Mark Ball, Chief Executive of the Southbank Centre and former Creative Director of Factory International, argues that Greater Manchester's cultural achievements stem from an integrated ecosystem where arts are treated as essential civic infrastructure rather than luxury ornaments. Drawing on his upbringing in Bury and five decades of engagement with the city's cultural scene, Ball contends that 'Manchesterism' in the arts represents a model for national cultural policy.
Culture as Civic Infrastructure
Ball describes his first theatre experience at the Royal Exchange 50 years ago and lifelong passion seeded in Manchester. He defines 'Manchesterism' not merely as the presence of great venues or artists, but as the ecology connecting public leadership, creative risk, civic structures, local need, and artistic ambition. 'Culture not as an ornament but as infrastructure,' he writes, emphasising that choirs, youth theatres, libraries, festivals, dance companies, public artworks, community archives, and concert halls are fundamental to societal function, belonging, and memory.
Beyond the London-Centric Debate
Ball challenges the binary framing of London versus the rest, calling it a 'zero-sum choice' that distracts from the true question: 'What would a balanced and thriving national cultural ecology look like?' He points to Manchester's success with Factory International, the Whitworth Art Gallery, and Manchester Museum as examples where cultural ambition meets determined civic leadership. This success, he notes, was enabled by decades of stable local government, a clear sense of place, and leaders like Sir Howard Bernstein, Sir Richard Leese, Bev Craig, and Andy Burnham who understood that culture is inseparable from housing, transport, education, public health, safety, skills, schools, and local pride.
Regional Strength Complements London
Ball addresses whispers in London that strengthening regional cultural centres weakens the capital, arguing the opposite: 'A more culturally powerful Manchester does not diminish our London institutions. It strengthens the national field in which we all operate.' He envisions a constellation of creative centres across all four UK nations, where success in one place creates possibility in another. At the Southbank Centre, Ball pursues this through projects like the British Art Show (with five major galleries across England and Wales) and 'Imagine the Future,' a national poetry project with Lemn Sissay and schoolchildren from London, Manchester, and Birmingham.
A Practical Politics of Cultural Infrastructure
Ball concludes that the UK's cultural future depends on maturing beyond geographical debates towards a practical politics of cultural infrastructure. This requires long-term thinking, trusting places to define their own cultural futures, and recognising devolution as an imaginative question. 'If we are serious about the cultural future of this country, we should ask what kind of country we want culture to help us become,' he writes, advocating for deliberately and collectively built opportunity. 'Manchesterism' points towards a shared national landscape where confident places create, collaborate, and lead.
