m renewal scheme by Greater Manchester Arts centre Ltd to renovate and extend the Cornerhouse gallery, cinemas, workshops and public areas.

And Skylight Circus Arts in Rochdale has landed £500,000 from the fund to convert and build a new centre for circus and youth arts.

‘In time for Games’

Chinese Arts Centre chief executive officer Sarah Champion said it was hoped to have it up and running in time for the Commonwealth Games next year.

‘‘We are delighted,’’ she said. ‘‘The bids went in during January and we had almost given up hope, but this will allow us to bring the very best of Chinese arts and culture to the north west.

‘‘Manchester has the second largest Chinese population in Britain, and Liverpool has the oldest Chinese population in Europe, so it seems right that the national centre for Chinese arts should be in the region.’’

Sarah, whose grandfather was Chinese, said the only obstacle to fulfilling the centre’s potential had been space.

‘‘At the moment we have completely outgrown our building on Edge Lane,’’ she said.

The building will also provide a centre for the Cantonese Opera based in the city.

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