Image Credit: The Whitaker Museum & Art Gallery

August is often seen as a quieter time for career opportunities, with holidays and the summer season slowing the pace across the arts and culture sector. But there are still plenty of ways to get involved! This month’s opportunities round-up brings together a selection of roles, commissions, open calls and development opportunities across Lancashire with deadlines this month and into September - offering creative practitioners plenty to explore, apply for and share.

Got a Lancashire-based opportunity in the arts to promote? If applications close within the next couple of months, send the details to artslancashire@gmail.com and we'll help spread the word.

TRAINING

INCUBATE Professional Development Programme

The Old Electric | Blackpool

Application Deadline - 3 weeks before each session

INCUBATE is a new professional development programme from The Old Electric, designed to support creatives working in Blackpool through a series of paid workshops, skills-sharing sessions and mentoring opportunities to help develop creative practice and careers. Participants can apply for up to three paid sessions, with topics including theatre-making, funding, freelancing, budgeting, facilitation and festival arts. Applications open on Monday 3 August and close three weeks before each individual session.

Find Out More

TRAINING

Associate Artist Programme

The Dukes | Lancaster

Application Deadline: Monday 17 August 2026

The Dukes are looking for up to five theatre makers, companies or creatives from any artistic discipline - including writers, directors, designers, producers and performers-to join their 18-month Associate Artist programme. Associate Artists will receive tailored support to develop their practice and collaborate with The Dukes. To apply, send an expression of interest (maximum one side of A4) explaining why you’d like to be an Associate Artist, along with a CV or summary of your experience, to ask@dukeslancaster.org with the subject line "FAO: Emma Nixon – Associate Artist Application".

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OPEN CALL

Artist Open Call

Lancaster Arts | Lancaster

Application Deadline: Monday 24 August 2026

DISSENT WORKS is an open call inviting artists from across North Lancashire to respond to Lancaster Arts’ 2026 annual theme, DISSENT.

This year’s programme explores the many ways dissent can be expressed through artistic practice. It might be loud or quiet, public or personal, but at its heart is a willingness to question the status quo and imagine how things could be different.

Lancaster Arts is seeking work that stands out through the strength of its ideas, the quality of its making, and its thoughtful response to the theme. Whether the work is political, playful, personal, or quietly provocative, artists are encouraged to apply.

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CONTRACT

Freelance Bid Writer

Lowther Pavilion Theatre | Lytham

Application Deadline: Friday 28 August 2028

Lowther Pavilion Theatre are looking for an experienced bid writer, for an Arts Council of England, ACE, grant application and other funding bids to support Phase 3 of the theatre’s redevelopment. Having previous raised £3M for a new education centre and Studio Theatre, Phase 3 includes further education and choral space, disability access to the main theatre, new and upgraded dressing rooms, office space and M&E.

Full planning has already been obtained as is a design and QS team in place. Lowther Pavilion Theatre and Gardens are a charitable trust with a Ltd operating Company. The Theatre is set in the beautiful Lowther Gardens in Lytham St Annes and operate as a non funded theatre and arts space. Previous money was raised through large donations and some Trust giving.

Further information in the first instance from Tim Lince CEO/Artistic Director tim@lowtherpavilion.co.uk

COMMISSION

Little Stars Creative Commission

Creative Blackpool | Blackpool

Application Deadline: Midnight Monday 31 August 2026

Creative Blackpool is seeking a creative practitioner or collective to deliver a £5,000 commission with Little Stars, a book-based playgroup supporting families with children aged 0–5 in Claremont, Blackpool. The project will explore creative storytelling approaches that make reading fun, engaging and immersive for young children and families. Creatives passionate about storytelling, early years creativity and community engagement are invited to apply.

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COMMISSION

Strong Football Creative Commission

Creative Blackpool | Blackpool

Application Deadline: Midnight Monday 31 August 2026

Creative Blackpool is working with Strong Football CIC to commission a creative project exploring belonging, routine and community life through the everyday moments around football — from arriving and preparing to conversations, connections and time spent together. Working with Strong and local residents in Claremont, Blackpool, the selected creative will capture lived experiences of community, with a focus on connection rather than performance. This £5,000 commission is open to UK-based creatives who meet the eligibility requirements and can work locally in Blackpool.

Find Out More

JOB

Growth & Development Director

DanceSyndrome | Accrington / Remote

Application Deadline: 5pm Tuesday 1 September 2026

DanceSyndrome is looking for an exceptional, experienced, self-motivated, and enthusiastic Growth & Development Director with a minimum of 10 years’ work experience to lead, manage and execute DanceSyndrome’s strategy: Vision 2030 with a specific focus in driving revenue into the organisation, and participation and audience engagement. The Growth & Development Director will need to be an extremely personable and approachable individual with a strategic mind, and persuasive (Sales) manner who is able to reach and attract new participants, increase participants attending Community workshops, and increase and reach new audiences for Performance work to ensure the long-term sustainability of DanceSyndrome’s community offering.

Find Out More

TRAINING

LANDS TALKS - The Sacred Earth Calls: Voices of Faith for Climate Action

LANDS | Online

Event Date: 10am - 11am, Thursday 3 September 2026

Join Arts Lancashire and the Lancashire Arts Network for Developing Sustainability (LANDS) for the next LANDS TALKS webinar: The Sacred Earth Calls: Voices of Faith for Climate Action with Zarah Ross, Project Coordinator at Faiths4Change and Abdur Razzak, Founder of ACT Bangladesh. Through their unique experiences and perspectives, our speakers will explore how faith, art, and creativity can inspire meaningful action on climate change, highlighting the powerful role of spiritual and cultural expression in building a more just and sustainable future. The webinar will take place on Zoom.

Find Out More

OPEN CALL

MADE IT 2026

Short Supply in partnership with The Whitaker

Submission Deadline: 23:55pm 11 September 2026

Open Call: MADE IT 2026 is now open for applications from recent graduates and emerging artists looking to showcase new work and kick-start their creative careers. Organised by Short Supply in partnership with The Whitaker, the programme offers selected artists the opportunity to exhibit their work, gain professional development support, and connect with new audiences and industry networks.

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COMMISSION

Light Art Commission

Light Up The North | Remote

Application Deadline: 5pm Friday 11 September

Applications are now open for ILLUMINE 2, a light art commissioning opportunity for Black and People of Colour (POC) UK artists. This positive action initiative aims to address the underrepresentation of Black and POC artists at light festivals by supporting the creation of a bold new light installation that will tour festivals across the North of England in 2027/28. The selected artist or collective will receive an £8,000 artist bursary, a production budget of £40,000–£70,000, mentoring and support from the Light Up The North network, and the opportunity to showcase their work at up to six festivals. Whether you're an experienced light artist or exploring the medium for the first time, applications are welcome.

Find Out More

FUNDING

Crowdfund Lancashire

Autumn 2026 Round

Fund Opens: Thursday 2 July 2026

Application Deadline: Thursday 17 September 2026

The Crowdfund Lancashire Autumn 2026 funding round opens on Thursday 2 July 2026 and closes on Thursday 17 September 2026, with successful pledges announced in October 2026. Organisations could get up to £15,000 to boost projects towards their funding target. Parish and Town Councils and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) can take part too, with up to £5,000 available. Individuals with ideas and businesses who want to benefit their comunity could get £1,500 towards their live crowdfunding campaigns. Crowdfunding campaigns will need to complete by 31 January 2027. TThe Community Funding Team is available to provide advice and one-to-one support throughout the crowdfunding journey.

Find Out More

OPEN CALL

The Whitaker Open

The Whitaker Museum & Art Gallery | Rawtenstall

Submission Deadline: Sunday 4 October 2026

The Whitaker Open is now accepting submissions from artists living, working or studying in the North West of England. Artists at any career stage and working in any medium are invited to submit work for this new exhibition celebrating contemporary art across the region, with the opportunity to exhibit at The Whitaker Museum & Art Gallery. Awards include a paid commission or artwork purchase worth up to £1,000, art materials, and a People’s Choice Award. Entry costs £5 per artwork (maximum three submissions), with physical works to be delivered between 1–4 October (10am–4pm) and digital submissions accepted online.

Find Out More

BOARD POSITION

Trustee

Blaze Arts | Burnley

Application Deadline: Rolling

Blaze is seeking new volunteer Trustees to help shape the future of its youth-led arts charity. They’re looking for people who are passionate about creativity, committed to diversity and youth leadership, and able to bring skills such as finance, HR, safeguarding or strategic planning. Applications are welcomed in a range of accessible formats, and there’s no fixed deadline, making this a great opportunity to get involved in supporting the next generation of creative leaders across Lancashire.

Find Out More

Also from Arts Lancashire

• Arts Amplified

• The Invisible Infrastructure: Creative Freelancing In The Arts

• Making Tax Digital For Artists

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Image Courtesy of the Estate of Mick Rock

Bowie Comes to the Seaside

Showtown has landed one of its biggest bookings yet: David Bowie: On Tour, more than 100 pieces from the V&A’s Bowie archive, arriving 30 June to 26 September 2027. It’ll be the only stop in the North West on the whole tour - costumes, instruments, handwritten lyrics, and a stack of things that have never been shown before: Polaroids of make-up tests, a Ziggy Stardust-era acoustic guitar, unrealised scripts, material from his last two albums, The Next Day and ★ (Blackstar).

Blackpool’s been arguing for years that it’s more than the illuminations and the Golden Mile. This is the kind of booking that makes the case for you. Still a way off, but one to start planning around.

Image: KT Tunstsall

The People’s Stage: A Free Bowie Night to Back the Bid

Sunday, 26 July, the town’s throwing one of the biggest free music events of the year - and using it to do two jobs at once: celebrate the Showtown booking and put some muscle behind Blackpool’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2029.

The People’s Stage, at Blackpool Opera House from 7pm, is headlined by Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra and singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti, backed by an All-Star House Band pulling members from James, the Stone Roses and the Courteeners. Add Little Boots, Rae Morris and KT Tunstall, a specially commissioned Bowie-themed lyric from Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, Blackpool spoken-word artist Nathan Parker, Northern Soul singer Darrell Smith, and the town’s own Electric Pink Voices LGBTQ+ choir, and it stops looking like a tribute night and starts looking like a statement. Every guest performs their own take on a Bowie classic alongside their own material, hosted by Blackpool-born broadcaster John Robb.

It’s free, and it’s ticketed - 2,500 seats, allocated by public ballot, open now. Free entry is the point: everyone attending is also being encouraged to back the bid, which would bring £10 million to the town for a year of culture-led programming if it succeeds. John Robb doesn’t undersell it: “This is not simply a concert. It’s a civic statement... Blackpool is ready. Blackpool believes. Blackpool belongs on the national cultural stage.”

→ Enter the ballot and back the bid at blackpool2029.co.uk

Image Credit: Polly Braden

The Seaside Speaks Back: Polly Braden’s Against the Tide

Against the Tide is documentary photographer Polly Braden’s new exhibition, made with young people in some of England’s most overlooked coastal towns - Weston-super-Mare, Scarborough, Grimsby, Southend, Portsmouth, Whitehaven, Tendring, Rhyl and Blackpool among them. Braden worked with journalist Lisa Bachelor as part of The Guardian’s Seascape series, spending over a year listening to 16–25-year-olds talk about their towns and what they actually want from them. The usual coastal-decline story is in there. So is the version nobody prints: ambition, resilience, plans.

Blackpool’s part came through House of Wingz, whose founders Aishley Bell Docherty and Samantha Bell-Docherty worked with Braden and choreographer Michelle Tofi to let the town’s young people run the project themselves, rather than be photographed and moved along. It’s not nothing, seeing them hold a wall at a major Bristol gallery instead of being the subject of somebody else’s headline. Against the Tide is on at Arnolfini until 27 September. Worth the drive if you’re that way this summer.

→ Read the Guardian’s Seascape series

Pitbull at Lytham Festival 2026. Image Credit: Lytham Festival

Lytham Festival Marks 15 Years With Its Biggest Line-up Yet

Lytham Festival celebrated its 15th anniversary this month with five nights on Lytham Green, and the range of headliners said everything about how far the event has grown: Teddy Swims and Alanis Morissette opened the weekend, followed by Michael Bublé, the Pet Shop Boys and Pitbull closing things out on Sunday.

The festival has already confirmed its next headliner: Robbie Williams plays Lytham Green on Saturday 3 July 2027, his only mainland UK show that summer - the festival’s earliest headliner announcement yet. Five-day passes for 2027 are on sale now, with general tickets released at 10am this Friday via lythamfestival.com.

Practice Makes Pigeons by Ben Hall at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery. Image Credit: Jules Lister

The National Festival of Making Returned to Blackburn

This year’s National Festival of Making brought 300-plus artists and makers to Blackburn, across more than 100 workshops, exhibitions, performances and markets. Johnny Vegas and Michael Winterbottom gave talks. There were dens built from 200 pallets, virtual reality installations, and the eighth season of Art in Manufacturing. A packed weekend from start to finish.

One thing’s still running if you missed festival weekend: Ben Hall’s Practice Makes Pigeons at Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery, on until 29 August.

The Festival’s Industry Day brought together filmmakers and industry leaders to talk about where screen goes next in Lancashire, including the launch of Screen Lancashire’s new brand, built by the chase. It feeds straight into ongoing work to make Blackburn with Darwen the film capital of Lancashire. Winterbottom’s own films were a real highlight of the day.

Image credit: Culturapedia

Lancashire’s Smallest Arts Space Opens for Business

Blackburn Market now has a free library with proper seats, a mini performance space, and perhaps the smallest gallery in Lancashire, run by Culturapedia in partnership with Blackburn Market, Blackburn with Darwen Library Services, Blackburn BID and Arts Council England. Culturapedia has worked out of the market for four years already, so this isn’t so much a launch as an upgrade.

The summer programme opens Saturday 25 July with a poetry trail across the town from Dommy B, and the space’s first exhibition from Amelia Riley, a recent Fine Art graduate from Blackburn College.

Image Credit: Faiths4Change

LANDS Unveiled Its Autumn Programme

LANDS - the Lancashire Arts Network for Developing Sustainability - has its autumn plans out. Headline item: LANDS Assembly, a day of talks and collaboration at LICA in Lancaster on Wednesday 18 November. Full details in September.

Before that, LANDS Talks is back with The Sacred Earth Calls: Voices of Faith for Climate Action, featuring Zarah Ross of Faiths4Change and Abdur Razzak, founder of ACT Bangladesh. Free, online, 10–11am, Thursday 3 September. Register here.

The UK Town of Culture Shortlist

The UK Town of Culture shortlist was announced this month. No Lancashire town was included, and that is a genuine disappointment.

It doesn’t diminish what was achieved in getting there. Fourteen Lancashire towns developed cultural bids this year, bringing together artists, councils, businesses and community organisations around a shared case for culture in their places. That collaboration was real, and it continues.

Much of that energy is now going into Blackpool’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2029. We congratulate the towns that were shortlisted, and we thank everyone across Lancashire who contributed to this year’s bids.

What Local Government Reorganisation Means for Culture

From April 2028, Lancashire’s council map will change under local government reorganisation. Subject to Parliamentary approval, four new unitary councils will be created to replace the current 15 councils. A model for Lancashire which will see the region split into four unitary authorities:

1. Chorley, South Ribble, West Lancashire (South Lancashire)

2. Fylde, Wyre, Blackpool (West Lancashire)

3. Lancaster, Preston, Ribble Valley (North Lancashire)

4. Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Rossendale, Pendle, Burnley (East Lancashire)

What that means for how culture is funded and supported is still being worked out. Arts Lancashire is working with the Lancashire Combined County Authority, Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackpool Council and the district authorities to help shape that picture, and we’re also contributing to Active Lancashire’s current consultation, connecting into discussions around creative health. We expect to share more detail in the Autumn.

