Culturapedia

29/08/2025

Our last performance of The Elephant and Drummer is at 2pm. Because the weather is changeable we could be on King William Street or in The Mall - our elephant hates the rain! Listen for the drums and you’ll find us.
Discover Blackburn

27/08/2025

🟢 Summer may almost be over, but don't worry - we still have a few activities lined up in both Blackburn and Darwen! 🟢

🐘The Elephant and the Drummer – Elnaz the Elephant and Dholli the Drummer are a dynamic duo offering a roaming, interactive walkabout performance of dance and live music. They're ready to share their awesome dance moves and incredible beats with you – come and join the party!
🕰11am, 12.30pm & 2pm | 📅 Thurs 28 Aug,📍 Darwen | 📅 Fri 29 Aug,📍 King William Street, Blackburn

📖Summer Stories – Ian Douglas brings you stories of mythical creatures and long-lost lands, of strange travellers and even strangers' travels. Sit down and listen to him weave song, drama and laughter aplenty into his tales from all over. Look out for Ian and Vera – his trusty pedal-powered caravan – bring a cushion, settle in and enjoy.
🕰11am, 12.30pm & 2pm | 📅 Sat 30 Aug 📍 Darwen Market Square

🎭 The Fisher and His Wife - This traditional story from the fairy tale collection of the Brother’s Grimm has a sudden rebirth and renewed relevance in the present day. The story is told from a box, mounted at the front of a penny farthing bicycle and will keep both children and adults entertained.
🕰 11am, 12.30pm & 2pm | 📆 Sat 30 📍 King William Street, Blackburn

Discover Blackburn Blackburn Market Darwen Market

27/08/2025

🟢IMPORTANT UPDATE🟢
🌧Due to the current weather conditions, Storytelling with Ian Douglas has moved inside Blackburn Market for the remainder of the day. We still have 2x 30 minute performances scheduled for 12.30pm and 2pm TODAY!

👀Can't make it down today? Then be sure to head on over to Darwen Market this Saturday - you won't want to miss it!
📆Sat 30 Aug | 📍 Dawen Market Square (weather permitting) | 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm

📚Ian Douglas tells stories of mythical creatures and long lost lands, of strange travellers and even strangers travels. Sit down and listen to him weave song, drama and laughter a plenty into his tales from all over.
Look out for Ian and Vera – his trusty pedal powered caravan – bring a cushion, settle in and enjoy!

01/08/2025

26/07/2025

🟡 Free activities kicking off in Blackburn today! 🟡
🎼Head into town from 11am and find Maelstrom out and about - Blackburn's all-male acappella ensemble directed by Jeff Borradaile, performing eclectic music.
📍 Catch them at various Blackburn Town Centre locations, including King William Street, The Mall, Rhode Island Coffee, The Market, Blackburn Bus Station, Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, and The Drummers Arms.
👀 Don't forget, today is also the launch of the latest iteration of Ian Halawi's Blackburn Print Rally - featuring a brand new print design across five print stations!
🎨Collect your map and postcard at The Visitor Centre in Blackburn Market - then visit the Ask Me Station in The Mall, Waterstones, Derian House Charity Shop, and Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery to create a multi-coloured commemorative artwork.
👨‍🎨Can't make it down today? Not a problem - this free activity will be available Tuesday to Saturday across the Summer Holidays!
Blackburn Market Discover Blackburn

04/06/2025

The wonderful Hodman & Sally are atill out and about on their Big Burnley Adventure, visiting some of the hidden gems with Burnley Words Festival and Beat the Street Burnley! They've sent us this lovely video postcard from The Exbury Egg and the straight mile1 Have you gone out exploirng yet? Have you seen inside the egg? You know you can do so with Super Slow Way and their open afternoons!

Where do you think Hodman & Sally will visit next? Answer in the comments!

Culture Burnley

03/06/2025

Honourary Culturapedes Hodman & Sally are on a big Burnley Adventure with Burnley Words Festival!

If you joined us at the Wordy Weekend in Charter Walk, Burnley or at Towneley Hall, Historic House, Art Gallery & Museum then you might have met the wonderful Hodman & Sally! Well we teamed up with Beat the Street Burnley to take our intrepid explorers on a BIG Burnley Adventure! Here's their first video postcard! Have you visited the Singing Ringing Tree before? Can you do a better impression than Sally? Let us know in the comments below!

Culture Burnley Mid Pennine Arts

13/05/2025

Culturapedia are hiring.

