Three big projects in North get share in £15m regeneration fund

Blackpool

Three major cultural projects across the North of England will receive a share a £15m regeneration fund.

The Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund, announced by Arts, Heritage and Tourism Minister Michael Ellis, has been created to build a lasting regional legacy from the Great Exhibition of the North, and will support diverse projects in Blackpool, Bradford and the Lake District.

A total of £4m will help transform the vacant former Bradford Odeon cinema into a 4,000 capacity live music, entertainment and events venue.

Nearly £3.3m will enhance the visitor experience at cultural attractions across the Lake District, the UK’s newest World Heritage Site.

The cash will be spent on Windermere Jetty, Dove Cottage, the Wordsworth Museum and Abbot Hall Art Gallery and Museum.

A further £4m will be used to create a museum in Blackpool that will celebrate the town’s history as the UK’s first mass seaside holiday resort.

Due to open in 2020, the museum will display artefacts, music and performances from within Blackpool and partners including the V&A, EMI Group Archive Trust and the British Music Hall Society.

The museum – the biggest new museum development in the North West – is expected to attract almost 300,000 visitors a year and will be developed on the world-famous Golden Mile. It will aim to engage younger audiences in the history of Blackpool and further strengthen the town’s tourism offer.

Ellis said: “The museum will be a wonderful celebration of Blackpool and its special place in the history of British popular culture. This £4m investment will help boost tourism and provide a lasting legacy to the people of Blackpool.”

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry said: “These multi-million pound cultural investments in Blackpool, Bradford and the Lake District represent a major economic and cultural boost for the Northern Powerhouse.”

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