We’ll keep representing the sector’s interests through this process, and keep the cultural community informed as the new structures take shape. Visit the Lancashire LGR website for more details on the new structure.

86 and Counting: Music Funding Advice Landed in Lancashire

Eighty-six music artists, promoters and producers turned out for An Introduction to Arts Funding for Music People & Projects at Burnley Mechanics Theatre, run jointly by Arts Lancashire and the Lancashire Music Association. On the agenda: how to raise money, where the training is, and details of Arts Council England’s new Music Growth Fund and PRS for Music’s support. Clitheroe promoters So It Goes talked through their own funding journey with PRS backing.

To Be Read

Four things worth ten minutes this month: DCMS’s Turn It Up plan for music, out this month; the Manifesto for Cultural High Streets, signed off this month ahead of a September launch; Arts Council England’s Annual Report for 25/26 - £894 million invested last year; and the LANDS Green Festival & Events Guide, if you’ve got a festival to run before the summer’s out.

Coming Up

This weekend: Seek Out Music Festival - 24–26 July, Gisburn Forest

Family music, arts and wellbeing festival in the forest. This weekend. Don’t dawdle.

→ seekoutfestival.co.uk

Still Time For: Robin Hood at Williamson Park

Williamson Park’s still a forest for the Dukes’ promenade Robin Hood, running to 23 August, no Mondays. Still worth it.

→ Book at dukeslancaster.org

Summer Holiday The Musical - Blackpool Grand, opens 29 July

Cliff Richard’s Summer Holiday opens at Blackpool Grand on 29 July.

→ blackpoolgrand.co.uk

The British Country Music Festival - 4–6 September, Blackpool Winter Gardens

Three days of country music takes over the Winter Gardens, with Blackpool once again proving it can hold its own against Nashville.

→ britishcountrymusicfestival.com

• The Invisible Infrastructure: Creative Freelancing In The Arts

• Six More Places in Lancashire Added to the Priority For Culture List

• Opportunity Knocks July: A round-up of artist opportunities in Lancashire

Jack Savoretti | Credit Alexander Crnogorac - Vogue Adria Belgrade

There’s a Starman waiting in the sky. And he’s going to blow our minds this July…

Blackpool is set to host one of the biggest FREE music events of the year on Sunday 26 July to showcase the creativity, ambition and community spirit behind Blackpool’s UK City of Culture 2029 bid and celebrate David Bowie: On Tour at Showtown.

Manchester’s renowned Hallé Orchestra and acclaimed singer-songwriter and musician Jack Savoretti will lead a star-packed line-up at the free live concert The People’s Stage at Blackpool Opera House from 7pm. The excitingly eclectic event, which is presented in partnership with Elite Competitions, will also include the All-Star House Band featuring members of iconic northern bands James and The Stone Roses, special appearances from Blackpool’s very own Little Boots and Rae Morris, and a whole host of world-class musicians and performers from all across the region. Full line-up with more star names to be announced!

This spectacular evening of Sound and Vision will form part of Blackpool’s campaign to become UK City of Culture 2029 and also celebrate the resort’s major cultural achievement of being the only North West venue to host the V&A’s David Bowie: On Tour archive in 2027.

David Bowie: On Tour will run at Blackpool’s Showtown from Wednesday 30 June to Sunday 26 September 2027 and will feature over 100 highlights from the V&A’s famous Bowie archive - including legendary costumes, musical instruments, career spanning photography and personal treasures, as well as never-before-seen items - including a Ziggy Stardust-era acoustic guitar and handwritten lyrics.

The incredible The People’s Stage live event will be built around the iconic songbook of David Bowie, with each guest artist performing their own interpretation of a Bowie classic, in collaboration with the Hallé Orchestra and All-Star House Band, as well as some of their own top hits.

John Robb

Hosted by acclaimed Blackpool-born journalist, musician and cultural commentator John Robb, presented by Blackpool Council in association with Showtown and in partnership with top Blackpool company Elite Competitions; the evening promises an unforgettable mix of orchestral music, electronic anthems, spoken word and homegrown talent, sprinkled with a thrilling Ziggy Stardust twist.

The People’s Stage event is a free, ticketed event with 2,500 tickets available through a public ballot, which is now open! Click here for more details on how to be in with a chance of winning tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime experience!*

Everyone attending The People’s Stage at Blackpool Opera House will also be encouraged to Back the Bid for Blackpool as UK City of Culture 2029. Click here for more details on the bid.

If Blackpool’s bid is successful, it would receive £10m to host a year-long celebration of arts and culture designed for local people, while boosting the visitor economy, creating new jobs and strengthening the town’s creative identity for years to come. This would transform the nation’s favourite playground into a bold, brilliant celebration of creativity, joy and shared wonder.

The People’s Stage line-up will bring together artists who reflect Blackpool’s bid: popular, poetic, diverse, northern, joyful and ambitious, and will include:

Rae Morris

Manchester’s legendary Hallé Orchestra; soulful superstar Jack Savoretti; the spectacular All-Star House Band featuring six acclaimed musicians from legendary northern bands including James, The Stone Roses and The Courteneers; electronic pop superstar and DJ Little Boots; acclaimed singer songwriter Rae Morris; a specially commissioned Blackpool lyric by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage; a piece from Blackpool spoken artist Nathan Parker; top Northern Soul singer Darrell Smith, and Blackpool’s uplifting Electric Pink Voices LGBTQ+ choir, with more exciting live acts to be announced.

Darrell Smith

Saul Davies, guitarist and violinist from the multi-million selling, Manchester-formed band James, will play with the All-Star House Band on the night and has also curated the event, along with Spencer Phillips, Chair of the Blackpool Heritage and Museum Trust, which operates Showtown, and Joe Duddell who is the event Musical Director. Joe is a composer, arranger and conductor known for moving fluently between classical and popular music, and for major orchestral collaborations with artists including Elbow, James, New Order and the Hallé.

Saul said: “Blackpool’s always had a special magic about it. There’s an energy that gets under your skin, and it’s a place that’s given James some unforgettable nights over the years. The Empress Ballroom gigs are the stuff of legend - those crowds, that atmosphere, it stays with you. So when the chance came for me to be part of The People’s Stage and help support Blackpool’s UK City of Culture 2029 bid, it was an easy yes. It’s a huge privilege to be involved in this amazing event. Blackpool’s a place that’s always known how to put on a show and it truly deserves the spotlight.”

The People’s Stage host, John Robb, said of this amazing free event: “This is not simply a concert. It’s a civic statement. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring people together in the place that has always known how to entertain the nation, and to say clearly: Blackpool is ready. Blackpool believes. Blackpool belongs on the national cultural stage. This is not a closed cultural event. It’s for the people. It also gives Blackpool residents a stake in the City of Culture campaign and a reason to feel proud.”

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “This is an amazing moment for Blackpool and an opportunity to show the rest of the country the ambition, creativity and community spirit that makes our town so special. The People’s Stage will celebrate the outstanding talent Blackpool has nurtured over the years, alongside artists who have a genuine connection to our town. By making this a free event, we’re ensuring that as many people as possible can come together to enjoy an unforgettable evening and celebrate everything that makes Blackpool unique. I encourage everyone to enter the ballot, celebrate our town, and help us show the nation why Blackpool deserves to be the UK’s City of Culture 2029.

The People’s Stage is presented in partnership with Elite Competitions. Alex Beckett, CEO of Elite Competitions, said: “Blackpool is our home, so being able to support the town’s bid for UK City of Culture means a great deal to us. It’s an important moment for both our business and the local community, and we’re looking forward to an exciting event while continuing to back the place that’s supported us from the very beginning.”

The UK City of Culture is a title given every four years to a UK city or local area. Blackpool has currently been longlisted to the second round for 2029 and is in the running against 8 other cities. Blackpool isn’t technically a city, but the title is open to all large places, and as the 45th largest place in the UK, Blackpool is bigger than some cities.

The timing could also not be more fitting. In addition to the 150th anniversary of the Blackpool Illuminations, 2029 marks 135 years since the opening of renowned heritage buildings and culture centres The Blackpool Tower and Blackpool Grand Theatre, while the Winter Gardens celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2028.

Let’s Dance as we come together at The People’s Stage this July to Back the Bid for Blackpool as UK City of Culture 2029!

The People’s Stage concert will take place on Sunday 26 July from 7pm until 9.30pm at Blackpool Opera House.

Click here to enter the ticket ballot and sign up to Back the Bid for Blackpool as UK City of Culture 2029.

*Terms & conditions apply for the free ticket ballot.

Also on Arts Lancashire

• Gathering for Change: LANDS Unveils its August Programme

• Six More Places in Lancashire Added to the Priority For Culture List

• Opportunity Knocks July: A round-up of artist opportunities in Lancashire

Image Credit: Faiths4Change

To mark the UK’s Net Zero Week (4–10 July), LANDS – Lancashire Arts Network for Developing Sustainability – has unveiled its autumn programme, featuring the launch of the new LANDS Assembly, a day of ideas, discussion and collaboration at LICA, alongside the return of the popular LANDS TALKS webinar series. The first session is already open for booking.

The series begins with The Sacred Earth Calls: Voices of Faith for Climate Action, featuring Zarah Ross, Project Coordinator at Faiths4Change, and Abdur Razzak, Founder of ACT Bangladesh. Join Arts Lancashire and LANDS for this inspiring online conversation exploring the role of faith communities in responding to the climate crisis.

Through their unique experiences and perspectives, Zarah and Abdur will explore how faith, art, and creativity can inspire meaningful action on climate change, highlighting the powerful role of spiritual and cultural expression in building a more just and sustainable future.

The webinar will take place on Zoom from 10am - 11am on Thursday 3 September 2026. and is free to attend.

Register Now

About Zarah Ross

Zarah has spent many years working with communities, charities and faith groups, bringing people together to make a positive difference. Through her work with Faiths4Change and across the voluntary sector, she has helped develop projects that encourage climate action, strengthen communities and promote social justice. She was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for her services to the community and young people, she is passionate about the unique role faith communities can play in caring for people and planet, inspiring practical action and building hope for the future.

About Abdur Razzak

Abdur Razzak, currently serving as a Lecturer at the department of theatre at Tagore University of Creative Arts, is the founder of ACT-Bangladesh, a pioneering initiative that combines the art of theatre with the urgent need for climate action. With a deep-rooted passion for both the performing arts and environmental advocacy, he has dedicated his career to exploring the intersection of these fields. His unique vision led to the creation of ACT-Bangladesh, an organization that uses creative storytelling to inspire climate awareness and drive tangible action. His leadership and commitment to using theatre as a tool for social transformation have been integral in shaping the mission and vision of ACT-Bangladesh. Drawing from his extensive experience in theatre arts and climate education, he works to inspire change and build climate literacy across communities in Bangladesh.

With more than 11 years of experience in theatre arts, directing, and performance, and eight years of engagement in climate education and advocacy, he works at the intersection of culture, sustainability, and community development. He holds both a B.A. (Honours) and an M.A. in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Dhaka. His academic and professional interests include applied theatre, climate communication, culture and sustainability, and the relationship between spirituality and ecology.

About LANDS

LANDS is the name of an arts and sustainability working group programme seeded by Arts Lancashire.

An acronym for Lancashire Arts Network for Developing Sustainability, LANDS is a vital programme of climate action, engagement, advocacy and support for Lancashire artists and arts organisations. Its aim is to deliver Climate Justice by working together as a sector to address the unequal impact of the climate crisis and foster a sustainable creative community. By connecting artists, organisations and partners across Lancashire, LANDS creates opportunities to share knowledge, develop sustainable practice and support the creative sector’s contribution to Lancashire’s net zero ambition. You can also connect with LANDS on Instagram.

Coming Soon: LANDS is getting ready to join us on Substack - a new space for conversations at the intersection of arts, climate justice and sustainability. We'll be sharing ideas, practical resources, inspiring projects and reflections from artists and organisations working together to build a more sustainable creative future in Lancashire and beyond.

Also from Arts Lancashire

• To B or Not To B Corp? Rethinking Cultural Business Models

• More Than Giving Back: Why Volunteering in the Lancashire Arts Sector is Good for Your Career - and Your Health

• Six More Lancashire Places Added To The Priority Places For Culture List. Here’s Why It Matters.

Image Credit: Petrichor, Idle Women 2019

We’re moving into the second quarter of the year and the summer season is upon us. You might think that means a quieter period for jobs and commissions - but think again! July’s opportunities round-up is packed with exciting roles, commissions and ways to get involved in the Lancashire arts and culture scene. Plenty to explore, apply for and share. Got a Lancashire-based opportunity in the arts to promote? If applications close within the next couple of months, send the details to artslancashire@gmail.com and we'll help spread the word.

Trustee

Blaze Arts | Burnley

Application Deadline: Rolling

Blaze is seeking new volunteer Trustees to help shape the future of its youth-led arts charity. They're looking for people who are passionate about creativity, committed to diversity and youth leadership, and able to bring skills such as finance, HR, safeguarding or strategic planning. Applications are welcomed in a range of accessible formats, and there's no fixed deadline, making this a great opportunity to get involved in supporting the next generation of creative leaders across Lancashire.

Find Out More

JOB

Education Officer / Youth Theatre Director

Lowther Pavilion Theatre | Lytham

Application Deadline Wednesday 1 July 2026

Lowther Pavilion Theatre is recruiting an Education Officer / Youth Theatre Director to lead the development and delivery of an innovative and inspiring theatre education programme. The role focuses on engaging, empowering and supporting participants of all ages, abilities and educational backgrounds through workshops, productions and creative learning opportunities, while ensuring the programme remains inclusive and aligned with the organisation’s strategic aims. Applicants should submit a CV and a letter of introduction (maximum 1,000 words) outlining what they would bring to the role.

Find Out More

FUNDING

Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) Fund

Arts Council England | Online

Application Deadline: Thursday 2 July 2026

Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) is an Arts Council England funding programme that supports you as an individual creative and cultural practitioner to focus on your career development. The programme encourages development by allowing you to learn, innovate and take creative risks. It’s all about you and making a meaningful shift in your practice that leads to future opportunities. This fund supports development activity which demonstrates a meaningful shift in your practice and leads to future opportunities. You can apply for £2,000-£12,000 for activity that lasts up to one year.

Find Out More

JOB

Lecturer in Illustration and Animation

Blackpool & Fylde College | Blackpool

Application Deadline: Friday 3 July 2026

Blackpool and The Fylde College is seeking a passionate and experienced creative practitioner to join its team as a Lecturer in Illustration and Animation. This is an exciting opportunity to support and inspire the next generation of artists, illustrators and animators through teaching, collaboration and industry-focused creative practice.

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FUNDING

Crowdfund Lancashire

Autumn 2026 Round

Fund Opens: Thursday 2 July 2026

Application Deadline: Thursday 17 September 2026

The Crowdfund Lancashire Autumn 2026 funding round opens on Thursday 2 July 2026 and closes on Thursday 17 September 2026, with successful pledges announced in October 2026. Organisations could get up to £15,000 to boost projects towards their funding target. Parish and Town Councils and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) can take part too, with up to £5,000 available. Individuals with ideas and businesses who want to benefit their community could get £1,500 towards their live crowdfunding campaigns. Crowdfunding campaigns will need to complete by 31 January 2027. To support potential applicants, Spacehive is hosting two free online Project Creator Workshops on 2 July (12–1pm) and 16 July (12–1pm), offering guidance to help projects get started and make the most of their application. The Community Funding Team is also available to provide advice and one-to-one support throughout the crowdfunding journey.

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COMMISSION

Creative Community Commission

Creative Blackpool | South Shore, Blackpool

Application deadline: Friday 3 July 2026

Creative Blackpool has launched its second Community Commission, inviting artists, creatives and community organisations to develop projects in South Shore that place local voices, creativity and collaboration at their heart. The programme aims to support initiatives that strengthen community connections and contribute to Blackpool’s wider cultural ambitions, with funding available for projects that engage residents in meaningful and imaginative ways. The commission budget is £5K.

