Kirkham has been awarded an £80,000 grant from Historic England to create and deliver community-led cultural activities on the high street.

The historic Fylde coast market town is one of more than 60 across England to receive a share of £6m to deliver a Cultural Programme as part of the town’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) status which was awarded in 2020.

Historic England has announced grants of up to £120,000 to local arts organisations for cultural activity on each high street.

The £80,000 grant awarded to Kirkham will enable the town’s Cultural Consortium to deliver:

• A programme of creative art-based commissions – each inspired by Kirkham’s richly diverse heritage
• The creation of an interactive heritage trail focusing on listed buildings and historic local stories
• A series of town centre murals that will animate and illuminate Kirkham’s industrial past
• The development of an annual heritage event, with imaginative displays, which will provide visitors with the opportunity to travel back in time, while sampling delicious local food and drink

It is hoped the programme of events and initiatives will not only inspire local creativity but improve health and wellbeing through increased community and social engagement

The four-year-long High Streets Heritage Action Zones’ (HS HAZ) Cultural Programme, led by Historic England, in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aims to make high streets more attractive, engaging, and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time.

Kirkham’s Cultural Consortium, which is made up of residents and volunteers from the local business community, was formed to deliver engaging community heritage art projects as part of the town’s four-year HSHAZ programme.

Funded by Historic England, Fylde Borough Council and Kirkham Town Council, the programme is designed to revive the high street, restore local historic character, revitalise disused buildings, improve health and well-being and develop a new cultural vision for the town.

Now, thanks to the Historic England grant, the Cultural Consortium’s successful ‘Kirkham Treasures’ pilot project can be widened to create far more creative opportunities over the remainder of the programme.

Full details can be found by visiting www.kirkhamtreasures.co.uk

If you are interested in developing a new event for Kirkham, maybe even a festival, joining the Kirkham Cultural Consortium, or if you are an artist who would like to join an artist collective which could see your work displayed and sold locally, contact helen.juste@positiveplacemakers.org.uk

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For the most recent evaluation of the programme, please click here.