Access All Ages: Creative Community Hub at The Bridgewater Hall Manchester

The Access All Ages Creative Community Hub at The Bridgewater Hall is a vibrant, inclusive space where people of all ages come together through music, creativity and shared experience. Rooted in the principles of intergenerational connection and creative health, the hub creates meaningful opportunities for individuals to connect, build relationships and support their wellbeing through participation in the arts and creative health.

Each session brings together a rich and diverse mix of participants, including local toddler groups, care home residents and members of the public. This intentional intergenerational approach creates a dynamic environment where everyone has something to offer whether through music, movement, storytelling or conversation. Participants are not only engaging creatively, but forming relationships, building confidence and developing a stronger sense of belonging within their community.

At its core, the hub operates as a replicable community model, bringing together culture, wellbeing and social connection within a trusted, accessible setting. By embedding regular, open and welcoming sessions within a major cultural venue, the programme creates a consistent point of connection for communities who may otherwise remain isolated from one another. It demonstrates how arts spaces can play a vital role in supporting prevention, reducing loneliness and strengthening the social fabric of local communities.

The hub is also a platform for cross-sector collaboration and systems working. Through partnerships with education, research, community and civic stakeholders, it connects multiple parts of the local ecosystem in a shared commitment to wellbeing and inclusion. For example, nutrition students from Manchester Metropolitan University have been working alongside the hub, using it as a live research environment to explore how food, culture and shared traditions can strengthen connections across generations. This collaboration adds depth to the programme, highlighting the intersection between creativity, health and community.  Local leaders have also engaged with the hub, including Cllr. Mandie Shilton Godwin (Chorlton Park), Cllr. Dane Anderton (Leigh West Ward) and Cllr. Jacqueline Owen (Tameside), recognising its role in strengthening community cohesion and modelling innovative approaches to local wellbeing.  This work has been made possible through the generous support of the I Love Manchester Charity, enabling the development of a sustainable and scalable approach to intergenerational community building in the heart of the city.

Aligned with growing national priorities around prevention, creative health, healthy ageing and community-based care, the Bridgewater Hall hub demonstrates what is possible when we intentionally design spaces that bring generations together. It reflects the increasing recognition across health, cultural and policy sectors that connection, creativity and community are essential to improving long-term health and wellbeing outcomes.

Participants consistently report increased confidence, improved mood, and a greater sense of connection and belonging as a result of attending sessions. The hub not only supports individual wellbeing, but contributes to wider community resilience by fostering relationships that extend beyond the sessions themselves.

“I have had a brilliant morning. It was a fun and informative morning bringing the community together in a special way” - Cllr Mandie Shilton Goodwin

Emily Abbott, Programme Director, Intergenerational Music Making, shares:

“Spaces like the Bridgewater Hall hub show what’s possible when we intentionally bring generations together. Through music and shared creativity, we’re not only supporting wellbeing, but creating meaningful connections that strengthen communities and help people feel seen, valued and part of something bigger.”

The hub forms part of the wider work of Intergenerational Music Making (IMM), which is dedicated to using music and creativity to connect communities, reduce isolation and support wellbeing across the life course.

We welcome referrals, introductions and partnership enquiries from schools, early years settings, care homes, community organisations, universities, cultural institutions, local authorities and health or social prescribing partners. Whether you are looking to refer individuals or groups, collaborate on research or delivery, or explore how this model could be developed in your area, we would love to hear from you.

To find out more, refer a group, or explore partnership opportunities, please contact: info@imm-music.com or visit: https://www.imm-music.com/communityconnection

“Before coming here, I spent a lot of time on my own. Now I feel connected again I’ve met people, shared stories, and I actually look forward to something each week.” Hub participant

Feedback from programme lead, Abi: “The Nutrition morning was so well received and it was amazing to see the children getting stuck into the games. I was amazed by how much they already knew about fibre and the enjoyment they got from shouting it out! Keeping the entire morning food-themed really helped to strengthen the overall message.”

“Having Manchester Metropolitan University and the nutrition students involved in the Hub was brilliant. Delivering those positive health messages in such a fun way, while bringing together community members ranging from 2 to 97 years old, really sums up what the Creative Community Hub is all about. It is such a great example of how you can build a healthy community in an engaging and wholesome way.”

‘It was a lot of fun and such an enjoyable morning. I am looking forward to coming again.’ - Pamela

'We always enjoy coming to these sessions and making each session different has been such a brilliant way to keep us all engaged and learning new things.’ - Care home staff

‘I just loved it. I loved watching the children joining in and the music. I had a lot of fun’ - Care home resident

'It was so lovely to see the students from the university interacting with everyone. It made the health side of things feel like a game rather than a lesson and you could see the little ones enjoying it.’ - Participant