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JOB

Cultural Engagement Producer

Chorley & South Ribble Borough Councils

Application Deadline: 5 July 2026

Chorley and South Ribble Councils are seeking a Cultural Engagement Producer to lead the development and delivery of creative, community-focused cultural programmes across the borough. Working with artists, community groups, partners and residents, the role will focus on increasing participation in culture, strengthening local partnerships, and delivering projects that support the ambitions of South Ribble’s Culture Strategy. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced cultural producer with strong project management and engagement skills to help shape a vibrant and inclusive cultural offer for local communities.

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JOB

Visitor Experience and Engagement Officer

Chorley & South Ribble Borough Councils

Application Deadline: 5 July 2026

Chorley and South Ribble Councils are recruiting a Visitor Experience and Engagement Officer to help shape and deliver outstanding visitor experiences across their cultural and heritage venues, including Astley Hall. This full-time, permanent role will involve developing tours and engagement activities, supporting volunteers, gathering visitor feedback, working with community partners, and helping to increase participation across the borough’s heritage offer. The ideal candidate will be passionate about culture, communities and customer experience, with strong communication skills and experience of working with the public. Salary: £31,537–£33,699.

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TRAINING

DigiLab

Imitating The Dog & Lightpool | Blackpool

Application Deadline: 12pm Monday 6 July 2026

A free week-long workshop for anyone aged 18+ interested in developing skills in projection mapping, led by renowned digital theatre company imitating the dog in collaboration with Lightpool. Taking place at Lightworks, the home of Blackpool Illuminations, from Monday 23 to Friday 27 November 2026, the programme will provide hands-on experience in creating site-specific projection-mapped installations. Participants will explore imitating the dog’s creative process, from developing concepts and storyboards through to basic animation, content creation, and projection mapping techniques, gaining practical skills and insight into this dynamic art form.

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FREELANCE CONTRACT

Evaluator

One Tenth Human | Remote

Application Deadline: 12 noon Wednesday 8 July 2026

Lancaster-based theatre company One Tenth Human is seeking a Freelance Evaluator to support Terri’s Expanded Universe, a new three-year creative science education project funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and delivered with primary schools across Morecambe Bay. The successful evaluator will help evidence the project’s impact, support programme learning, and contribute to its future development. The freelance fee for the role is £5,000.

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JOB

Deputy Technical Stage Manager

The Grand Theatre | Blackpool

Application Deadline: 5pm Friday 10 July 2026

The Grand Theatre, Blackpool is recruiting a Deputy Technical Stage Manager to support the delivery of safe, efficient and high-quality technical operations across its programme. Working closely with the Technical Stage Manager, the successful candidate will play a key role in maintaining professional standards, building strong relationships with visiting companies, and helping to strengthen the theatre's reputation for technical excellence. This is a full-time position (40 hours per week, including evenings and weekends) with a salary of circa £30,000 per annum, dependent on experience, plus recharged get-outs paid in line with BECTU rates.

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FREELANCE CONTRACT

Digital Creative Production Services

Morecambe Bay Partnership | Remote

Application Deadline: 5pm Monday 13 July 2006

Morecambe Bay Partnership is seeking a digital artist, multimedia creative, landscape visualiser or animator to help create a bold, positive and nature-friendly Visioning Tool for Morecambe Bay. As part of the Visioning the Coast – Morecambe Bay 2050 and beyond project, the successful creative partner will bring ideas and futures thinking to life through an engaging digital experience that inspires conversations about the coast, communities, nature and sustainability. This is an opportunity for a creative practitioner with skills in digital storytelling, animation, visualisation or interactive design to contribute to shaping the future vision for Morecambe Bay.

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CONSULTATION

What Next: Creative & Cultural Education in Lancashire

Arts Lancashire | Online

Workshop: 1.30pm - 3pm, Monday 13 July 2026

Arts Lancashire is hosting a free online session for anyone working in or alongside creative and cultural education in Lancashire. The session will explore key findings from our recently published research conducted at the Lancashire Arts Exchange, discuss recommended next steps, and bring together artists, cultural organisations, educators, local authorities and others to help shape future priorities for creative education across the county. This is a collaborative working session where every perspective matters. Free to attend and online.

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TRAINING

AA2A Artist Residency Information Session

AA2A | Online

Live Event: 1.30pm Tuesday 14 July 2026

Thinking about applying for an AA2A artist residency? Artist applications will be opening soon for opportunities at further and higher education institutions in England, including at Blackpool & Fylde College and the University of Lancashire. Join AA2A for a live online Q&A with Helen Thomas, current AA2A artist Leeds Beckett University to learn more about the programme, what to expect and how to make the most of the opportunity. Free to attend, booking is required via Eventbrite:

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TRAINING

An Introduction to Arts Funding for Music People & Projects

Lancashire Music Association | Burnley Mechanics Theatre

Live Event: 1pm - 4pm Thursday 16 July 2026

Got a music project in the pipeline for 2026 or a music career to develop? Get the funding know-how you need to make it happen. Join Arts Lancashire and the Lancashire Music Association from 1pm - 4pm on Thursday 16 July in Burnley for advice and guidance from Arts Council England and PRS for Music Foundation. Free to attend.

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JOB

Studio Manager & Producer

Idle Women | Accrington

Application Deadline: 12 noon Monday 20 July 2026

Idle Women is recruiting a Studio Manager & Producer (Women-Centred Practice) to join its team in Lancashire. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced producer, project manager or cultural practitioner to support the delivery of ambitious, socially engaged creative work that centres women’s voices, experiences and leadership. The successful candidate will play a key role in coordinating projects, managing partnerships, supporting artists and communities, and contributing to the continued growth of Idle Women as a women-led cultural organisation. The ideal candidate will be highly organised, collaborative and passionate about creating inclusive creative spaces, with experience in cultural production, project delivery and relationship building. Based in Lancashire with flexible working arrangements, the role offers the opportunity to contribute to meaningful cultural change through creativity, collaboration and community.

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JOB

Part-Time Office Manager

Litfest | Lancaster / Remote

Application Deadline: Monday 27 July 2026

Litfest are looking for a part-time Office Manager to work with them as they expand their events programme from an annual festival to a year-round arts organisation. The Office Manager would also be responsible for managing Litfest’s online bookshop.
Interviews: w/c 3rd August. Starting date: 1st September.

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COMMISSION

Freelance Digital Producer

ShowTown | Blackpool / Remote

Application Deadline:; 12 noon Wednesday 29 July 2026

Showtown is seeking a freelance Digital Producer to join an exciting new project, Legacy of Laughter: Unlocking the Cairoli Collection. Working alongside Funny Bones residency artists and community participants, the successful applicant will help bring the project to life by co-creating a digital Story Chest, producing engaging short-form films documenting rehearsals, performances and activity, and capturing the story of a community-led creative project celebrating the Cairoli family’s incredible comedy legacy. The contract runs from August to November 2026, with a value of £5,600. The opportunity is funded by Arts Council England and is ideal for a creative digital storyteller passionate about community arts and producing compelling content. .

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TRAINING

In Development: Producer Lab

Film Hub North | Manchester

Application Deadline: 5pm Wednesday 29 July 2026

Applications are open for Film Hub North’s In Development: Producer Lab, a two-day residential programme at HOME for emerging producers across the North of England. Designed to help filmmakers develop their producing skills, the programme offers the chance to learn from industry professionals, build practical producing toolkits and connect with ambitious peers from across the region. Applicants must be aged 18 or over, based in the North of England and not in full-time education.

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FUNDING

2026 Grant Programme

Hugo Burge Foundation

Application Deadline: 31 July 2026

The Hugo Burge Foundation has opened its 2026 grants programme, offering funding to support creative projects across the UK. Grants of up to £15,000 are available through the Creative Education and Creative Communities funds, supporting initiatives that develop creative skills, increase access to the arts, and deliver cultural activity in local communities. Individual artists and creative practitioners can apply for up to £5,000 through the Creative Individuals fund. A limited number of multi-year grants are also available, and an access support fund has been established to help applicants who may face barriers to applying.

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Also from Arts Lancashire

• The Invisible Infrastructure: Creative Freelancing In The Arts

• Making Tax Digital For Artists

• Lancashire’s Creative Education Gap: What The Sector Told Us and What Happens Next

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Freelance artist, Bryony Jarman-Pinto at work with More Music. Image credit: Robin Zahler

Pick any arts activity in Lancashire - a rural touring show in a village hall, a heritage exhibition in a market town, a music programme in a community space - and somewhere behind it, there’s almost certainly a freelancer. Possibly several. An artist who made the work. A marketing specialist who shaped the audience development campaign. A photographer who captured the moment. A creative consultant who helped the organisation work out what it was trying to say and do in the first place.

They’re the connective tissue of the sector, yet they’re absorbing a disproportionate amount of the risk.

As we reach the end of National Freelancers Week - it feels like a good moment to talk about it.

The Numbers

Self-employment makes up 28% of the creative workforce in the UK - well above the national average across all industries. That's nearly 700,000 freelance and self-employed roles, out of a total workforce of approximately 2.4 million people.

These aren’t hobbyists or career-transitionists hedging their bets. According to Arts Council England’s landmark Cultural Freelancers Study 2024 - the largest piece of research ever commissioned into the working lives of creative freelancers in the arts - a significant majority of cultural freelancers are freelancing because it’s their only realistic option. Caring responsibilities, health needs, neurodiversity, and other personal circumstances make the structure of traditional employment inaccessible for many. Freelancing isn’t a lifestyle choice. For a lot of people, it’s the only viable way to do the work they’re trained to do.

The study, which surveyed over 5,000 freelancers and conducted 200 in-depth focus groups and interviews across every artform ACE supports, makes - in the words of ACE’s own Chief Executive Darren Henley - “sobering reading.” 83% of respondents said their working hours impact negatively on their life outside work sometimes or more. Working for free - what the report calls “donated labour” - is described as a widespread problem, trapping freelancers in a financial situation where the work takes up large numbers of hours without generating enough income to cover it. Many said their earnings don’t cover their living expenses and household bills. And for those from underrepresented backgrounds, the picture is bleaker still: 66% of Black-Asian and ethnically diverse freelancers, and 59% of those who are deaf, disabled or have a long-term condition, said the cultural sector is “not very” or “not at all” inclusive.

The Regional Reality

Freelancing in the arts outside London and the major cities comes with its own particular set of pressures. Funding, commissions and professional networks are unevenly distributed across the country - a fact that shapes the day-to-day reality of creative freelance life in places like Lancashire in ways that rarely get discussed at a national level.

Helen Bartosinski has been a freelance arts, heritage and leisure marketing specialist in Lancashire since 2018, building her practice after eight years in employed roles - including as Marketing Manager at The Dukes in Lancaster. She's seen firsthand how location shapes a freelance career in the arts.

“Arts organisations and funding tends to be concentrated in the UK’s large cities, and in the south,” she says. “There is the reality of financial insecurity and there is also the fear of financial insecurity. Both contribute to an enormous amount of strain on a freelancer’s wellbeing.”

That fear isn’t abstract. It shapes decisions - which work to take on, which rates to accept, which boundary-crossings to let slide in the name of maintaining the relationship. And it compounds everything else that makes freelance life costly and complicated.

What Lancashire does offer, Helen argues, is a genuine breadth of cultural provision and community. “Lancashire is home to many National Portfolio Organisations such as The Dukes, and has a varied arts and heritage offer, from rural provision through to large towns and cities. It’s also hugely diverse culturally - this means it has wide and exciting contrasts between the different types of ways people are being creative across the county.” The universities, she adds, “help encourage young people and professionals to stay in the area in a way that might be more challenging other areas, which injects fresh ideas and people into the area.”

Paul Hartley, Founder, now Freelance Producer, at work with In-Situ. Image courtesy of In-Situ.

Know the Rates. Use the Rates.

The good news is that recommended rates for creative freelancers are not a mystery. Across every artform, unions and sector bodies publish detailed, regularly updated guidance - and consulting them before commissioning is one of the simplest things an organisation can do.

The Independent Theatre Council publishes minimum rates of pay for theatre freelancers, negotiated with relevant unions and covering performers, directors, designers, stage managers, writers and more. The Musicians’ Union sets recommended rates for live and recorded work across different contexts. Artists’ Union England publishes detailed pay guidelines for visual artists, graded by experience - currently from £27 per hour for new graduates through to £48 per hour for lead artists and project managers. BECTU covers film, TV, theatre and digital media.

For artists working across disciplines or in community contexts - commissions, residencies, workshops and participatory projects - a-n The Artists Information Company's 2025 guidance on fees and day rates is an invaluable reference point, setting out rates by years of experience and factoring in the real costs of self-employment. Each of these documents is updated and available to anyone who chooses to look.

When organisations set their own rates in a vacuum, or run tenders based on what they have historically paid their freelancers - they’re not just underpaying individuals. They’re eroding the sector’s ability to retain talent at all.

Helen Bartosinski puts it plainly, “Some people are still comparing freelance rates to salaries. Freelancers don’t get holiday pay, maternity/paternity/adoption pay, employer pension contributions, sick leave, compassionate leave, equipment, paid training opportunities or paid lunch breaks. We have to make provision for tax, pensions - both employer and employee contributions - periods without work, illness and time away for training.”

And that’s before you account for the unpaid work: managing accounts, finding contracts, travelling to meetings, networking, pitching. “A company would normally absorb much of the time and responsibility of this,” Helen points out. “As well as provide a certain degree of job security and employment rights.”

The ACE research confirms that this undervaluation has real consequences - not just financial, but in terms of who can sustain a freelance career at all. When former freelancers were asked why they’d left the cultural sector, the majority cited financial reasons. The sector is losing people it can’t afford to lose.

“Sometimes when the argument about freelancer day rates being too high is rolled out, I ask salaried staff if they’d like to be a freelancer themselves,” says Helen. “A huge number of people wouldn’t, because they wouldn’t want the risk or the stress - exciting, liberating and stimulating though it can be.”

What Good Looks Like

Freelance Artist, Charlie Brown at work with More Music. Image credit: Robin Zahler

The flip side of this is that good practice exists - and where it does, it makes a real difference. Helen names two organisations leading the way. In-Situ, the Nelson-based rural arts organisation, gets recognition for “their commitment to ethical working practices, including their flat pay structure, which extends to a model for freelancers. They have ongoing open conversations about how freelancers fit into their framework of fairness, equity and consensus decision-making.” More Music in Morecambe also gets a mention, for the freedom and intellectual challenge they offer, and for the leadership of Marianne Barraclough - “who has the enviable talent of listening and absorbing, then reframing, challenging and expanding my input.”

These aren’t complicated things. They’re about communication, clarity, respect for time, and a genuine understanding of what a freelancer actually needs to do their best work. “Robust structures and processes are underrated but massively valued,” Helen says. “Paying on time and sticking to deadlines are obviously part of a good client relationship, but it goes deeper than that. It’s about respecting time, and ensuring that staff within the organisation understand my role as a freelancer and how I integrate with the wider team.”

Word of Mouth

Good client relationships don't end at the project. The organisations that really get it understand that recommending a freelancer - to a colleague, in a meeting or in passing - is part of the relationship too. Word of mouth is the lifeblood of a freelance career. Without the infrastructure of a company behind you - no marketing budget, no business development team, no LinkedIn algorithm working in your favour - a well-timed recommendation from a trusted colleague can be worth more than any amount of cold pitching. It costs nothing, and it matters enormously.

In that spirit, we asked Helen to put some fellow Lancashire freelancers on people’s radar.

