Blackburn Market has officially opened the Blackburn Market Arts Space, a new community venue created through a partnership led by Culturapedia. The facility combines a gallery, library, performance area, and creative activities, providing a dedicated space for local artists, visitors, and community events throughout the summer.
Key Takeaways
- Blackburn Market has opened a new arts hub, gallery, and community library.
- Culturapedia developed the venue with support from local partners and Arts Council England.
- The inaugural exhibition features artwork by Blackburn College graduate Amelia Riley.
- The launch included workshops, poetry performances, and family creative activities.
- Additional events are scheduled across Blackburn throughout the summer.
Blackburn Market Arts Space has opened inside Blackburn Market, bringing together a gallery, community library, performance area, and creative venue through a partnership involving Culturapedia, Blackburn Market, Blackburn with Darwen Library Services, Blackburn BID, and Arts Council England. The new facility expands public access to exhibitions, performances, and creative activities while providing a permanent space for local artists and community engagement.
Blackburn Market Arts Space Opens to the Public
The new venue welcomed its first visitors during an official opening held on July 25. The launch introduced a multifunctional space designed for exhibitions, reading, performances, workshops, and community gatherings within Blackburn Market.
The Blackburn Market Arts Space includes a free community library with dedicated seating for reading and relaxation alongside a compact gallery displaying artwork connected to Blackburn and the surrounding area.
The facility is intended to serve both market visitors and local residents by combining cultural activities with everyday public use. Organizers developed the space through collaboration between cultural organizations, local services, and public partners to create an accessible destination for creative experiences.
The opening also marked the beginning of a schedule of summer activities taking place inside the market and at additional venues across Blackburn. The venue joins a growing number of community-focused arts centers that bring exhibitions and public engagement into shared civic spaces.
Partnership Brings New Community Creative Venue
The arts hub was created by Blackburn-based arts organization Culturapedia in partnership with Blackburn Market, Blackburn with Darwen Library Services, Blackburn BID, and Arts Council England.
Each partner contributed to establishing a venue that combines visual arts, literature, live performances, and creative workshops within an active public marketplace.
The community library provides visitors with free access to books while creating an environment that encourages reading alongside cultural activities. The gallery introduces rotating exhibitions featuring artists connected with Blackburn and Lancashire.
The performance area enables poetry readings, presentations, and creative sessions throughout the year. The flexible design allows multiple activities to take place within the same venue while remaining open to shoppers and visitors.
The collaborative approach also connects the new venue with cultural organizations and public institutions across the town, similar to initiatives that use curated exhibition spaces to encourage public engagement with contemporary art.
Opening Exhibition Features Local Artists
Amelia Riley Opens the Gallery Exhibition
The inaugural exhibition features work by Blackburn College Fine Art graduate Amelia Riley. Her exhibition becomes the first display presented in the newly opened gallery space and introduces visitors to artwork produced by a locally connected emerging artist.
The exhibition establishes the gallery’s intention to feature artists with ties to Blackburn while providing public access to contemporary creative work in a central community location.
Artists Contribute Permanent Creative Installations
In addition to the opening exhibition, artists Cath Ford, Aziza Fozdar, and Ian Halawi collaborated on decorative screens installed within the venue.
These installations form part of the permanent interior design of the arts hub, contributing artistic elements that remain visible beyond temporary exhibitions.
The combination of exhibition space and integrated artworks allows visitors to experience both changing displays and permanent creative features during each visit. Similar approaches can be found in public art commissions that integrate installations into everyday community environments.
The gallery’s compact format also provides an accessible exhibition environment inside Blackburn Market, making visual art available to shoppers and visitors throughout regular market hours.
Launch Event Includes Poetry and Family Activities
Dommy B Begins the Blackburn Poetry Trail
The opening celebration included performances by award-winning poet Dommy B, who launched the Blackburn Poetry Trail as part of the day’s activities.
The poetry trail will continue through the end of August, with maps available from the Visitor Centre inside Blackburn Market, Blackburn’s library, and The Mall’s Ask-Me point.
Additional poetry performances were presented inside the market library space and at Waterstones as part of the opening schedule.
The poetry activities extend the reach of the new venue by connecting performances with locations throughout the town.
Workshops Welcome Families and Visitors
Families and visitors participated in a variety of creative workshops during the opening event.
Activities included badge-making sessions and rainstick crafting workshops designed to encourage hands-on participation from visitors of different ages.
Councillor Phil Riley, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, officially opened the venue during the launch event as shoppers and families explored the new facilities and participated in the day’s activities.
The opening demonstrated how the venue can accommodate exhibitions alongside practical creative sessions within the same community space. Comparable independent gallery exhibitions have also explored accessible ways to connect artists and audiences through shared creative environments.
Summer Schedule Extends Arts Activities Across Blackburn
The opening of Blackburn Market Arts Space also introduced a wider schedule of cultural activities planned throughout the summer.
Alongside events hosted inside the market, additional activities are scheduled to take place across Blackburn town centre, including Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery and local library services.
These locations will host creative sessions connected with the wider summer arts schedule coordinated by Culturapedia and its partners.
The Blackburn Poetry Trail will continue until the end of August, giving residents and visitors opportunities to experience performances and literary activities beyond the opening weekend.
Visitors can obtain trail maps from participating locations throughout the town, making the activities accessible during the summer period.
The new arts hub provides a permanent base for exhibitions, performances, workshops, and community engagement while supporting continued collaboration between cultural organizations, artists, and public partners across Blackburn.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Blackburn Market Arts Space?
The Blackburn Market Arts Space is a new community venue inside Blackburn Market that combines an art gallery, community library, performance area, and space for creative activities and workshops.
Who created the Blackburn Market Arts Space?
The venue was created by Culturapedia in partnership with Blackburn Market, Blackburn with Darwen Library Services, Blackburn BID, and Arts Council England.
Which artists are featured in the opening exhibition?
The inaugural exhibition features work by Blackburn College Fine Art graduate Amelia Riley. Artists Cath Ford, Aziza Fozdar, and Ian Halawi also contributed decorative installations within the venue.
What activities took place during the opening event?
The launch included poetry performances by Dommy B, badge-making workshops, rainstick crafting sessions, family activities, and the official opening of the new arts hub.
What events are planned at Blackburn Market Arts Space this summer?
The venue will host exhibitions, workshops, performances, and activities connected to the Blackburn Poetry Trail, with additional events taking place at Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery and local library services throughout the summer.
