All Together Bury – Victoria Robinson – The Met

All Together Bury is a new series celebrating the people, places, and stories that make our town such a vibrant, creative, and community-minded place. Each episode features a local business or individual who contributes to Bury’s unique identity — from independent shops and cultural venues to long-standing community champions.

Our aims are to:
• Highlight the people and businesses that make Bury special
• Celebrate our culture, creativity, and community spirit
• Inspire locals and visitors with authentic stories from the heart of the town

Follow the series on @DiscoverBury to see new stories as they’re released.

Spotlight Interview: Victoria Robinson, The Met

To kick off our All Together Bury series, we sat down with Victoria Robinson, Chief Executive of The Met — Bury’s much-loved arts centre now celebrating its 50th year.

Q: For anyone new to The Met, how would you describe what you do?

Vic: “We’re an arts centre right in the heart of Bury. We present a wide range of events, workshops and festivals, and we’ve got a bar, café space and a recording studio. We’re here to be a cultural home — a place where artists and communities can connect, create and thrive.”

Q: The Met has been part of Bury for 50 years. How did it all begin?

Vic:
“It was established by Alan Childs — the Arts and Culture lead at Bury Council — and Dewi Lewis, who later set up The Cornerhouse in Manchester. At the time, Bury didn’t really have a central creative hub. The community needed somewhere to make and share art, and that’s exactly why The Met was born.”

Q: What makes The Met so special — and so uniquely ‘Bury’?

Vic:
“For me, it’s that The Met has become a cultural home. Our purpose is to inspire imagination and empower connection. And this year, for our 50th birthday, we asked Tony Walsh to write a poem celebrating our story and the impact we’ve had. It’s been so moving to see how much this place means to people.”

“We also support the talent pipeline across Greater Manchester — nurturing artists from those very early stages right up to national touring. We might be in Bury, but our influence reaches far beyond the town.”

“Each year we welcome around 50,000 visitors and 7,500 workshop participants. And our partnerships across Greater Manchester help families, young people and under-represented communities access brilliant cultural experiences.”

Q: What do you enjoy most about being part of Bury’s business community?

Vic:
“Definitely the people. Everyone supports each other — there’s a proper sense of wanting to make Bury a great place to live. That spirit really drives a lot of what we do.”

Q: This campaign is called ‘All Together Bury’. What does that idea mean to you?

Vic:
“Our work is completely rooted in the needs of our community, so ‘All Together Bury’ really resonates with us. We collaborate closely with other cultural organisations to make sure culture is at the heart of the town, and that people have access to meaningful experiences.”

“Partnerships are everything to us. We involve local businesses in our events through sponsorship or membership, and we work across Bury and Greater Manchester to strengthen what we can offer. We want our work to make a real difference and truly put Bury on the map.”

Q: And finally — your Bury favourites…

Favourite spots: “Broad Street Social or Wax & Beans.”
Hidden gem: “Moliuliu at the market — incredible noodles.”
Go-to order: “A flat white.”

Q: What’s next for The Met?

Vic:
“We want to help position Bury as a key cultural destination. A big part of that is developing partnerships and expanding our artist development work. We want Bury to be the best place to start a creative career.”