Robyn Zahler is a Morecambe-based photographer whose event work Helen says deserves “everyone’s photography budget.” Blackburn-based web design studio Source Creative gets a strong endorsement - every site Helen has encountered from them is, in her words, “cracking.” And Lancaster-based comms specialist Lauren Randall comes recommended for her “understated wit and intelligent, thoughtful comms support” that will “elevate any marketing team’s output.” If you’re commissioning in Lancashire, there are hundreds more creative freelancers across the county that Arts Lancashire and our colleagues at Creative Lancashire can connect you to - just ask!

Stephen Caton, Source Creative, working in-situ at the Lancashire Arts Exchange 2024. Image Credit: Michael Porter

The Infrastructure Question

So what would actually move the dial?

In addition to more organisations adhering to recommended industry standard payment rates for freelancers, training is a significant issue. Unlike salaried employees, freelancers pay for their own professional development - in cash and in lost working time. Helen credits organisations like the Arts Marketing Association (which has a dedicated freelancers’ networking group and tiered pricing), Museum Development North, Cumbria Arts and Culture Network and Arts Lancashire for making training more accessible, but it remains a structural pressure point.

And then there’s the question of sector advocacy. Helen is direct about the role Arts Lancashire plays in her working life: “Arts Lancashire are doing a brilliant job, with extremely limited resources, of flying the flag for culture in Lancashire and connecting people and partners to strengthen the sector as a whole - regionally and nationally. Bodies like Arts Lancashire are leading the way in showing what it means for an organisation to hold an often undervalued sector together and advocate for it at a strategic, decision-making level.”

At a national level, there are signs that the case is finally being heard. ACE has responded to its own research by appointing Yasmin Khan as its first ever Director for Individual Practitioners - a newly created role specifically tasked with strengthening support for freelancers, connecting policy with practice, and co-producing solutions with the sector itself. And in June 2025, the government published its Creative Industries Sector Plan - a ten-year blueprint that, for the first time, explicitly commits to appointing a Creative Freelance Champion to advocate for freelancers at the heart of government. The plan also includes commitments to tackle late payment, ensure contracts are issued, and improve protections for the self-employed. Whether the commitments translate into structural change remains to be seen. It’s a start - and the data now exists to hold funders and organisations accountable in ways it didn’t before.

What We’re Building

Helen’s vision of a thriving creative freelance economy in Lancashire is worth sitting with: “A place where freelancers all know each other and can support and enhance our work collectively. Supported by organisations that understand who these freelancers are and how they fit into the sector’s wider web.”

And - perhaps more importantly - she thinks it’s achievable. “I think we’re well on our way, with big thanks to the efforts of Arts Lancashire, Creative Lancashire, and all the smaller, more organic networking organisations that help bring us together. We’re building an economy where we are legitimately part of the financial infrastructure, celebrated for our contribution and with seats at decision-making tables.”

That framing - freelancers as infrastructure, not add-ons - is exactly right. And the best place to start is in the room you're already in. If there's a freelancer in Lancashire whose work you rate and you’d like to recommend them, drop a link in the comments. Let's shout about them.

With thanks to Helen Bartosinski for her time and honesty. Helen is a freelance arts, heritage and leisure marketing specialist based in Lancashire.

Also from Arts Lancashire

• Live Event: An Introduction To Arts Funding For Music People & Projects

• Opportunity Knocks: June 2026

• Lancashire’s Creative Education Gap: What The Sector Told Us and What Happens Next

Image credit: Michael Porter

Join the Lancashire Music Association and Arts Lancashire on Thursday 16 July for An Introduction to Arts Funding for Music People and Projects - an informative in-person session offering practical guidance and insights from leading arts funders.

Discover funding opportunities including:

• ACE National Lottery Project Grants

• ACE National Lottery Developing Your Creative Practice

• ACE Grass Roots Music Fund

• PRS Foundation Early Career Promoters Fund

• PRS Foundation The Open Fund for Music Creators

• PRS Foundation Women Make Music

Whether you’re a musician, DJ, producer, promoter, venue operator, or music industry professional, this session will help you better understand the funding landscape and how to develop successful applications so you can turn your ideas into reality.

Hear directly from:

• Arts Council England

• PRS Foundation

• Lancashire Music Association

Event Details

1pm - 4pm

Thursday 16 July 2026

Burnley Mechanics Theatre, Burnley

Free to attend

Register Your Place

An Introduction to Arts Funding for Music People and Projects is delivered by Arts Lancashire and Lancashire Music Association in association with Arts Council England, Creative Lancashire, Lancashire Music Hub, Lancashire County Council, Burnley Council, Burnley Leisure & Culture, and the University of Lancashire.

Also from Arts Lancashire

• Arts Amplified: May 2026

• Lancashire’s Creative Education Gap: What The Sector Told Us and What Happens Next

• Culture Lab: Rethinking How We Work - Learnings From RadHR with Bradford Peace Museum

Image Credit: Atom by Mid Pennine Arts

Last week, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport published its new Culture Priority Places list - 81 local authority areas across England identified as priorities for cultural investment, targeted specifically at the places where deprivation is highest and cultural engagement is lowest. For Lancashire, the news is significant.

Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool were already on the list as existing Arts Council Priority Places. They’ve now been joined by six more: Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Preston, Rossendale and Wyre. That’s eight Lancashire places in total on a list of 81. A significant concentration for a single county, and a clear signal that the scale of need here has been recognised at the highest level.

What Is a Culture Priority Place, and Why Does It Matter?

The DCMS didn’t arrive at this list arbitrarily. The methodology combines three factors: low physical engagement with arts, libraries and museums; high levels of deprivation and community need; and historically low levels of Arts Council funding per head. In other words, these are places that have been systematically underserved - by the funding system, by participation data, and by infrastructure - and where the government is now explicitly committing to change that.

The practical implication is that DCMS will work with the Arts Council and other funding partners to direct investment, programmes and policy attention towards these places. Culture Priority Places won’t automatically unlock funding - decisions will be made programme by programme - but being on this list puts a place in the room for conversations it previously wasn’t part of. It signals, at a national level, that these communities are a priority.

What This Could Mean for Lancashire

For Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Preston, Rossendale and Wyre, this is a genuine shift in how the cultural sector’s attention and resources could flow.

Preston is home to a growing creative scene and, as a university city with strong cultural infrastructure, has all the ingredients for artistic growth - despite historically receiving less national arts funding than its potential might suggest. Priority Place status puts Preston in direct line for programmes designed to build participation and close the gap between what the city has and what its communities can access.

Burnley and Pendle sit in the Pennine corridor where creative and cultural provision has long been stretched - but where a growing ecology of artists, makers and cultural organisations, including the internationally recognised British Textile Biennial, has been building something genuinely distinctive. Recognition at this level could bring the investment needed to sustain what already exists and to develop emerging opportunities.

Hyndburn and Rossendale are two of the areas with the most acute attainment challenges in the county - the same data that informed our recent creative education research. Key Stage 2 data puts Hyndburn at 50% meeting the expected standard. Cultural investment in these places isn’t a luxury; it’s directly connected to educational outcomes, mental health and long-term economic participation.

Wyre, on the Fylde Coast, has historically sat in Blackpool’s shadow when it comes to cultural attention and resource. Priority Place status gives Wyre its own standing - and its own case to make.

The Bigger Picture

The publication of this list is not unconnected from the wider direction of travel in cultural policy. The UK Government’s 2025 Curriculum Reforms, the ongoing review of Arts Council England’s place-based approach, and the growing body of evidence linking cultural investment to economic and social outcomes have all contributed to a moment where place - specifically, the places most in need - is finally being taken seriously.

Read the full DCMS Culture Priority Places list and methodology at gov.uk.

Also from Arts Lancashire

• Arts Amplified: May 2026

• Lancashire’s Creative Education Gap: What The Sector Told Us and What Happens Next

• Culture Lab: Rethinking How We Work With RadHR

Image credit: Robin Zahler for The National Festival of Making

Across Lancashire, the arts and culture sector depends on the generosity of thousands of people who give their time, energy, and enthusiasm to keep festivals running, theatres lit, galleries open, and creative communities alive. From Blackburn to Lancaster, Burnley to Lytham, volunteering sits at the very heart of what makes our cultural life so rich.

But volunteering offers far more than the satisfaction of giving back. For those looking to build a career in the arts - or simply to develop new skills and connections - it can be one of the most powerful professional development tools available. And increasingly, the evidence points to meaningful health benefits too.

The Bigger Picture: What the Science Says

Researcher and professor Daisy Fancourt’s new book The Art Cure makes a compelling case that arts participation - including the kind of hands-on community involvement that volunteering represents - delivers measurable health and economic benefits. As Fancourt puts it: “The work of artists and arts organisations in communities is already delivering not just health benefits, but health economic benefits... it makes the case for why investing in the arts is actually an investment in health and society much more broadly.”

Volunteering in the arts, then, isn’t just good for the organisations we support. It’s good for us.

Building a Career Through Volunteering

Beyond the wellbeing benefits, arts volunteering is increasingly recognised as a genuine pathway to professional growth. Whether someone is taking their first steps into the creative sector, navigating a career change, or returning to work after a break, volunteering provides a way to build credibility, skills, and connections in a real-world setting.

Skills that transfer everywhere

Arts volunteers develop practical, transferable skills that employers across all sectors value: communication, organisation, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. Working front of house at a theatre, supporting a community arts project, or helping coordinate a major festival all build experience that sits alongside - and often complements - formal qualifications.

Access to professional networks

Perhaps one of the most underestimated benefits of arts volunteering is the access it provides to professional networks. Working directly alongside arts professionals, producers, curators, and administrators opens doors that might otherwise be difficult to open. Many volunteer roles lead to meaningful collaborations, mentorship relationships, and further opportunities within the sector.

A stepping stone to paid employment

For those hoping to move into paid arts work, a track record of volunteering demonstrates initiative, sector knowledge, and genuine commitment - qualities that employers value as highly as direct experience. Arts organisations frequently look inward when paid opportunities arise, and volunteers who have already proven themselves in the role are well placed.

The evidence for volunteering as a route into employment is compelling — though it pays to take a long view. A 2024 government report, Estimating the Economic and Social Value of Volunteering, found that one year after starting to volunteer, the increase in the probability of paid employment is not statistically significant overall - the short-term picture is mixed. But the data tells a much more positive story over time: after two years, volunteering is associated with a 6.2% increase in the probability of being in paid employment, and after three years, a 3.4% increase - both statistically significant results. The report’s authors suggest that “the employment benefits of volunteering may be realised only after a few years of volunteering,” and that it “could act as a pathway into paid work.” For young people aged 16–25, the effect is even more pronounced: volunteering at least once in the past year is associated with a 9.1% increase in the likelihood of employment in the short term, rising to 17.1% for those who volunteer at least once a week.

Leadership and board roles

Many volunteers go on to take on greater responsibility over time - progressing into project coordination, mentorship, or trustee and board roles. These positions build strategic thinking, governance experience, and decision-making confidence, all of which are increasingly sought after across the cultural sector.

A note on volunteering vs unpaid work

It’s worth being clear about what volunteering is - and what it isn’t. Volunteers typically work on a flexible, non-contractual basis, and their roles must not replace those of paid employees. Many organisations offer reimbursement for reasonable expenses such as travel and food. If there’s ever any uncertainty about whether a role constitutes volunteering or unpaid work, HMRC’s guidance provides a useful reference point.

Arts Volunteering Across Lancashire: Who’s Leading the Way

Across our county, some of Lancashire’s most-loved cultural organisations rely on the commitment of their volunteer communities to deliver extraordinary things.

National Festival of Making, Blackburn

Every year, over 100 volunteers sign up to help make the National Festival of Making happen. One of the UK’s most distinctive celebration of making, craft, and creativity, the festival takes place in Blackburn Town Centre and simply wouldn’t be possible without its volunteer team. From workshop helpers and exhibition invigilators to evaluation support and the all-important brew bosses, every single volunteer plays a vital part in making the weekend the success it is.

Registration is now open for the 2026 festival, taking place on 4th & 5th July. The National Festival of Making has also continued its partnership with Chip In, a place-based volunteering project supporting the festival’s programme. Volunteers must be aged 16 or over. Find out more and sign up at festivalofmaking.co.uk/festival/volunteer.

The Gregson, Lancaster

Close to 200 volunteers are registered with The Gregson community centre in Lancaster - making it one of the busiest venues in the city. The Gregson’s volunteer community is wonderfully diverse: some join because they’re new to Lancaster and want to meet people; others are long-standing residents who want to give something back to the place they’ve called home their entire lives.

Between them, Gregson volunteers contribute an estimated 500 hours of time every month to the centre. They serve as administrators and bar assistants, event helpers and plant-watchers, quiz hosts and Expert Hour speakers. They run Give & Take days and organise the monthly art displays in the café. As The Gregson’s Volunteer Manager puts it: “if the community wants something to happen, they can make it happen -it’s a real community of do-ers.”

Lowther Pavilion Theatre & Gardens, Lytham

Winner of Cultural Venue of the Year at the Lancashire Tourism Awards, the Lowther Pavilion Theatre & Gardens on the Fylde Coast currently has around 100 active volunteers supporting its programme of over 600 shows and events each year.

The majority work in front-of-house roles - meeting and greeting audiences, scanning tickets, guiding people to their seats, acting as fire wardens, selling snacks and merchandise, and tidying the auditorium after performances. Others provide vital support to the Box Office, Marketing, Finance, and Technical teams, or help keep the award-winning venue in shape through maintenance and repairs.

Taken together, the Lowther’s volunteers donate around 29,000 hours of their time each year - equivalent to an organisational saving of approximately £373,000. As The Lowther themselves put it, the work they do simply wouldn’t be possible without them.

Opportunities Right Now

If the above has sparked an interest, here are some active arts volunteering opportunities across Lancashire to explore:

Fleetwood Moves with LPM Dance — Saturday 4 July 2026, 12pm–5pm, Marine Hall and Gardens, Fleetwood LPM Dance are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to support this free community dance and arts festival. Roles include festival stewards, workshop assistants, artist liaison support, and site crew — with set-up help needed from 8.30am. No experience required; volunteers receive an official festival t-shirt. Sign up at lpmdance.com/fleetwoodmoves/volunteer.

Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery Opportunities range from craft session support and gallery assistance to collection care. Project-based opportunities are shared on their website and social media. More at blackburnmuseum.org.uk/about/get-involved.

Fylde Gallery, Lytham Hall As visitor numbers grow at this beautiful gallery within Lytham Hall, volunteers are needed to enhance the visitor experience. More at discoverfylde.co.uk/fylde-gallery-at-lytham-hall/volunteering.

Lancaster Arts — Ideas & Connectors Group An opportunity to work directly alongside the Lancaster Arts team on artist commissions, collection development, and audience engagement. Roles include Community Researchers, Collections volunteers, and Communications & Engagement supporters. Apply here or find out more at lancasterarts.org/about/volunteer.

LeftCoast Makers Programme Open to individuals aged 18 and over, LeftCoast’s Makers Programme invites people to be part of their show-stopping community projects. More at leftcoast.org.uk/volunteer.

SuperSlowWay Volunteers are currently being sought for various Super Slow Way projects and for the British Textile Biennial. Whether you can give a couple of hours or a few days, get in touch with Uzma Raziq at uzma@superslowway.org.uk or visit superslowway.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer-with-us.

The Dukes, Lancaster The Dukes has approximately 50 permanent front-of-house usher volunteers, as well as marketing volunteers who help spread the word about their programme. Roles vary throughout the year. Apply at dukeslancaster.org/get-involved/volunteering.

The Grundy, Blackpool The Grundy is looking for motivated individuals with an interest in contemporary art to support its exhibitions and events programme. More at thegrundy.org/support/volunteer.

