Blackburn town centre has once again been awarded Gold by the RHS North West Britain in Bloom for 2021. The public space improvements and planting scheme at Blakey Moor and Jubilee Square made a significant contribution to this years submission, demonstrating how the town is continuing to invest in high quality public spaces, introducing new trees and sustainable planting schemes.
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After years of fund raising, the public Campaign for a Barbara Castle statue celebrated it’s achievement as the new bronze statue was officially unveiled on Saturday 9th September by the Rt Hon Jack Straw and Shadow Chancellor Angela Rayner.
As part of the Blakey Moor Townscape Heritage Project, the iconic red telephone box next to the Ribblesdale Hotel is being lovingly restored to its former glory this week.
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Works to restore 14 and 20 Lord Street West have finally completed, bringing the two Victorian properties back into use as Prism Studios and Prism Contemporary Gallery.
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Really lovely to see the work of Christian Bell in the first ever online Degree Show for the BA (Hons) Fine Art Degree students of Blackburn University Centre.
As part of an ongoing project, Christian delivered the Peeper’s pop-up event at Prism Contemporary Gallery earlier this year.
Christian’s digital publication, ‘An Excavation of Memory and Imagination’ is a documentation of participation and positions itself as an artwork – exploring a site specific cultural heritage, and through collaborative and participatory processes, produced a live artwork which excavated and re-imagined a collective memory of a place in time. Interesting stuff, congratulations Christian!
Delivered in partnership with Prism Contemporary Gallery and the Townscape Heritage Project, Christian’s work also generated some useful discussion about Blackburn’s culture and leisure offer that will support delivery of the Townscape Heritage Project and help to inform our Cultural Strategy going forward.
There was a time when you could walk across the street without giving much thought to the history (good and bad) of statues and the people they memorialise. Without having to do a moral account of their achievements or provenance of their wealth. But, this blindness is no longer possible when movements across the world want change. It’s fine for our relationship to statues to change, sometimes gradually over decades, sometimes overnight, but what we should not do is ignore this change, shrug it off and walk past, especially if what it represents has the power to harm. The past is not always in the past.
Comments to this post have been turned off, as those most likely to defend this statue are ultimately not the ones who should decide if it is or isn’t threatening. This should come from those in our community most affected and we are listening. #BlackLivesMatter #townscapeheritage
To help inspire people to get involved in Paint the Town @ Home, we are really pleased to have been able to support our friends at The Bureau to commission a series of on-line creative workshops that will be available to view on their new YouTube channel. Continue reading
Our long-talked about plans to transform the historic Blakey Moor Terrace are finally taking shape, as Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund agree the revised designs to be submitted for formal Planning Approval this month.
We are delighted that despite the current lockdown restrictions, we have found a way to make sure this year’s Paint the Town competition can still take place.
With a few little tweaks and a bit of technical assistance, the amazing team at The Bureau (supported by Blackburn BID, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and us here at the Townscape Heritage Project) have given the competition a social distancing make-over and launched ‘Paint the Town @ Home’!
The one-day, live and interactive on-line event to be held on 30th May 2020, invites people to join in and create an artwork that celebrates the town and it’s people from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
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Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council are looking to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced consultant to evaluate the Blakey Moor Townscape Heritage Project.
Much of the initial desk work will be ideal for people currently having to work from home.
Quotes upto a max of £8,000 are being invited via The Chest North West procurement portal, where full details can be found.
Closing date: 22 April 2020.
Blakey Moor Townscape Heritage Project 