Mid Pennine Arts

We commission ambitious, original work that is unique to some very special places and connects directly with people. MPA projects challenge artists, enrich our communities and sometimes change lives. Our projects interrogate and celebrate what is unique about our area, our heritage and our communities. MPA is the commissioning agency based in Pennine Lancashire and developing projects across Lancashire and beyond. We commission high quality creative work through a variety of collaborations and in response to the distinctive contexts of our natural, built and social environments. Our projects examine what is unique about our area, our heritage and our communities. We aim to originate exciting creative work that has lasting impact for participants, audiences and our project partners. We believe in the transformative power of contemporary art. We work in some of the poorest communities in the UK, but we deliver ambitious, challenging work that has won national and international awards and achieves profound and lasting social and economic outcomes. Our local context is all important, informing new work that brings new life and new audiences to magical heritage sites and struggling high streets alike. From ancient manors to obsolete railways, from derelict mills to windswept moorland, Mid Pennine Arts applies that transformative power to the living heritage of our region, giving national and international artists the opportunity to work within one of the most exciting contexts in Europe. With five decades of commissioning experience, MPA’s longevity is testament to the soundness of our vision and the integrity of a philosophy rooted in the belief that art can play a major role in developing, nurturing and completing sustainable communities.