Back in 2019, Wigan Borough’s five-year masterplan to bring arts and culture into the spotlight of centre-stage was launched. This means that this year all the pioneering work of the cultural manifesto can be viewed from start to finish – and what a journey it has been!
Many of you will be familiar with The Fire Within (which was the title given to the strategy), or, if you’re not, there’s a big chance you will have visited one of its events or programmes. From the dazzling scenes of Light Night and the visit of Little Amal to the transformation of Archives: Wigan and Leigh, there have been too many highlights to mention. There’s little doubt that both front of stage and behind-the-scenes, it has had a huge impact on our borough. If we rewind back to May 2019, the first chord was played at the Fire Within cultural hub located in what was The Galleries shopping centre. It was a breathtaking experience walking in for the first time, observing the eye- catching artwork and gazing at the iconic Emoji Stage. Did you know that bands like the The Lathums, Lottery Winners and Stanleys used it as rehearsal space in their early days ahead of chart-topping, headlining big gig glory? “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” was one line of feedback that summed up the views of many. The Fire Within HQ had started the buzz and was putting the borough on the map.
Continuing along the musical theme, if we view the HQ as the lead singer that was initially taking the limelight, the community outreach aspects of the Fire Within plan was the rhythm section driving everything forward. Since 2019, more than £36m of external funding has been secured to boost programmes across the borough. And in 2021, Arts Council England named Wigan Borough as one of only seven Priority Places in the North West, which brings a focus for additional national investment and engagement. So, what was the result of all this? Well, let’s break it down.
The increased investment and ambition have meant key facilities such as Archives: Wigan and Leigh, The Turnpike Gallery and Leigh Spinners’ Mill are going from strength to strength. Thousands of school-children have been introduced to cultural programmes, such as the one linked to the Women’s Euros - or visited performances, events or exhibitions held in their local community. It means thousands of local artists and performers have been given a chance to showcase their work and talents to a wider audience. For example, projects like The Early Doors Club have supported small venues to host grassroots artists while also providing an economic boost in the wake of the pandemic. Meanwhile, dozens of artists will have been provided with direct commissions and many more have been provided with training opportunities. And our wonderful cultural organisations – such as Everyday (formerly Wigan STEAM), Leigh Film Society, Thick Skin Theatre, Curious Minds and WigLe Dance, to name a few, have forged ever- stronger bonds, bringing fresh collaborative works and longevity for the future.
A lot has been achieved in the last five years. But there’s always more to come. All this work has identified areas for improvement, many of which fit with the aims of the council’s over-arching Progress With Unity plans. For example, there will be deep community consultation so that the voice of residents’ is heard when it comes to what people want from future programmes.
But, for now, we can reflect with pride on the huge impact of The Fire Within. It has put Wigan Borough on the arts and culture map, we can’t wait for what’s to come next and the flames are still burning brightly.
Key figures
£60m was invested in Wigan Borough’s cultural sector between 2019-24. Of this £24m came from local sources and £36m external. This equates to £1.50 of investment leveraged into the borough for every £1 of local funds spent. More than 300,000 residents have engaged with council-led activity and events
The next steps...
A refreshed manifesto is due to be launched soon, so keep your eyes peeled. It will build on the success of The Fire Within and make sure our cultural and heritage work is taken to the next level. Among its key priorities will be:
- Ensuring opportunities are provided for young people
- Investments in local talent and providing spaces for it to thrive
- Working alongside our communities to ensure your voice is heard