The Harris, Preston Open to people at 16+. Volunteer roles at The Harris range from helping with family activities and community workshops to working with specific collections as part of specialist volunteer teams. More at theharris.org.uk/get-involved/volunteers.

Are we missing you? Does your arts organisation, event or creative project offer volunteering opportunities in Lancashire? We'd love to include you in our directory. Submit your details here and we'll add your scheme to the list.

Also Worth Knowing About

The following Lancashire arts organisations offer volunteering opportunities at various points throughout the year. It’s worth checking back regularly, as new opportunities are announced on an ongoing basis.

• Blackpool Grand Theatre — blackpoolgrand.co.uk/recruitment-and-volunteering/volunteering

• British Textile Biennial — britishtextilebiennial.co.uk/get-involved

• Burnley Leisure & Culture — form.jotform.com/222353929789371

• Burnley Youth Theatre — burnleyyouththeatre.org/get-involved/volunteer

• Deco Publique — decopublique.co.uk/journal/work-with-us

• Encounter Festival — lancsencounter.co.uk/get-involved

• Haworth Art Gallery — hyndburnbc.gov.uk/haworth-get-involved

• Horse + Bamboo — horseandbamboo.org/explore/volunteering

• In-Situ — in-situ.org.uk/opportunities

• Lightpool — lightpool.org.uk/lightpool-opportunities

• Lytham Festival (via Oxfam) — festivals.oxfam.org.uk/this-years-festivals/lytham-festival

• Mid Pennine Arts — midpenninearts.org.uk

• SoundSkills — soundskills.org/membership

• The Old Electric — theoldelectric.co.uk/support/volunteering

• The Whitaker, Rossendale — thewhitaker.org/volunteer

Thinking of Setting Up a Volunteering Scheme?

For arts professionals and organisations who are new to managing volunteers - or who are considering developing a volunteering programme for the first time - the Creative Lives Volunteering in the Arts Toolkit is an excellent starting point. Drawing on the experience of a wide range of organisations, it brings together best-practice quality assurance processes and procedures, including those underpinning Investors in Volunteers.

Happy National Volunteers Week to every single person who gives their time to the arts across Lancashire. We see you, and we’re grateful.

Image Credit: Ed Waring for DigiLab 2025

As we head into June, there are still a number of opportunities we listed last month with a deadline of 1st June, so there’s still time to apply if you’re quick! Got a Lancashire-based opportunity to promote? If applications close within the next couple of months, send the details to artslancashire@gmail.com and we'll help spread the word.

Chair of The Board

More Music | Morecambe

Application Deadline: Monday 1 June 2026

More Music is currently seeking a Chair of the Board to support its ongoing creative and strategic development, offering a chance to be part of a well-loved community organisation delivering innovative workshops and events for thousands of participants, artists, and musicians. They welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including those new to trustee roles, and are particularly interested in experience across strategic arts leadership, creative health and wellbeing, finance, and community engagement. To apply, submit a CV and cover letter (or a video up to 3 minutes) outlining your skills, experience, and motivation, and indicate that you wish to be considered for Chair. Applications close Monday 1 June at 5pm, with interviews taking place on Friday 19 June.

Find Out More

Trustees

More Music | Morecambe

Application Deadline: Monday 1 June 2026

More Music is currently seeking three new trustees to support its ongoing creative and strategic development, offering a chance to be part of a well-loved community organisation delivering innovative workshops and events for thousands of participants, artists, and musicians. They welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including those new to trustee roles, and are particularly interested in experience across strategic arts leadership, creative health and wellbeing, finance, and community engagement. To apply, submit a CV and cover letter (or a video up to 3 minutes) outlining your skills, experience, and motivation, and indicate that you wish to be considered for Chair. Applications close Monday 1 June at 5pm, with interviews taking place on Friday 19 June.

Find Out More

Coordinator (Maternity Cover, with the possibility to extend) P/T

The Grand | Clitheroe

Application Deadline: Friday 1 June 2026

The Grand in Clitheroe is recruiting an Operations Coordinator (Maternity Cover, with the possibility to extend). This is a part-time role of 16+ hours per week with a salary of £28,000–£30,000 FTE (pro rata). This opportunity is ideal for an organised and proactive individual with experience in events and team coordination who wants to play a central role in delivering a busy programme of live music and arts events. Based at The Grand’s multi-use venue, the role involves leading weekly operational planning, coordinating staffing and rotas, managing bookings and schedules, liaising with artists and partners, and supporting the smooth delivery of events (around one per week), while working closely with teams across programming, technical and front-of-house to ensure a high-quality experience for audiences and performers. The post is offered as a 12-month fixed-term contract with the possibility of extension. Applications close on Friday 1 June 2026, with interviews taking place on 11–12 June.

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Curriculum Specialist Opportunity

Blackburn with Darwen Place Partnership | Blackburn

Application Deadline: Friday 1st June 2026

Blackburn with Darwen Place Partnership - a partnership of local cultural organisations - is seeking a Curriculum Specialist to develop a series of scalable, place-based learning activities inspired by the area’s rich culture of making, past, present and future. This pilot project will work with three schools and local partners across Key Stage 2, with an initial focus on Design & Technology curriculum resources alongside cross-curricular learning opportunities. The commission is ideal for someone with a culture-led approach to education and curriculum development. The wider Place Partnership is funded by Arts Council England and brings together Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery, British Textile Biennial, National Festival of Making, Culturapedia, Prism Contemporary, The Bureau Centre for the Arts C.I.C., The Making Rooms and Uncultured Creatives.

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Programme Lead (Freelance)

Light Up The North | Remote

Application Deadline: Midnight 7 June 2026

Light Up The North is seeking a freelance Programme Lead to help deliver an ambitious programme of activity over the next two years. As a strategic network supporting the development of the light art sector, we bring together light festivals to share expertise, commission new artworks, support artists, undertake research, and strengthen collaboration across the sector. Following significant growth in our membership and partnerships, we are looking for an experienced and highly organised freelancer with expertise in strategic partnerships and advocacy, ACE-funded projects and reporting, evaluation and data analysis, programme management, stakeholder engagement, and report writing. The role will support advocacy, partnership building, programme delivery, evaluation, reporting, and future planning, including helping to shape an ambitious artist development programme for the light art sector. This remote and flexible contract runs from July 2026 to January 2028, comprising 48 days of work across 19 months (approximately 2.5 days per month), with a fee of £250 per day (£12,000 total) plus a travel and subsistence budget.

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Freelance Workshop Leader

The Platform Gallery | Clitheroe

Application: Friday 12 June

The Platform Gallery is seeking submissions of interest from established arts workshop leaders to help shape their Summer Sunday activity programme which takes place every Sunday from Sunday 26 July – Sunday 30 August 2026 inclusive.

This is a paid opportunity, and experienced workshop leaders are asked to submit their workshop proposal ideas along with full costings (inclusive of materials and any necessary prep time). For more details call the gallery on 01200 425566 or email platform.gallery@ribblevalley.gov.uk

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Finance & Operations Manager

More Music | Morecambe

Application Deadline: 9am Monday 15 June

More Music is seeking an exceptional and experienced Finance and Operations Manager to join their leadership team and to manage the day-to-day financial operations of the company working closely with the Executive Director. You will have excellent financial skills, the ability to plan and have an eye for detail. You will be passionate about the arts and social change and demonstrate a genuine commitment to the organisation’s success, values and mission.

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Assembly Arts Summer School

Assembly Arts | Lancaster

Application Deadline: Ongoing but apply before 15 June 2026 for early bird discount

Assembly Arts Summer School returns 27–31 July 2026 in the historic city of Lancaster, on the edge of the Lake District, offering a five-day immersive experience for artists and creative practitioners with some prior experience or those considering further study. Hosted by Ingrid Christie, Lela Harris, Sarah Galloway and Alan Morris, the programme provides an opportunity to step away from everyday routines and develop your creative practice through workshops in abstract painting, portrait and life drawing, and darkroom photography, supported by expert teaching and access to purpose-built studios and local outdoor locations. The week is designed to help participants explore their artistic direction and build confidence in their individual voice, alongside informal evening gatherings that encourage discussion and creative exchange. A highlight of the programme includes a special evening talk on Tuesday 28 July by Simon Hill CPhot FRGS HonFRPS, President of the Royal Photographic Society. All lunches, refreshments and a welcome meal are included, creating a fully supported and collaborative learning environment.

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Artist Commission: Cloth, Community & Creativity in Blackpool

LeftCoast | Blackpool

Application Deadline: 5pm Wednesday 24 June 2026

As part of its Abundance Programme, LeftCoast is seeking to commission an artist to explore cloth as a material for connection, identity, and creative investigation across Blackpool’s neighbourhoods, communities, and green spaces.

The residency builds on conversations with local residents and project partners, who identified cloth as a material that connects domestic life, nature, culture, and heritage. From clothing and home textiles to natural dyes and printing processes, the commission invites artists to examine the role of cloth through a permaculture lens, exploring patterns in both landscapes and communities.

This is an opportunity for an artist to develop a place-responsive project while engaging with local people and environments in innovative and meaningful ways.

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Open Call: Super Slow Way Artist Residencies

Super Slow Way | Pendle, Burnley & Hyndburn

Application Deadline: 5pm, Friday 26 June 2026

Super Slow Way is seeking three artists of any discipline to work with local communities in Pendle, Burnley and Hyndburn, exploring connections between people and the natural world along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal corridor. Part of a long-term programme transforming post-industrial canal-side spaces into creative, healthy and biodiverse community environments, each year-long residency (September 2026–September 2027) has a budget of approximately £10,000 inclusive of fees, materials and expenses. Applications should include a short statement of interest, examples of up to four relevant projects, an outline budget, and an indication of preferred location(s).

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Administrator & Executive Support

The Dukes | Lancaster

Application Deadline: 12pm Monday 29 June 2026

The Dukes Theatre is currently seeking an Administrator & Executive Support professional to join their team. This key role provides administrative support across the organisation, working closely with the CEO, Board of Trustees, and department heads to help ensure the smooth delivery of the Dukes’ activities and operations. The successful candidate will play an important part in supporting the organisation during an exciting period of growth and development.

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Freelance Arts Fundraiser

DanceSyndrome | Flexible / Remote

Application Deadline: 5pm Tuesday 30th June

DanceSyndrome is looking for a Freelance Fundraiser with experience of successfully securing Grant & Trust funding in the Arts sector. DanceSyndrome is a current Arts Council England ‘National Portfolio Organisation, and we are looking to secure additional match-funding to support the development of their ambitious Artist Development Programme which champions emerging Artists with learning disabilities. £35 - £50 per hour depending on experience.

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Creative Community Commission

Creative Blackpool | South Shore, Blackpool

Application deadline: Friday 3 July 2026

Creative Blackpool has launched its second Community Commission, inviting artists, creatives and community organisations to develop projects in South Shore that place local voices, creativity and collaboration at their heart. The programme aims to support initiatives that strengthen community connections and contribute to Blackpool’s wider cultural ambitions, with funding available for projects that engage residents in meaningful and imaginative ways. The commission budget is £5K.
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DigiLab

Imitating The Dog & Lightpool | Blackpool

Application Deadline: 12pm Monday 6 July 2026

A free week-long workshop for anyone aged 18+ interested in developing skills in projection mapping, led by renowned digital theatre company imitating the dog in collaboration with Lightpool. Taking place at Lightworks, the home of Blackpool Illuminations, from Monday 23 to Friday 27 November 2026, the programme will provide hands-on experience in creating site-specific projection-mapped installations. Participants will explore imitating the dog’s creative process, from developing concepts and storyboards through to basic animation, content creation, and projection mapping techniques, gaining practical skills and insight into this dynamic art form.

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Festival Makers (Volunteer)

National Festival of Making | Blackburn

Application Deadline: 30 June 2026

Registration is now open to volunteer for the National Festival of Making on the 4th & 5th July 2026, taking place in Blackburn Town Centre! National Festival of Making is continuing its partnership with Chip In – a place-based volunteering project. Chip In are working closely with the Festival team to support our volunteering programme and be your point of contact.

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Fleetwood Moves Festival Makers (Volunteer)

LPM Dance | Fleetwood

Application Deadline: 30 June 2026

LPM Dance is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make this year’s Fleetwood Moves Festival a success. Taking place on Saturday 4 July 2026 from 12pm–5pm at Marine Hall and Gardens, Fleetwood, the event offers a fantastic opportunity to support a local community celebration, meet new people, gain valuable experience, and enjoy the festival from behind the scenes. No previous experience is required—just a positive attitude and a willingness to get involved. Volunteers can sign up for a full day, half day, or just a few hours, with roles including event set-up from 8.30am, festival stewarding, workshop assistance, artist liaison support, and site crew duties. In return, volunteers will receive a festival t-shirt to keep, develop new skills and confidence, and be part of a vibrant day of live music, dance, performances, and community activity. Anyone interested can complete the volunteer sign-up form with their contact details and preferred role, and the team will be in touch.

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Education Officer / Youth Theatre Director

Lowther Pavilion Theatre | Lytham

Application Deadline Wednesday 1 July 2026

Lowther Pavilion Theatre is recruiting an Education Officer / Youth Theatre Director to lead the development and delivery of an innovative and inspiring theatre education programme. The role focuses on engaging, empowering and supporting participants of all ages, abilities and educational backgrounds through workshops, productions and creative learning opportunities, while ensuring the programme remains inclusive and aligned with the organisation’s strategic aims. Applicants should submit a CV and a letter of introduction (maximum 1,000 words) outlining what they would bring to the role.

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Deputy Technical Stage Manager

The Grand Theatre | Blackpool

Application Deadline: 5pm Friday 10 July 2026

The Grand Theatre, Blackpool is recruiting a Deputy Technical Stage Manager to support the delivery of safe, efficient and high-quality technical operations across its programme. Working closely with the Technical Stage Manager, the successful candidate will play a key role in maintaining professional standards, building strong relationships with visiting companies, and helping to strengthen the theatre's reputation for technical excellence. This is a full-time position (40 hours per week, including evenings and weekends) with a salary of circa £30,000 per annum, dependent on experience, plus recharged get-outs paid in line with BECTU rates.

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Also from Arts Lancashire

• Arts Amplified: May 2026

• Lancashire’s Creative Education Gap: What The Sector Told Us and What Happens Next

• Culture Lab: Rethinking How We Work With RadHR

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Lancashire’s Turner Prize Winner Makes the Whole World Pay Attention

Lubaina Himid is at Venice. The Preston-based artist - Turner Prize winner, CBE holder, one of the most important painters working in Britain today - is representing the UK at the 2026 Venice Biennale with Predicting History: Testing Translation, a British Council commission that runs from May through November. This is about as big as contemporary art gets.

The installation fills the British Pavilion with large-scale paintings, painted objects and a soundscape developed in collaboration with Lancashire-based artist Magda Stawarska. The work circles around workers - gardeners, tailors, chefs, architects - to examine how identity gets shaped through labour, place and history. Belonging, migration, interpretation: the themes are expansive, but Himid’s approach is rigorous.

Press reviews have called it vivid, symbolic and quietly forceful. Read the Guardian review here.

The Lancashire Music Scene Just Got Its Own Infrastructure Moment

The Lancashire Music Association had a very good month. The Lancashire Music Summit 2026 brought roughly 150 people from across the county to 53 Degrees and The Ferret in Preston - and it felt less like a conference and more like a field being ploughed. Artists, promoters, venue operators, educators, local authorities and funders: all in the same room, talking about what it actually takes to keep a music ecosystem alive and kicking.

This year the conversation moved past diagnosis and into action. What can Lancashire actively do? How do we build infrastructure that sticks? Rebellion Festival founder Jennie Russell-Smith made the case for sustainable live and festival activity. Music industry executive Ramin Bostan drilled into the mechanics of building a modern digital label - growth strategies, partnerships, value capture - the kind of nuts-and-bolts conversation the sector rarely gets enough of. Professor Alice O'Grady and Dr Jacki Willson from the University of Leeds then led a panel on new ideas and future opportunities, moderated by LMA founder Tony Rigg, that pushed the room to think bigger. Live performances from Imogen Evans kept things from getting too PowerPoint-heavy.

