The Old Courts has shown what is achievable in communities with high-quality arts and culture, making life-changing impact for many, but our ambition goes well beyond the walls of the old court house building. We want to realise the full potential of the arts and culture landscape in Wigan.
The Old Courts has been an important first step in realising this potential, but our future will involve growth beyond the current building. We are reaching for something bigger.
Wigan Arts, Culture & Heritage Trust will maximise the benefits that arts, culture and heritage can have on: health and wellbeing, pathways to employment and job opportunities, education and training, raising confidence and prospects of children and young people and establishing Wigan as an attractive, engaging and inspirational place to live, work and visit.
The aim of this development trust is to:
The Old Courts is a hidden treasure, unknown to many outside of Wigan centre, and for those discovering us for the first time, the breadth and scale is staggering. Visiting our building, you can wander across music venues, an art gallery, theatre and cinema, 40 artist studios, a vintage shop and recording studio, education spaces and more – all buzzing with creative activity and community events.
Year round we have a packed programme of events ranging from intimate music gigs and festivals, theatre and dance shows, workshops and weekly classes, to performances, exhibitions, children's shows, interactive activities, touring and local theatre events, comedy, poetry and a whole lot more. In 2017 we held 2112 events and welcomed over a 100,000 people through our doors, cementing our reputation amongst the community as an arts centre that has something for everyone.
The scale and quality of our work has led to The Old Courts attracting world class artists, and to us collaborating with renowned institutions such as Battersea Arts Centre and Central St Martins.
All revenue from ticket sales, refreshments purchased, venue hires, and donations from supporters are invested into making great events and creating opportunities for people to be part of a cultural revolution.
Every corner of The Old Courts building is packed with activity, creative exploration, and enterprise, but our vision goes beyond the building. We exist to nurture home-grown talent, to expose the maximum possible audience to arts and culture, and to put Wigan on the map as both a cultural destination and a hotbed of talent.