This autumn sees Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) celebrate 60 years at the heart of the city’s cultural scene. Here are six highlights from the venue's upcoming Autumn/Winter season you won't want to miss...

MAC AT 60: A HISTORY OF MAC IN 60 OBJECTS Sat 3 September - Sun 6 November

MAC At 60 features 60 objects chosen from across the venue’s 60 years, all of which reflect the ways in which the arts centre has contributed to the everyday lives of residents, artists, visitors and members of staff. 

The show also features a specially commissioned film, which takes a look back over MAC’s six decades, celebrating the people and communities that have made an impact during that time.

GRAYSON’S ART CLUB EXHIBITION Fri 2 December - Sun 16 April, 2023

This major exhibition by Grayson Perry features works chosen by the artist and guest celebrities during season three of hit television series Grayson’s Art Club.  

Artworks by Grayson, his wife Phillipa, and celebrities including Birmingham comedian Joe Lycett are all included. There are submissions from members of the general public too, with the exhibition showcasing a wide selection of art, from photographs and paintings to textiles and sculpture.

KAYE WINWOOD: SENSORY DINING EXPERIENCE Tues 1 - Wed 2 November

Audiences are here taken on a gastronomic journey through a culinary art history. 

The sensory dining experience comes courtesy of artist Kaye Winwood, who will be presenting a six-course meal which reflects popular cuisine from each decade since the 1960s... Kaye has accumulated 20-plus years’ experience as an arts professional specialising in visual art, food, moving image and performance.

MAC AT 60: 6 DECADES OF CINEMA Various dates September through to March

A festival of fantastic film awaits movie-mad MAC visitors this autumn as part of the venue’s 60th anniversary celebrations. 

The season’s programme features an imaginative selection of cult and classic films from across the last 60 years, as well as a number of special events, including some sure-to-be-fascinating Q&A sessions.

STAN’S CAFÉ - OF ALL THE PEOPLE IN ALL THE WORLD  Sat 22 - Sun 23 & Wed 26 - Sun 30 October; Wed 2 - Sun 6 November

Local theatre company Stan’s Cafe make a trademark thoughtful and imaginative contribution to MAC’s 60th with a show that uses grains of rice to bring formally abstract statistics ‘to startling and powerful life’. 

This intriguing exhibition comes complete with a special ‘MAC twist’... 

PUPPET MAKING CAMP Mon 22 - Wed 24 August

Professional ‘creature maker’ Tom Ellis is the man behind this fun three-day event, providing families with the opportunity to learn all about the art of making puppets. The camp will see kids being taught how to design a puppet character and then transform it into a physical 3D figure, including an intricate shadow puppet or marionette.

No visit to MAC Birmingham is complete without a stop-off at Kiln...

A cinema, a theatre, a space in which to learn, a family-friendly venue - MAC is many things to many people. But whatever your reason for paying a visit, the likelihood is that at some point you’ll make a pit-stop in Kiln, the popular arts centre’s spacious café & restaurant. 

Transformed into a vibrant and modern space in which to socialise and relax, Kiln offers a refreshed, seasonal menu, beers, wines & spirits and a selection of hot & cold drinks. 

The cafe has been created with 2G Design & Build as part of a wider, ongoing redevelopment capital project, which began in 2018.                                                                       

MAC's anniversary year is a celebration of the artists, audiences and donors that have supported the arts charity for 60 years. With special thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery and Arts Council England.