And then, perfectly timed: the Lancashire Music Association secured Arts Council England Project Grant funding, a 12-month programme of events incoming. The work is just beginning. If you're part of the music community in Lancashire and not yet a member, membership is free - join at lancashiremusic.org

End-of-the-Pier Energy for the End of the World

What does it mean to perform joy in a place the media would have you think the country has written off? Harry Clayton-Wright has been sitting with that question for a while, and Mr Blackpool - his new theatrical work, which premiered at the Blackpool Grand Theatre on 20 May - is the answer.

Described as “an end of the pier show at the end of the world,” the production blends cabaret, drag, dance, magic and satire to excavate Blackpool’s cultural identity against the backdrop of climate collapse and late capitalism. Clayton-Wright performs alongside Aysh de Belle, Sam de Belle and Blake Rainey, drawing on real experiences of working as entertainers in Blackpool - tribute acts and stag parties on the Golden Mile, glamour and graft beneath the seafront sparkle.

Critics have called it a “360-degree love letter” and “absurdly funny, fantastic and important.” The national tour continues throughout June. Don’t miss it.

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John Robb Is Taking Punk on the Road

Journalist, musician, cultural agitator: John Robb contains multitudes. His spoken word tour Punk Rock Ruined My Life - running through May and June - brings his memoir to life through direct storytelling, cultural commentary and the kind of first-hand accounts that no documentary can replicate.

Robb’s roots in Blackpool and the North West give the tour a particular charge for Lancashire audiences. This isn’t nostalgia tourism. It’s an argument, made in real time, for why punk’s DIY ethos still matters - and for why places like Blackpool sit at the centre, not the edges, of British cultural history.

Three New Dance Artists Get a Real Start in Lancashire

LPM Dance has announced Travis Smith, Charli-May Townend and Luke Whipp as the newest participants on its Take Root Apprentice Programme. Funded by Arts Council England, the programme is exactly what early-career dance artists in Lancashire need: paid, structured, and connected to real industry networks.

Over the course of the programme, the three will develop choreographic work, build teaching practice, engage with dance and health projects, and connect with LPM’s national and international partners. Careers in the professional dance sector don’t happen without support. Take Root is one of the ways they get built.

Making Tax Digital: Still Confused? The Recording Of Our Support Session Is Available

Arts Lancashire hosted specialist arts accountant Ruth Gee from Accounting for Artists for a practical, no-nonsense session on Making Tax Digital - what it actually means for creative freelancers, who needs to act now, and who has a little more time.

The recording covers the full picture: what MTD is, what to submit and when, allowable expenses, a walkthrough of a real submission, and a live Q&A. If you missed it, the session is available on demand for £15 and includes the video recording of the live session, a downloadable copy of the slides from the session and a list of free accounting software options. Worth every penny if you’re still not sure where you stand.

Access the Making Tax Digital for Artists Recording

Coming Up in June

A few things worth putting in the diary.

Girls Can | More Music | 6–7 June

More Music is delivering Girls Can, a free two-day creative music programme for young women and non-binary people aged 12–19. Band formation, songwriting, sound engineering, lighting: the full picture. Advance booking required. Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June, 10am–3pm.

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Breakin’ Convention Hip Hop Takeover | Blackpool Grand | 6 June

This is not a polite theatre night. DJs, cyphers, graffiti, freestyle energy and world-class performers including Ivan Blackstock’s TRAPLORD and North West crews House of Wingz and Freefly Crew. Hosted by Jonzi D. Blackpool Grand Theatre will not look the same on the way out.

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Culture Lab: Rethinking How We Work | Online | 12 June, 11am–12.30pm

Arts Lancashire’s next Culture Lab asks the questions that don’t always make it into funding applications: do our internal structures - recruitment, pay, governance, decision-making - actually reflect the values we claim to hold? Featuring Jude Wright from The Peace Museum on their work with RADHR. Free. Online. Especially relevant if you’re thinking about future ACE applications.

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touchME! | Assembly Arts, Lancaster | 8–26 June

Assembly Arts in Lancaster is presenting an exhibition of interactive ceramics developed collaboratively in their studios by co-founder Rae Tribbick and her students. Kinetic, sound-based, tactile: these are works that want to be touched. DYCP-funded, and genuinely one to see.

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A Preston June: Jazz & Improv, City Mela, Windrush Festival

Preston in June is stacking up into something genuinely worth the trip. The Preston Jazz & Improv Festival opens the month with city-wide performances including England’s Tales of the Council House Kid: Francis Dunnery Live and Acoustic at St Peter’s Arts Centre and The Official Preston Jazz Festival After Party with Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness (BCUC) Live at The Ferrett. On 13 June, the Preston City Mela returns to Avenham Park and Miller Park for its 29th year - free, family-friendly, up to 8,000 people expected. And on 21 June, the Windrush Festival Preston arrives in the same parks to honour the legacy of the Windrush generation. Three festivals, one city, one month.

Arts 4 Us Event | Edge Hill University | 27 June

The Research Centre for Arts & Wellbeing at Edge Hill University hosts a day of presentations, performances and discussion around the Arts4Us project, with a keynote from Stephen Stapleton and digital contributions from Daisy Fancourt. Artists, researchers, students and young people in the same room, asking what the arts actually do for health across a lifetime. If that intersection is your work, this is the room to be in.

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What would it actually look like if every young person in Lancashire - regardless of where they live, what school they attend, or how much money their family has - could access high-quality creative and cultural education? Not in theory. In practice.

That was the question Arts Lancashire and Blackpool Local Cultural Education Partnership put to over 60 artists, educators, arts organisations, local authorities, universities and policymakers at the Lancashire Arts Exchange 2026 in March. The session, facilitated by Celine Wyatt, Head of Creative Development & Learning at Blackpool Grand Theatre and Co-Chair of Blackpool Local Cultural Education Partnership, was deliberately structured to get beyond the aspirational and into the actionable - covering goals, obstacles, practical options, and what needs to happen next.

The findings have now been published. And they’re worth reading.

What the Research Found

The ambition that came through most strongly was straightforward: creative and cultural education should be available to every young person in Lancashire, full stop. No postcode lottery. No cost barrier. No carve-out for the schools that already have arts on their timetable.

The context makes this urgent. In Hyndburn, only 50% of pupils met the expected standard at KS2 in 2023/24. In Burnley it was 52%. Blackpool, 53%. These aren’t abstract statistics - they represent thousands of young people whose educational experience is already compromised, and for whom access to creative learning could make a measurable difference to confidence, attendance and attainment. At the same time, Lancashire’s creative economy generates an estimated £1.3 billion in GVA and supports around 36,000 jobs. The pathway from school, colleges and universities to that sector should be clearer than it currently is.

What’s standing in the way? The research identified transport as the single dominant logistical barrier - a real problem that undermines even the best-funded programme. Alongside that: fragmented systems with no central point of information, short-term project funding that can’t build long-term impact, the dominance of larger organisations over smaller grassroots ones, and a persistent undervaluing of arts within the education system itself.

The solutions proposed were concrete. A centralised digital hub for opportunities, resources and partners. Shared evaluation frameworks across Local Cultural Education Partnerships (LCEPs). Buddy systems connecting schools, colleges and universities with cultural partners. Pilot projects, particularly SEND-focused ones. County-wide initiatives - culture passports, a Year of Culture, apprenticeship schemes - that can build shared identity and momentum. And, critically, governance structures that are inclusive from the ground up, not handed down from above.

The cross-cutting themes that ran through everything: equity, connection, clarity, sustainability, and collaboration.

Read the Full Research Findings

The full document is available to download here.

Now We Need Your Help to Decide What Happens Next

Publishing the research is step one. Step two is deciding which of the recommended next steps to prioritise - and that’s a conversation we want to have with you.

Arts Lancashire is hosting a free online session on Monday 13 July 2026 at 1.30pm for anyone working in or alongside creative and cultural education in Lancashire. The session will walk through the key findings, open up the recommended next steps, and ask the room to help shape the priorities that will drive the work forward.

This is not a presentation to sit through. It’s a working session, and your perspective matters - whether you’re an artist working in schools, a cultural organisation, an educator, a local authority, or someone who just thinks Lancashire’s young people deserve better.

Register here.

Free to attend. Online. 1.30pm - 3pm, Monday 13 July 2026.

Questions? Get in touch with Alex O’Toole at Arts Lancashire: artslancashire@gmail.com

The Lancashire Music Summit 2026 returns to Preston next week, bringing together artists, industry professionals, educators and cultural leaders for an afternoon of discussion, networking and forward-thinking ideas about the future of music in the region and beyond.

Organised by the Lancashire Music Association, the Summit has become a key fixture in the county’s cultural calendar. Now in its third year, it continues to build momentum as a space where the region’s music ecosystem can connect, share knowledge, and explore new opportunities for growth and sustainability.

The Lancashire Music Association also plays an increasingly influential role within the wider cultural infrastructure of the county as a key part of Arts Lancashire’s leadership team, helping to shape strategic direction for music and wider creative sector development across the region.

A day focused on the future of music

This year’s Summit takes place on Tuesday 19 May, 12.30pm–5pm at 53 Degrees in Preston. The programme is designed to reflect the realities and opportunities of today’s rapidly changing music industry, with sessions covering:

• Live and recorded music ecosystems

• Digital releasing and label development

• Talent development and pathways into music careers

• Audience development and sustainable activity models

• New ideas, distinctive cultural activity and future opportunities

• Funding, investment potential and practical next steps

Across these themes, the Summit aims to provide both inspiration and practical insight - helping attendees understand not only where the industry is heading, but how they can actively participate in shaping it.

Speakers bringing national and international experience

The 2026 line-up features a strong mix of industry executives, academics, festival founders and creative entrepreneurs, including:

• Ramin Bostan – Music industry executive and former COO at Ostereo

• Mike Murphy – Global Head of Events & Partnerships / Label Services Manager, Ditto Music

• Professor Alice O’Grady – University of Leeds

• Tony Rigg – Founder of the Lancashire Music Association; Music Industry Advisor; Night-time Economy Ambassador for Lancashire (NTIA); Researcher at the University of Lancashire

• Jennie Russell-Smith – Founder of Rebellion Festival

• Jamie Turner – Managing Director, Actual Music

• Jacki Willson – Associate Professor, University of Leeds

Together, they bring perspectives from across the music industry - from grassroots festival culture to global digital distribution, academic research, and artist development.

A space for connection and opportunity

The Lancashire Music Summit has consistently positioned itself as more than just a conference. It is a practical networking and development space where new collaborations are often formed and where emerging artists and professionals can engage directly with established industry figures.

For attendees, the event offers an opportunity to explore real-world pathways into music careers, understand current industry challenges, and connect with organisations working across Lancashire and the wider UK music sector.

As the Lancashire Music Association continues to grow its role within the region - both as an industry body and as part of Arts Lancashire’s leadership structure - the Summit reflects a broader ambition: to strengthen Lancashire’s position as a vibrant and connected hub for music creation, production and innovation.

Event details

• 📅 Tuesday 19 May

• ⏰ 12.30pm – 5pm

• 📍 53 Degrees, Brook Street, Preston, PR1 7HN

• 🎟️ Free for LMA members (membership is free), or £30 for non-members

Find out more and book tickets via the Lancashire Music Association website:
Lancashire Music Summit 2026

What if the biggest barrier to equity, sustainability and creativity in Lancashire’s cultural sector isn’t funding or audiences - but how we organise ourselves internally?

If we are working to challenge inequality, exclusion and injustice through our creative practice, to what extent might we be unintentionally reproducing those same dynamics in how we hire, make decisions, pay people, manage conflict, or support one another?

This session invites arts and culture organisations across Lancashire to explore these questions together - offering space to reflect on where current ways of working may not fully align with our shared values as a sector.

Taking inspiration from The Peace Museum’s work with RadHR, we’ll explore what becomes possible when organisations begin to rethink internal practices- from HR and governance to everyday culture - through a more collective, participatory and values-led lens.

Together, we’ll consider:

• Where do our current ways of working fall out of alignment with our values?

• What might improve if we took more collective approaches to pay, recruitment, decision-making or wellbeing?

• What would we need - individually and collectively in Lancashire - to start doing things differently?

We’ll be joined by Jude Wright, Development Lead at The Peace Museum (Bradford), who will share insights from their organisational development journey. This includes their work with RadHR to move beyond reactive, policy-led systems towards more equitable, values-driven ways of working- grounded in their mission around peace, nonviolence and social change.

This session is particularly relevant for organisations considering future funding applications, including core funding, where clarity of values, governance and organisational culture is increasingly important.

We hope you’ll join us to explore new ways of building a more equitable and sustainable cultural sector in Lancashire.

Book your place now to be part of the conversation.

11am - 12.30pm | Friday 12 June | Online

Free to attend.

Book Now

About Jude Wright

Jude is the Development Lead at The Peace Museum. The Peace Museum explores the history and the often untold stories of peace, peacemakers, social reform and peace movements. It’s recent move from Bradford city centre to Salts Mill in Saltaire has seen audiences surge from 3,000 per year to over 5,000 per month.

Jude is currently leading on a major NLHF-funded organisational development project, A Radical Approach to Crafting the Future of The Peace Museum. By taking a values-led approach to every aspect of the museum’s work, the project will strengthen the museum’s operations across the board, creating a dynamic, well-governed and equitable organisation which embraces the principles behind the stories it preserves.

As a freelance producer, director and fundraiser, Jude has managed a huge range of projects both on behalf of organisations and her own work.

This varies from producing festivals and touring large scale performance work, to running organisations and international projects.

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About Culture Lab

Part talk/briefing and part discussion/workshop, Arts Lancashire’s quarterly Culture Lab sessions are an opportunity for the leadership of the county’s culture sector to come together to hear about the big topics, opportunities and challenges relevant to Lancashire arts and culture, to have a collective conversation about them and to decide, what, if any, action should be taken, collectively or otherwise.

Image credit: Lancaster Arts

Young Creators Workshop Programme

Preston Jazz & Improvisation Festival | University of Lancashire, Preston

Booking Now

Preston Jazz & Improvisation Festival has launched its Young Creators workshops for young people aged 13–16 interested in making, performing and collaborating, offering a “gig in a month” experience that supports participants to develop ideas and work towards a live public performance at the end of the programme; the series began on Saturday 25 April, but there’s still time to get involved as new participants are welcome to join from the second session if they missed the first, with the workshops running over a month to build confidence, connection and creative skills in a supportive group setting - free to attend but booking is essential.

Sign Up Here

Take Root Apprenticeship Programme

LPM Dance | Lancashire

Application Deadline: 5pm Friday 1 May 2026

Auditions are now open for dancers interested in joining LPM Dance’s inclusive, creative and socially engaged contemporary practice, offering an opportunity to work with the company’s distinctive performance style that combines physical theatre, storytelling and collaboration across professional and community contexts; auditions are aimed at dancers with strong contemporary technique, creativity and a willingness to engage in devised and ensemble-led work, with successful applicants potentially joining future projects, performances and touring activity as part of LPM’s wider artistic programme.

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Lightpool Open Call

Lightpool Festival | Blackpool

Application: Deadline 5pm Friday 1 May 2026

Lightpool invites UK-based creatives to submit proposals for new light-based artworks to be showcased at Lightpool Festival in Blackpool, offering an opportunity for both emerging and established artists to create engaging, high-quality installations designed for outdoor festival environments; proposals should demonstrate innovation, strong artistic vision and accessibility for wide audiences, with a particular interest in works that explore light in new ways, use technology creatively, encourage interaction and prioritise sustainability, alongside practical considerations for durability, feasibility and potential touring.

