Culture Warrington – Our 2024 Highlights
Thanks to all our supporters and audiences in an extraordinarily busy year for our arts charity, Culture Warrington. Here are some of our highlights as we raise a toast to 2024:
- WE RELAUNCHED WARRINGTON ARTS FESTIVAL – Thanks to a game-changing a £840,000 funding boost and powered by an expanded team, we were able to reinvent Warrington Arts Festival from the ground up this year – and were delighted with the result. A host of vibrant, accessible, community-focused events took place over nine days with a new focus on ‘arts, culture, people and place’. Thank you to Arts Council England’s Place Partnership Fund, Warrington Borough Council and Warrington BID for making it possible and watch this space for 2025 plans.

- WE KICK-STARTED OUR PYRAMID REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT – Thanks to the government’s Towns Fund deal, aimed at levelling up the UK economy, we’re on a mission to transform Pyramid Arts Centre into a more modern and flexible cultural hub that will serve more of the community with greater capacity. We handed the keys over to the contractors in September and now the exciting work has begun to create a new café and bar area in Theatre thanks to an entirely new layout, a bigger capacity in Exhibition Hall to open it up to different shows and make it more attractive to up-and-coming bands and performers, a new box office, an improved dedicated gallery space for exhibitions, upgraded toilet and changing facilities and accessibility enhancements.

- WE INTRODUCED OUR YOUNG PRODUCERS – Here at Culture Warrington, we want to help nurture the next generation and provide opportunities for young people to gain real-life experience of working in the creative industries. With that in mind, the Young Producers initiative is all about helping people, aged between 16 and 21, gain experience in producing and managing events and planning festivals. Our current cohort have been fantastic and there’s another chance to apply very soon.

- WE BROUGHT OLD BILLY BACK TO WARRINGTON – Did you know the oldest horse on record was from Warrington? ‘Old Billy’ lived more than two centuries ago and reached the grand old age of 62 – nearly three times the lifespan of an average horse. He has a special place in our hearts but his Victorian-era taxidermied head’s usual home is at The Higgins Bedford museum (it’s a long story). However, Billy’s bonce is now at Warrington Museum for the time being thanks to the relaunch of Warrington Arts Festival and a community campaign led by the ‘Bring Back Old Billy’ committee.

- OUR SKY GARDEN CONTINUED TO BLOOM – Proof that a little green space can make a BIG difference. Our Sky Garden at Golden Square was introduced as a living addition to Warrington Museum and to inspire the community to be more eco-friendly. After doing our very best to make a positive impact on schools, community groups and families with fresh produce grown by a team of dedicated volunteers, we’re proud to say we were recognised with two prestigious awards in November! We scooped Gold at the International Green Apple Environment Awards at Kensington Palace and were certified as ‘Thriving’ by the RHS in the ‘Britain in Bloom: It’s Your Neighbourhood Awards!

- WE FOUND WARRINGTON’S CULTURAL COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS – This new initiative is all about celebrating and recognising the importance of putting the community in the lead. We want to empower Warrington people to lead creative events in their own neighbourhoods and strengthen existing cultural activity in Warrington. And it’s already led to some great events such as Howley and Fairfield’s Flag Festival and Latchford’s Carnival of Creativity!

- A RETROSPECTIVE OF ANDIE AIRFIX’S AMAZING CAREER BECAME ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR EXHIBITIONS – From McCartney to Metallica, late graphic designer Andie – who grew up in Warrington – crafted iconic record covers, treasured tour programmes and so much more for some of the biggest names in pop, rock and metal. We were proud to share his little known but extraordinary story through his incredible work which really resonated with our visitors.

- WE HAD AN AMAZING TIME AT WARRINGTON’S WEEKEND WONDERLAND – Despite the weather being against us with Storm Bert, the community truly rallied together to keep the festive spirit shining. Highlights for us included the gorgeous Grotto and Elf Experience crafted by our amazing Young Producers and Warrington Community Choir singing an original song they lovingly wrote for the event at Bar Hütte at Golden Square.

- WE HAD OUR BIGGEST OPEN EXHIBITION YET – The north west creative community did us proud and absolutely blew us away with the response to Warrington Arts Festival’s 2024 Open! The competition acts as a springboard for gifted artists of every discipline within a 60-mile radius of Warrington. It attracted almost 900 entries and, after a meticulous and painstaking curation process, 96 ambitious artworks of various sizes and forms were selected by 70 artists in a record-breaking year. Huge congrats again to our youngest winner Skye Baker (First Prize) and runner-up Kamil Duda who was named 2024’s Emerging Artist.
