Arts centres

Part of Salford's Music & Performing Arts Service

The arts centres provide opportunities for children and adults from all areas of the city to participate in a wide variety of ensembles, including bands, orchestras, choirs and theatre study groups of various standards. The groups perform regularly at venues such as The Lowry at Salford Quays and The Bridgewater Hall.

The more senior groups get the opportunity to go on tours abroad and the junior groups attend residential weekends in order to work on set projects and to interact with the other performers from around the city.

We have three Arts Centre evenings, held at The Swinton High School, Cromwell Road. The activities held at this venue are quite different, giving the young performers plenty of opportunities to show off their talents. Once you are a member of the arts centres you are able to attend as many groups as you wish, providing you reach the required entry standard. Also within the membership package, music theory classes that are held once a week along with aural classes to help with exams.

Here at MAPAS we like to offer a whole spectrum of new opportunities for the performer, offering sound advice from a talented and highly qualified team of staff.

Price packages:

Adults - £70 per year or £25 per term
Children - £50 per year or £20 per term

Access to the arts centres is completely free of charge if you claim the child care element of the working family tax credit.

Residential weekends

We offer the members of the arts centres the opportunity to go on residential weekends in order to work on set projects and to interact with other performers from around the city.

The weekends are both educational and fun; promoting the idea that if we work together we can accomplish many things. Pupils are made aware at the beginning of the weekend that we only have two days to put together a performance therefore we need to work together to achieve this goal.

As well as rehearsing there is time set aside for other activities such as walking, games, talent shows and discos. At the end of these trips there is a great sense of achievement for the pupils involved.

Tours abroad

Senior groups at the arts centres are given the opportunity to go on a tour abroad. Past destinations include France, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Spain and Italy. During the trips there are plenty of opportunities for sightseeing, relaxing and shopping whilst still gaining first hand experience of performing in exciting new venues such as outdoor auditoriums, parks, churches, town squares and halls. The whole tour is a fantastic experience for any performer from the senior ensembles.