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LUCENT Artist Development Programme

Lightpool | Blackpool

Application Deadline: 5pm on 1 May 2026

LUCENT, Lightpool’s Artist Development opportunity, is an open call inviting UK-based creatives to submit innovative ideas for new light artworks to be developed and showcased at Lightpool Festival, offering support for both emerging and established artists to bring ambitious concepts to life in a large-scale public festival context; selected participants will receive production support, technical expertise and an artwork fee to help realise their installation, with a focus on experimentation, accessibility, sustainability and strong public impact, and with the opportunity to see their work exhibited as part of the festival programme in Blackpool

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Marketing & Communications Officer

The Dukes Theatre | Lancaster

Application Deadline: 5pm Monday 4 May 2026

The Dukes Theatre in Lancaster is looking for a full time Marketing & Communications Officer. ideal for a motivated and collaborative individual with some prior marketing experience who is looking to develop their skills within a supportive environment that offers training, feedback and progression opportunities; based within the Marketing Department under the Head of Marketing & Communications, the role involves delivering campaigns for touring theatre productions as well as hands-on marketing support for the venue’s annual Park Show and Christmas Show, alongside content creation, press and guest events, and copywriting for social media and blog content. The role offers £25,459 per annum. Applications can be submitted via form or video, with full details available from The Dukes team. Interviews will take place on Tuesday 19 May 2026.

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Volunteer Opportunities - We’re Still Here

Abingdon Studios | Blackpool

Application Deadline: Tuesday 5 May 2026

Be part of creating Blackpool’s first-ever LGBTQIA+ digital archive with We’re Still Here!, a project recruiting six volunteers to help uncover, document and celebrate hidden histories through community storytelling, research and participation in a wider programme of events; volunteers will gain hands-on experience in public-facing work within the creative heritage sector, oral history collection and presentation, research skills including digitisation and cataloguing, and supporting the development of exhibitions in collaboration with galleries and museums, contributing to two major shows planned for February–June next year at Showtown and Grundy Art Gallery spanning History Month to Pride Month; the project is delivered by Abingdon Studios, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Showtown Blackpool and Grundy Art Gallery.

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BLAST FEST 2026

The Dukes Theatre | Lancaster

Application Deadline: Wednesday 6 May 2026

Applications are still open for The Dukes Theatre’s annual BLAST FEST. The programme is seeking five artists based in Lancashire or the North West who have new or in-development work that would benefit from a work-in-progress sharing and audience feedback, with particular interest in those preparing shows for the Edinburgh Fringe 2026. Previous participants have gone on to significant success, including Jade Franks’ EAT THE RICH (but maybe not me mates x), which had a sell-out Fringe run, and Claire Beerjarez’s ROOTED, now touring.

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WEBINAR | Making Tax Digital For Artists: What You Actually Need to Know

Arts Lancashire | Online

11.30am – 1pm, Friday 8 May

Free for Lancashire artists & creatives

£30 for non-Lancashire artists and creatives

Making Tax Digital For Artists: What You Actually Need to Know is a practical online session led by accounting specialist Ruth Gee (Accounting For Artists), designed to help artists and creative freelancers navigate upcoming UK tax changes, including what Making Tax Digital (MTD) means, when to register, what to submit and how often, which expenses can be claimed, key deadlines and penalties, and how to choose appropriate software, alongside a walkthrough of a real submission example and a live Q&A; taking place on Friday 8 May 2026, 11.30am–1pm, the session aims to give participants clear, actionable guidance to stay compliant and in control of their finances, with free places available for Lancashire-based creatives and a £30 fee for those outside the region.

Book Now

SHINE Emerging Artist Programme 2026

Light Up The North | Various

Application Deadline: 9am Monday 11 May 2026

Light Up The North is seeking ambitious, high-quality proposals for two new light-based commissions that will tour major light festivals across the North of England, offering a significant career development opportunity to create work at scale for outdoor festival contexts while building profile within the light art sector; selected artists will receive a commission fee of up to £15,000 (covering fees and fabrication), up to £2,500 for touring costs (including travel and attendance), along with mentoring, production support and technical guidance, with potential destinations including Lightpool (Blackpool), Light Night Leeds, Light Up Lancaster, Barnsley Bright Nights, Light Up Wigan, Lightwaves (Salford) and Illuminate Oldham.

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Writing for Animation Lab 2026

ScreenSkills | Online

Application Deadline: Monday 11 May 2026

ScreenSkills has opened applications for its Writing for Animation Lab 2026, a funded programme supporting early-career writers (18+) to develop their storytelling skills for animation, running from June to September 2026 and bringing together a small cohort to explore structure, collaboration and audience through online sessions, industry masterclasses and 1:1 script editor support to develop an original short animation idea; the programme also includes an in-person session at Aardman Animations in Bristol, offering insight into the industry and opportunities to connect with producers and peers, with participants leaving with a pitch-ready short script, new connections and a stronger understanding of the animation landscape.

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Night School: As We Are Artist Development Programme

Jwllrs | Morecambe

Application Deadline: Friday 15 May 2026

Jwllrs alternative free art school in Morecambe is offering ‘Night School: As We Are’, a free three-month, post-graduate equivalent artist development programme designed as a collective enquiry into participants’ creative practices, encouraging artists to reflect on what they make, who their work is for, and how it is shaped by wider sociopolitical conditions; through a series of critical discussions and shared exploration, participants will examine how experimentation can deepen or realign their practice while identifying both common ground and differences within the group, with sessions taking place Thursday evenings (7–10pm) across selected dates from 21 May to 30 July 2026, and applications open until Friday 15 May 2026.

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Blackpool Tower Projection Mapping Open Call

Lightpool | Blackpool

Application Deadline: 5pm 15 May 2026

Lightpool invites UK-based digital animators to create a 3–4 minute, family-friendly projection work that brings the iconic Blackpool Tower to life as part of Lightpool Festival 2026, with selected artists working alongside the Lightpool Artistic Director and the Lightworks production team to develop immersive, site-specific animation that makes creative use of the building’s architecture; the commission offers production and technical support alongside a fee of up to £7,000, and is open to artists at any career stage based in England, with a focus on accessible, imaginative and high-quality public-facing work.

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Wedding Chapel Projection Mapping Open Call

Lightpool | Blackpool

Application Deadline: 5pm on 15 May 2026

Lightpool invites UK-based digital artists and animators to create a new projection-mapped artwork for Blackpool’s Wedding Chapel as part of Lightpool Festival 2026, offering a unique opportunity to respond creatively to one of the town’s most iconic and playful heritage spaces through immersive, family-friendly digital storytelling; selected artists will receive production and technical support alongside a commission fee of up to £5,000, working with the Lightpool team to develop a site-specific piece that engages audiences and enhances the building’s architecture through light and animation.

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Curator

Lancaster Arts | Lancaster

Application Deadline: Sunday 17 May 2026

Lancaster Arts is recruiting a Curator to take a central role in shaping its artistic programme, with responsibility for the visual arts activity across the Peter Scott Gallery, Lancaster University campus, and wider locations in Lancaster and Morecambe, as well as developing regional, national and international partnerships that support collaborative practice and new artistic work; the role also includes oversight of the University Art Collection, ensuring its care, maintenance and long-term sustainability, and is ideal for someone committed to developing new partnerships and supporting emerging and contemporary practice within a values-led context - this is a full-time, 12-month fixed-term position with a salary of £39,906–£46,049. Interviews take place on Thursday 4 June 2026.

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Chair of Lancaster Arts Board

Lancaster Arts | Lancaster

Application Deadline: Sunday 17 May 2026

Lancaster Arts is seeking a Chair for their Lancaster Arts Advisory Board (LAB). This role is a voluntary leadership opportunity supporting Lancaster Arts in its role as a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England and part of Lancaster University’s Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, offering strategic oversight, guidance and advocacy to help shape the organisation’s vision, mission and long-term development; the Chair works closely with the Vice-Chair and the Lancaster Arts leadership team to lead quarterly board meetings and an annual retreat, support governance and board development, and act as a key ambassador across the university, cultural sector and wider public sphere, championing inclusion, environmental responsibility and socially engaged practice while strengthening regional, national and international partnerships. this is a three-year appointment (renewable up to six years).

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Lancashire Music Summit 2026

Lancashire Music Association | Preston

Date: 12:30pm – 5pm, 19 May 2026

Venue: 53 Degrees, Preston

Lancashire Music Summit 2026 returns on Tuesday 19 May, bringing together music stakeholders from across the county for an afternoon of insight, exchange, network building and consultation. This year’s event will explore how we shape the future with Lancashire’s music people, places and scenes, with a focus on opportunity, growth and the actions needed to help the county’s music sector thrive. The Summit will also create space for attendees to share perspectives, contribute ideas and have their say on future priorities for music in Lancashire. Tickets are free for Lancashire Music Association Members. Membership is also free.

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Community Artist

Creative Blackpool | Blackpool

Application Deadline 19 May 2026

Creative Blackpool is inviting applications for the first round of its Creative Community Commissions, seeking a talented UK-based creative to work with residents in Claremont, Blackpool between May and July 2026. In partnership with local organisations including Magic Club, Claremont First Step, and Claremont Park Community Centre, the commission will explore and strengthen Claremont’s identity by challenging negative perceptions, celebrating local stories, and co-creating a shared creative expression of “Our Claremont.” The commission fee is £5,000, and the opportunity is open to creatives who meet the eligibility criteria and are available during the project period. Full details, guidance, and the application form are available on the Creative Blackpool website.

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Common Ground Event

Institute of Creative, Communities & Culture | Preston

2pm – 5pm Wednesday 20 May 2026

Venue: The Harris, Preston

Common Ground: Improving Human, Animal & Planetary Health through the Arts and Sciences is a free public event, hosted by the Institute of Creative, Communities & Culture, taking place on 20 May, 2–5pm at The Harris in Preston, bringing together people from the arts, sciences and humanities—as well as anyone interested in health and the environment—to explore collaborative approaches to major health challenges; centred on the One Health framework, the event will feature short talks, demonstrations and discussions on topics such as biodiversity loss, nature-based health initiatives and person-centred care, alongside opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange over afternoon tea, with free refreshments included.

Book Your Place

What Happens If – Artist–Academic Partnership Programme

Lancaster Arts | Lancaster

Application Deadline: Thursday 21 May 2026

Lancaster Arts are inviting artists based in the North of England and academics from Lancaster University (both with at least five years’ professional experience) to take part in a new process-led residency exploring the theme of dissent through shared enquiry, experimentation and collaboration, pairing two artists with two academics to work together between June and September 2026. The programme focuses on making, testing and exploring ideas in practice rather than producing finished outcomes, and includes in-person sessions, facilitated support from Lancaster Arts, a public-facing moment as part of the Festival of Dissent, and a £1,500 fee for artists plus travel and accommodation support.

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Comedian in Residence

ShowTown | Blackpool

Deadline: Noon, Friday 22 May 2026

ShowTown in Blackpool is recruiting a Comedian in Residence as part of its mission to celebrate the town’s rich entertainment heritage, offering a unique opportunity for a practicing comedian to collaborate with the museum’s team to develop performances, workshops and public engagement activity that bring comedy to life for visitors; the role involves working with communities, contributing to events and exhibitions, and using humour as a tool to build confidence and wellbeing, all within an immersive, people-centred museum that puts performers and their stories at the heart of the visitor experience.

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Chair of the Peter Scott Gallery Charitable Trust

Lancaster Arts | Lancaster

Application Deadline: Sunday 24 May 2026

The Peter Scott Gallery Charitable Trust, part of Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University and an accredited museum responsible for a nationally significant and highly diverse collection spanning ancient to contemporary works, is seeking a new Chair to begin in summer 2026 following the completion of the current Chair’s term; the role provides strategic and ambassadorial leadership for the Trust, supporting the care, development and acquisition of the collection (including major holdings such as the Irene Manton bequest and Pilkington Tile & Pottery archive), ensuring continued accreditation standards through to 2028, and working closely with the Curator, Lancaster Arts Director and University-appointed trustee to align vision, governance and financial sustainability while fostering a collaborative board culture and championing inclusion, environmental responsibility and socially engaged practice; the Chair will also support strategic thinking across Lancaster Arts’ annual themes (including Land, Dissent and Time), help strengthen the gallery’s regional and national profile, and act as a connector across the cultural and higher education sectors, with this voluntary role requiring a strong cultural leadership background and the ability to navigate the intersection of academia and the arts.

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Exhibition Opportunity

The Harris | Preston

Application Deadline: Sunday 31 May 2026

Interested in hosting your own exhibition at The Harris in Preston? Gallery Two - their dedicated community gallery on the first floor Proposals are welcome from individuals and groups, covering anything of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historic interest. Selected exhibitions are chosen by The Harris’ Programme Advisory Group, made up of nine members representing Preston’s local community. Submissions close Sunday, 31 May.

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Duty Managers

Astley Hall | Chorley

Application Deadline: 31 May 2026

Chorley & South Ribble Council are recruiting Duty Managers at Astley Hall and would love to hear from friendly, proactive people who enjoy working with others and creating brilliant visitor experiences.

This is a public-facing role in a beautiful heritage setting, supporting events, welcoming visitors and helping our venues feel warm, vibrant and well run.

You might have experience in hospitality, events, tourism, retail, customer service, arts or culture — but most importantly they’re looking for people with energy, confidence and great people skills.

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Chair of The Board

More Music | Morecambe

Application Deadline: Monday 1 June 2026

More Music is currently seeking a Chair of the Board to support its ongoing creative and strategic development, offering a chance to be part of a well-loved community organisation delivering innovative workshops and events for thousands of participants, artists, and musicians. They welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including those new to trustee roles, and are particularly interested in experience across strategic arts leadership, creative health and wellbeing, finance, and community engagement. To apply, submit a CV and cover letter (or a video up to 3 minutes) outlining your skills, experience, and motivation, and indicate that you wish to be considered for Chair. Applications close Monday 1 June at 5pm, with interviews taking place on Friday 19 June.

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Trustees

More Music | Morecambe

Application Deadline: Monday 1 June 2026

More Music is currently seeking three new trustees to support its ongoing creative and strategic development, offering a chance to be part of a well-loved community organisation delivering innovative workshops and events for thousands of participants, artists, and musicians. They welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including those new to trustee roles, and are particularly interested in experience across strategic arts leadership, creative health and wellbeing, finance, and community engagement. To apply, submit a CV and cover letter (or a video up to 3 minutes) outlining your skills, experience, and motivation, and indicate that you wish to be considered for Chair. Applications close Monday 1 June at 5pm, with interviews taking place on Friday 19 June.

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Coordinator (Maternity Cover, with the possibility to extend) P/T

The Grand | Clitheroe

Application Deadline: Friday 1 June 2026

The Grand in Clitheroe is recruiting an Operations Coordinator (Maternity Cover, with the possibility to extend). This is a part-time role of 16+ hours per week with a salary of £28,000–£30,000 FTE (pro rata). This opportunity is ideal for an organised and proactive individual with experience in events and team coordination who wants to play a central role in delivering a busy programme of live music and arts events. Based at The Grand’s multi-use venue, the role involves leading weekly operational planning, coordinating staffing and rotas, managing bookings and schedules, liaising with artists and partners, and supporting the smooth delivery of events (around one per week), while working closely with teams across programming, technical and front-of-house to ensure a high-quality experience for audiences and performers. The post is offered as a 12-month fixed-term contract with the possibility of extension. Applications close on Friday 1 June 2026, with interviews taking place on 11–12 June.