This is a new part-time opportunity to join the Culturapedia Team through the Creative Alliance Paid Internship Programme.
The role will see you supporting our team across all our programmes, which include:
Spot On Rural and Library Touring across Lancashire
Year-round family-friendly workshops and performances in Blackburn and Darwen market halls and across Blackburn town centre
Rekindle arts engagement programme in Blackburn with Darwen’s libraries
Burnley Words Festival
Burnley Mechanics Presents - reengaging Burnley’s community with the Burnley Mechanics.
The Creative Alliance Internship programme is designed to support the next generation of professionals supporting Blackburn with Darwen's arts and cultural sector. Applicants must be either former students of a Blackburn with Darwen-based education institution or residents in or close to the Blackburn with Darwen Unitary Authority. There are no age restrictions and no formal education requirements.

This is a one-year post for 22.5 hours a week at £12.60 per hour
Jobs at Culturapedia rarely become available, so act now!
Application Deadline: Tuesday, 17th June 2025
Interviews: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Start Date: From July, depending on notice and availability
Please submit your application via email to [email protected]

Your application must include the following:
Covering letter detailing why you are interested in this role with Culturapedia and what you’d like to achieve (be concise - no more than two sides of A4)
A copy of your CV.
Contact details for two professional or educational referees

We encourage applications from candidates who reflect the diverse nature of the local communities we serve across Lancashire, especially those likely to be underrepresented in the current workforce. These include people from Black, South Asian and global majority ethnic backgrounds, people living with a disability and people who identify as LGBTQIA+.
If you require any access support during the application process or if selected for an interview related to this role, or require any further information, please contact Robert Howell on 07974 809435.

13/05/2025

We've been busy bees, or should that be busy book worms here at Culturapedia, producing and organising Burnley Words Festival that kicks off tomorrow night, with an event from our friends at Mid Pennine Arts!

There's a whole host of performances, workshops and activities for all ages, whether you're an avid reader, writer or theatre lover. There's even stories on boats thanks to Super Slow Way and Luke Jerram's 'Crossings'

You can see the full line up of events at: www.burnleywordsfestival.co.uk

The words Festival is funded by Arts Council England and delivered in partnership with Burnley Leisure and Culture.

It's beginning to look a lot like WORDY WEEKEND!!

Here are some wordy shows to make you smile, think and take your minds away from your busy lives this week 14-18 May.

All shows pay what you decide details here: https://burnleywordsfestival.co.uk/whats-on/

Discover Burnley Burnley Leisure & Culture Burnley Mechanics Theatre Creative Spaces Burnley Charter Walk, Burnley Lubna Kerr Peter Chand Casson & Friends Mid Pennine Arts

15/04/2025

Blackburn Central Library’s windows are full of colour celebrating Spring into Reading thanks to a creative partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Library and Information Service, Illustrator Cath Ford and Culturapedia. The beautiful window displays are part of a marketing and training project Cath has been undertaking with staff at the library. Through workshop sessions Cath developed a technique to enable library staff to design their own future window displays linked to different seasons throughout the year. The Spring into Reading display is a combination of staff ideas, and each image has been drawn and coloured by team members.

This project has been made possible due to a collaboration between Blackburn with Darwen library service, and Culturapedia via a national Arts in Libraries project, Rekindle. This initiative places libraries at the heart of creative and cultural experiences for rural, peri-urban and under-served communities.

Adele Karwat says: "The Children’s Library window art is amazing, it has really brightened up the building both inside and out and provided the perfect means to promote reading to anyone passing by. With Cath’s support the library team have designed something very special and at the same time developed the skills and confidence to create more beautiful art which can easily be changed throughout the year."

Cath Ford, Illustrator says: "Working with library staff on this project has been a real joy. We have learned together, uncovered hidden talents and created something of which we are all incredibly proud".

Sue Robinson, Director Culturapedia, says: ”We love collaborating with libraries and we love Cath’s work. This is a beautiful partnership which has resulted in a stunning piece of art in the town centre. Making art and creativity accessible and enjoyable is what drives us and I feel proud to see this project develop”.

The window display will remain until the summer when Cath and the library team will create something new and unique.

06/09/2024

We're really proud to be partners in Chip In, a brilliant project helping to pair up young people in Blackburn with Darwen with more volunteering opportunities across the borough. Have a look, there are so many organisations and lots of opportunities to get involved!

06/09/2024

Really delighted to be part of the inaugural awards last night at Great atmosphere, food and artists. We were really chuffed to have Burnley Words Festival placed as Highly Commended in the Event category. 💪Well done to our very own Stephie Jessop.🌟Huge thanks to & Culture for everything. You are a fabulous team!