Raac found in arts centre roof

The Midlands Art Centre remains open to the public but areas have been closed

Parts of the Midlands Art Centre (MAC) have been closed after the discovery of crumbling concrete.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found in sections of the roof in the Main Theatre, Weston Studio and Painting and Drawing Studio of the Birmingham venue.

The centre said the spaces have been temporarily closed and it will undertake the required building work, in line with the latest government guidelines.

The building, in Canon Hill Park, is open to the public but some events may be cancelled or rescheduled.

Raac is aerated or 'bubbly'

Raac has been found in 174 schools in England, closing some of them, and other sites such as The Core Theatre in Solihull.

In a statement, MAC said: "We will be making use of our other flexible, unique spaces to limit disruption to our programme and will reschedule or move events that are affected in October, where possible.

"Due to venue capacity and artist availability, we may need to cancel or reschedule specific events."

It said it will close its Worlds Away: Art, Nature and Wellbeing exhibition on 29 October to make way for a venue change.

MAC's sales and events team was contacting customers who have tickets for affected events or courses to inform them about available options.

Raac is a lightweight material that was used mostly in flat roofing, but also in floors and walls, between the 1950s and 1990s.

It is a cheaper alternative to standard concrete and has a lifespan of about 30 years.