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Curriculum Specialist Opportunity

Blackburn with Darwen Place Partnership | Blackburn

Application Deadline: Friday 1st June 2026

Blackburn with Darwen Place Partnership - a partnership of local cultural organisations - is seeking a Curriculum Specialist to develop a series of scalable, place-based learning activities inspired by the area’s rich culture of making, past, present and future. This pilot project will work with three schools and local partners across Key Stage 2, with an initial focus on Design & Technology curriculum resources alongside cross-curricular learning opportunities. The commission is ideal for someone with a culture-led approach to education and curriculum development. The wider Place Partnership is funded by Arts Council England and brings together Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery, British Textile Biennial, National Festival of Making, Culturapedia, Prism Contemporary, The Bureau Centre for the Arts C.I.C., The Making Rooms and Uncultured Creatives.

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Fylde Gallery Volunteer Opportunities

Fylde Council | Lytham Hall

Application Deadline: None specified

Fylde Council are looking for volunteers to join the growing team at the Fylde Gallery at Lytham Hall, where they play a key role in welcoming visitors, supporting exhibitions and sharing the area’s rich cultural heritage. The gallery, which hosts a year-round programme from the Lytham St Annes Art Collection, is expanding its volunteer base in response to rising visitor numbers, offering flexible opportunities with full training and no prior experience required. It’s a chance for local people to engage with the arts, connect with the community and help bring the gallery experience to life. No previous experience necessary - just bring your enthusiasm!

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Exhibition Opportunities Morecambe Bay Art Fair

Morecambe Bay Art Fair | Morecambe

Event Date: Saturday 13 - Sunday 14 June 2026

Artists are invited to exhibit at the 6th Morecambe Bay Art Fair, taking place on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June 2026 (12–4pm daily) at the Winter Gardens in Morecambe. This well-established event is part of the local cultural programme and coincides with the Morecambe People’s Biennial, exploring themes of beauty, community, and participation. Exhibition pitches are £35 per table (or £60 for two), with no commission on sales, and include promotion through local banners and social media (#MBAF2026). Exhibitors may also submit a short film (up to 5 minutes) to be screened during the fair. The venue offers strong footfall and free public entry, with a collaborative ethos encouraging artists to help promote the event. Setup is Saturday 13 June 10am–12pm, with pack down Sunday 4–5pm. For more information or to apply, contact anthonydpadgett@yahoo.co.uk

Pitch Pot Fund

Film Hub North

Application Deadline: Rolling until March 2027 or before then if funds run out!

Film Hub North’s Pitch Pot Fund is a quick-turnaround micro-grant scheme designed to help film exhibitors across the North of England develop new ideas, test programming approaches, and grow audiences through short-form film exhibition projects. Offering awards of up to £3,000, the fund supports one-off screenings, mini-festivals, themed programmes, audience engagement events, and other creative exhibition activity that helps organisations reach new or under-served audiences. It is aimed at a wide range of exhibitors, including cinemas, film societies, festivals, arts venues, and community-led organisations, with the emphasis on projects that encourage shared, in-person viewing experiences and meaningful audience development. The fund is rolling, meaning applications can be submitted at any time rather than being tied to a single deadline window, though applicants are expected to submit proposals at least six weeks before the intended project start date to allow for assessment and planning. The current round covers activity taking place between April 2026 and March 2027, and proposals must clearly show how they align with Film Hub North’s priorities, including widening access to film culture, engaging diverse audiences, and addressing barriers to participation. Applications are assessed on a competitive basis, with funding allocated until the budget is fully committed, meaning early submission is encouraged as the scheme may close once resources are exhausted.

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Join us and Ruth Gee from Accounting For Artists, for a practical session on the new UK tax changes - what’s changing, when you need to act, and how to stay compliant with confidence.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is coming and for many artists and creative freelancers, it’s raising more questions than answers. This practical, no-nonsense workshop is designed to cut through the confusion and give you clear, actionable guidance on what MTD actually means for you.

Led by specialist arts accountant, Ruth Gee, this session will explain who needs to register now -and who can safely wait another year, so you can plan ahead with confidence.

You’ll learn:

• What MTD is and the key actions you need to take now

• What you’ll need to submit, how often, and when

• A quick guide to what expenses creative freelancers can claim

• A simple overview of deadlines, penalties, and staying compliant

• How to choose the right software for your practice

• A walkthrough of an example submission, so you can see how it works in real life

There’ll also be time for a live Q&A, so you can get answers specific to your situation.

Whether you’re a sole trader artist, freelancer, or creative practitioner, this session will help you feel informed, prepared, and in control of your finances under MTD.

⏰ 11:30am - 1pm
🗓️ Friday 8th May 2026
💻 Online

This session is free for Lancashire based creatives.

Creatives from outside of Lancashire are welcome to attend for a fee of £30.

🔗 Find out more and book your place.

Image credit: Culturapedia

Something unprecedented has taken place in Lancashire’s cultural landscape - and indeed within England’s Arts Council England National Portfolio. Lancashire culture organisation, Culturapedia, has become the only ACE National Portfolio Organisation to achieve B Corp certification status, marking a significant shift in how cultural organisations can understand and articulate their purpose, structure and sustainability.

This development signals more than an organisational milestone; it opens up an important sector-wide conversation about business models in the arts, challenging long-held assumptions that charitable status is the default or only viable route for publicly funded cultural work. It points instead to the growing relevance of flexible organisational structures that can support greater entrepreneurialism, resilience, and long-term creative impact, while staying rooted in strong values and public benefit.

What’s particularly significant about B Corp certification is the rigour and credibility it brings, offering a framework that aligns ethics, accountability and impact with creative practice - an increasingly vital combination for the future of the sector. This milestone also provides a visible and inspiring template for others across Lancashire, showing how flexible, values-led structures can unlock creative freedom, build resilience and sustain long-term impact.

The following article, written by Rob Howell and Sue Robinson, the directors of Culturapedia, reflects on their motivation, journey, and the thinking behind pursuing B Corp certification - offering insight into a development that may help shape future conversations about cultural enterprise, governance, and sustainability across the sector.

We’d like to offer our congratulations to the Culturapedia team for leading the way and opening up this important conversation for the sector.

The present-day challenges that creative micro-businesses face are myriad, and the non-arts partners and stakeholders we collaborate with often seek an industry standard that reassures. Bodies such as Arts Council England are keen to support entrepreneurial ideas and practice, but are adverse to financial risk. For this to work, artists and arts companies should be able to challenge and debate the status quo and explore perceptions of what constitutes a sustainable arts organisation or creative enterprise. Culturapedia’s journey to this certification enables us to open up this discussion in Lancashire.

Culturapedia began life in 2004 as Robinson Howell Partnership. In 2011, the two Co-Directors undertook a values exercise with a business coach and rebranded the company with a new trading name. Culturapedia is neither a charity nor a CIC. This is unusual for an organisation such as ours, which is also an Arts Council England NPO, but we believe our structure enables us to be efficient whilst remaining sustainable, accountable and ethical.

Gaining B Corp certification endorses this strategic decision. The B Corp certification recognises businesses that benefit people, communities and the planet, with a holistic and robust assessment framework. We are the only Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) to achieve B Corp status, and we are open to conversations around what this means for us.

We chose our model, a micro business, purposefully, not because we sought profit, but because we wanted to retain ownership of our values and have the freedom to adapt. By adopting a lean governance structure with two directors, we can respond rapidly to opportunities and challenges.

‘For-profit’ or ‘non-profit’ are legal labels, and in reality, we believe that what matters is leadership and the organisation’s real values: can we be trusted? Are we reliable? Do we deliver? We root our work in people-first practice, co-creation with communities, meaningful collaboration, creative experimentation, and a commitment to cultural equality. B-Corp certification supports our success as a community-focused, ethical, and sustainable arts business striving to deliver exceptional cultural experiences to the people of Lancashire efficiently.

Culturapedia’s integrated programme supports long-term relationships between people and culture, providing sustainable, high-quality cultural experiences in places where communities feel most at home, engaging 34,631 people across Lancashire and working with 360 artists in 2025 alone! Examples of this include our small-scale touring programme, Spot On Lancashire, celebrating 30 years this year. We support volunteers and librarians in bringing professional performances to geographically and socially isolated communities, enabling them to enjoy a great night out on their doorstep. We deliver this in partnership with Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Blackpool Council. Spot On also collaborates with other ACE-funded touring programmes such as Big Imaginations Children’s Theatre Consortium, Rural Touring Dance Initiative, Rekindle library touring, and, latterly, Create-Tour-Connect, an action research programme that is finding new models to support sustainable small-scale theatre touring across the country.

We also run ambitious place-based cultural programmes rooted in lived experiences and shared cultural awareness, such as the Burnley Words Festival and Burnley Mechanics Presents, developed in partnership with Burnley Leisure and Culture Group. Enabling creative encounters to take place in safe, trusted places is integral to our work, and working across Blackburn and Darwen markets and town centres in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and Blackburn BID, together with our membership of the Blackburn Cultural Alliance, contribute to sustainable strategic cultural development across the borough, placing collaboration, people, experimentation, integrity and fairness at the centre of their practices.

Not being a charity or CIC has not hindered us in our ambitions. This is a decision to be made early in an organisation’s development process - altering one’s status is time-consuming and challenging once established. Many businesses, such as ours, don’t even consider all the options, assuming that funders such as Arts Council England will only fund charities or CICs. ACE has funded individual artists since its inception and is in the business of funding great art ahead of structure, as long as mechanisms are in place to ensure resources are used responsibly. We believe that our chosen corporate structure, along with our B Corp certification, enables us to maintain the trust of our partners and funders whilst delivering excellent cultural encounters in places where people feel at home.

Edit: Please note this post has recently been updated.

There’s something quietly powerful happening across Lancashire right now. From mill towns to seaside resorts, a diverse group of places have stepped forward with a shared ambition: to become the UK’s first Town of Culture.

Taken together, these towns represent a cross-section of Lancashire life - industrial heritage, coastal identity, rural edges, and proud local communities. And crucially, they represent people.

Here’s a snapshot of the towns who have submitted an Expression of Interest and the scale of the communities behind each bid:

• Accrington — ~ 34,897 residents

• Barnoldswick — ~10,752 residents

• Blackburn — ~ 117,963 residents

• Chorley — ~ 36,682 residents

• Cleveleys — ~ 11,269 residents

• Colne — ~ 17,855 residents

• Burnley (including Padiham) — ~ 109,000 combined

• Fleetwood — ~ 26,232 residents

• Kirkham — ~7,883 residents

• Leyland - ~ 38,578 residents

• Lytham (within Lytham St Annes) — ~ 14,000 residents

• Morecambe — ~ 34,590 residents

• Rawtenstall— ~ 23,564 residents

• St Annes (within Lytham St Annes) — ~ 28,000 residents

Altogether, these bids represent hundreds of thousands of people - a powerful reminder that Lancashire’s cultural story is not centred in one place, but shared across many.

Because Lancashire is a county of multitudes. A place of real diversity and surprising depth. Expansive in what it offers, yet grounded and intimate in how it’s experienced - where culture isn’t distant or curated from afar, but felt in everyday moments, local traditions, and the pride of its communities.

About the UK Town of Culture Competition

Inspired by the success of the UK City of Culture, the UK Town of Culture competition aims to shine a spotlight on the unique contributions towns make to the national story. By engaging towns nationwide, the scheme seeks to build a more socially cohesive country where communities take pride in their local identity and are empowered to celebrate it.

One winning town will be named UK Town of Culture 2028 and receive £3 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028. The remaining two finalists will each receive £250,000 to carry forward key elements of their bid.

After today’s Expressions of Interest (EOIs) deadline, an expert advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond, will assess the EOIs and select a shortlist, expected to be announced in July 2026. The final winner will be chosen in early 2027, ready to deliver a vibrant cultural programme in 2028.

What’s striking about the submissions from Lancashire isn’t just the numbers - it’s the variety. Culture here lives in high streets, market squares, piers, mills, and moorland towns.

As Alex O’Toole, Director of Arts Lancashire, puts it:

“Seeing so many Lancashire towns step forward is a powerful reflection of the strength and ambition of our cultural sector. For one or more to be shortlisted - or even win - the UK Town of Culture competition could be transformative for Lancashire by helping to unlock investment, raising the profiles of both the town(s) and Lancashire, and creating long-term opportunities for artists, organisations and communities.

But just as important is the process itself. Bringing these bids together encourages partnership working, builds a shared sense of place and ambition, and opens up new ways of thinking about how culture is accessed, supported and energised locally. That momentum doesn’t disappear - it stays within the place.”

That spirit of collaboration has been actively supported. Arts Lancashire has worked closely with Lancashire County Council and Creative Lancashire to invest in tailored support for all towns considering the competition. Through a bespoke workshop during the Expression of Interest stage, towns were offered practical advice, guidance, and space to shape their ideas, helping to strengthen not just individual bids, but the wider cultural ecosystem.

While the UK Town of Culture is ultimately a competition, the Expression of Interest stage already reads as a powerful collective statement from Lancashire.

Whichever town ultimately secures the title, Lancashire has already made its case - not just for one place, but for the wider county. A county brimming with creativity, ready to be unleashed, celebrated, and recognised far beyond its borders.

Image credit: Garry Cook

Arts Lancashire has joined voices with local business and community leaders to support Blog Preston’s campaign to address Preston’s long-standing lack of a major cultural venue.

On behalf of the arts and culture sector in Lancashire, we have sent a letter to the Rt Hon Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, calling for urgent support and resources for Preston City Council to secure the future of a major cultural venue, whether through the redevelopment of the historic Guild Hall or the creation of a new, fit-for-purpose facility.

The absence of a major cultural venue with significant capacity has left a damaging gap in Preston and Lancashire’s cultural infrastructure. Local artists and creative professionals face fewer opportunities to perform, exhibit, and develop their careers, audiences have limited access to high-quality cultural experiences, and the city’s wider cultural economy and reputation are constrained. Without a major venue for large-scale performances and events, Preston is losing ground to comparable cities, and the region’s creative potential remains underutilised.

Our letter outlines the urgent need to address this gap and calls for a major venue that can act as a cultural anchor - revitalising the city of Preston’s cultural offer and ecology and strengthening Lancashire’s profile as a vibrant creative region.

You can read the full letter below and sign the online petition to show your support for this vital campaign.

Blackpool has been long-listed for #UKCityofCulture2029!

Blackpool is one of nine places long-listed for the title, each receiving £60,000 to develop a bid for a year-long programme of arts and culture. This would create new opportunities for local people to engage with creativity, while boosting the visitor economy and supporting job creation.

Creative Blackpool and Blackpool Council will now lead the development of Blackpool’s bid, shaping an ambitious vision for 2029 that showcases the town’s unique cultural offer.

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said:

“Blackpool is bursting with culture and variety. We’ve just celebrated a week-long festival of circus and magic and are looking forward to welcoming the works of both Claude Monet and William Shakespeare in March - all of which is complemented by our year-round celebration of the art and culture of today and tomorrow.

“Our diverse culture and entertainment offer means Blackpool has something for everybody, from all age groups and backgrounds. Being named as the City of Culture 2029 would showcase the talent and creativity that we already have on our doorstep, making all our residents proud of our bold, vibrant and cultural town."

Alex O’Toole, Director of Arts Lancashire, said,

“We’re absolutely delighted to see Blackpool long-listed for UK City of Culture 2029 - this is a fantastic recognition of its creative energy, ambition and growing cultural leadership.

This opportunity has the potential to be truly transformative, not only for Blackpool but for the whole of Lancashire. A successful bid would shine a national spotlight on the depth of talent across our county, creating new opportunities for artists, organisations and communities, while strengthening skills, partnerships and pathways into the creative industries.

We know that investment in culture drives regeneration, boosts the visitor economy and supports jobs - and just as importantly, it brings people together, fostering pride and participation.

Arts Lancashire is cheering Blackpool on and excited about what this could mean for the wider cultural sector and communities across the county.”