The Nia Centre, on Chichester Road in central Hulme stands today as one of
Manchester’s most vibrant cultural hotspots, boasting a grade II listed status from
Historic England and over 120 years of history.
Since its opening in 1902, the theatre has served as a performance venue, production studio, cinema and arts centre, welcoming famous faces such as The Beatles and Nina Simone onto its stage.
In 2018, a group of us were lucky enough to tenant this renowned venue as a non-profit, community led organization, named NIAMOS with the goal of preserving its rich cultural heritage and providing a community hub for Hulme People, Artists and beyond.
The Nia now operates as an Arts Centre and Venue; an exciting place for local artists to showcase their work and for the public to enjoy.
Despite all the positives this amazing venue has the offer, we are struggling to stay
afloat due to Historic debts, a lack of funding and rising costs of bills and repairs. We are in desperate need of funds to ‘keep the lights’ on in this Hidden Gem and keep it operational and comfortable for everyone, and this is why we are asking you for help.
Here is a bit of information about the Nia’s history, what you can expect to see here, why we need your help and why it's so important to keep it up and running.
A venue of firsts
Starting its life as the Hulme Hippodrome in 1902, the venue was home to a Variety Theatre and Music Hall, performances catering to the local community. Built to resemble a factory from the outside, architects hoped working class communities would feel at home in the building, and it could be used as a community hub, a sentiment that we uphold to this day.
It was then converted into the Junction Picture Theatre in the late 1920s, screening the latest motion pictures, from Frankenstein to Gone with the Wind. Over the later part of the 20th century, the Nia saw itself reconverted back into a Theatre for a brief period before again being renamed to The Playhouse Theatre and being used as a BBC TV and Radio production studio all throughout the 1950s – 80s. It was here that in 1962, the Beatles performed their first ever live radio broadcast, a cover of their song ‘Ask Me Why’. Other notable stars to visit the Nia during this period include Ken Dodd, Les Dawson and Jimmy Clitheroe.
In 1989, the Playhouse studio was converted into the Nia Centre, an Arts Centre Lead by African and Caribbean communities in the area, the first of its kind in Europe. Its opening week was graced by the presence of the fabulous Nina Simone! The Nia Centre was operational throughout much of the 90s, until it was closed in 1997.
The Theatre stood mostly unused for much of the 2000s but was used as a church, until it was sold at auction in 2017, and reopened as Niamos Radical Arts Centre in 2018 by local Artists and Creative. That brings us to today! A night at the Nia
Niamos LTD took control of the Nia in 2018 as a non-profit, community volunteer led organization; and it now a C.I.C hosting some of the city's most unique and eclectic arrays of local talent, with artists and musicians flocking here to showcase their craft.
Despite the rapidly changing face of Hulme around it, the Nia still retains its original charm and sense of community, welcoming guests and performers from all walks of life. At the Nia you can expect to see regular Wednesday Jam nights, Live Music, comedy shows, DJ sets and Theatrical performances and regular childrens classes all in the exquisite Edwardian era theatre. We also provide a fully stocked bar serving affordable beverages.
On top of its entertainments, Niamos also hosts a variety of events and workshops for all ages including dance classes for kids on a Saturday morning, hip hop dance classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, a free women’s choir on Tuesdays, Zumba classes on Thursdays and regular live jam sessions every Wednesday evening.
There are also a few things we’ve got in the works to keep an eye out for. Our kitchen will be reopening soon to serve a variety of delicious cafe dishes, and we will be starting up our acting classes again in the near future. If we can survive!
We need your help!
This fundraiser is Urgent and has been set up to raise the money to ‘Keep the Lights on’, (Literally) also for repairs and ongoing overheads including repairs to the roof and party wall with the neighbouring hippodrome, causing leaks and water damage, heating equipment allowing us to keep community spaces warm, and especially historic debts.
If you’re an Artist, or regular at Niamos or you’re interested in preserving the life of this beloved centre for Art and Community in Hulme, we would greatly appreciate any donations. Any help you can offer would go a long way in keeping this historic institution alive!