Who is pulling mac strings?

I feel the strength of MAC was always its resident groups such as John Blundall's Puppet Theatre, the Maestro's Steel Band, the Youth Theatre and its Theatre in Education groups.

These groups gave it permanence, providing sources of knowledge and expertise for countless others to draw upon and obtain advice, support and inspiration.

In 1983 when Hip Hop culture crossed the Atlantic from New York City and swept through the UK's cities, I was a youth worker in inner city Hockley and I approached MAC for rehearsal space for the first breakdance crew in the city, the Ace Squad.

MAC's dance coordinator Alan Dilly invited us to give a workshop to his regular dance class. He was happy to welcome our dancers and we were asked us to run workshops for Hip Hop enthusiasts on Sunday afternoons in return for rehearsal space in their dance studios.

This led to a whirlwind two years, when over 100 young people each week from all over Birmingham's inner city found a regular home where they could explore their creativity and develop their talent.

As one of the crew told me recently: “The impression that MAC gave out of “The Arts� was a million miles away from what kids in Handsworth, Hockley or Ladywood were doing but the Hip Hop dance sessions on Sunday afternoons helped to break down that exclusivity.�

Being based at MAC, we met plenty of talented people such as Alan Heap, who ran Taking Steps comedy duo,and later appeared in Michael Crawford’s Barnum in the West End, and Adrian Lester who starred in the BBC’s Hustle series.

Alan went to the Birmingham Athletic Institute (BAI) for training in tumbling for his comic routines and at his suggestion, I arranged for all the group to go to the BAI for training to add variety to their performances.

The workshops culminated in a tremendous celebration of Hip Hop talent at an event called "Thriller in the Park" in 1984 - the UK's first ever Hip Hop Festival.

The resident crew at the Puppet Theatre helped us build and decorate a "Thriller" set for the event and through contact with formally trained dancers at the centre we developed our act into a stage performance.

The start given us by MAC led to my groups turning professional and travelling all over the world, and one individual - drum and bass star Goldie - becoming internationally famous.

I'll never forget the help the MAC gave us. I just hope that the £13.6m will be spent wisely and that the centre always retains its policy of keeping an open door and approachable image for young people in the city - it's as badly needed now as it was 25 years ago.

The comments I made to Sid which he reported on this blog, got taken up as a front page article in The Birmingham Post on Monday. They were billed as an 'attack'. Actually like many other people I have been a huge supporter of what mac has done over its 40 year history. I worked in the Puppet Company for a time and have also presented a production of Jack and The Beanstalk in collaboration with their new work and productions department. I have directed two big puppet festivals and lots of little ones that mac has supported. Only this weekend I worked collaboratively with Mac to find appropriate closure on the disputed issue of the puppet collection. In that front page article my comments were dismissed as 'ill informed', but how well informed to you have to be to see that the current plans on display at mac do not include the 500 seater theatre that at the time of Birmingham's bid to be City of Culture was a much trumpeted cornerstone of our pitch and apparently an essential part of the regeneration plans for mac at that time. Successive managers, including those presently in post have bravely sought to complete the task which was begun in the 60s. My arguement is exactly the same as theirs has been. They need proper artistic spaces, including a proper theatre in order to flourish. The current display at mac of historic plans for rebuilding provides all the information needed to reach that simple conclusion. Our City has failed to give the venue that key element for forty years and whatever good things Arts Council and the City council are doing now, that really important good thing is not one of them - once again. I am also well informed enough to know that there is promise of jam tomorrow, but events move quickly in a city like ours and there are other strong contenders in the running for that prize. By pointing out that that real trophy is yet to be grasped by mac, those of us who support our arts centre hope to ensure that its frustrated managers will eventually get the crucial last piece of the puzzle, which despite their best efforts seems to have been lost down the back of the sofa for a very long time.