A Preston-born Oscar winner will be in town when The Harris is reopened to the public in September.
The Harris has been undergoing a major renovation known as the Harris Your Place project and has been closed to the public since 2021.
An opening date was confirmed for September 28 this year and the news came earlier this week that one of the first major exhibitions would focus on Wallace & Gromit and other inventions from Aardman.
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Now it has been confirmed that Oscar-winning animator Nick Park will be present for the ribbon cutting.
Cllr Anna Hindle, cabinet member for culture and arts at Preston City Council said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Nick Park to The Harris to celebrate this momentous day.
“This is more than a reopening, it’s a new chapter for a space that belongs to the people of Preston. We want local residents to be right at the heart of it.”
Ten residents will have the chance to meet Park on the day and take part in the opening day festivities. The Harris is calling for the public to put people forward who deserve the opportunity.
Anyone with a PR postcode can be nominated but a short reason on why the person is deserving must be provided.
The event on 28 September will be ticketed to manage crowds and there will be timed slots throughout the day. They will be available to book, for free, from 1 September.
The Harris Your Place project sees major changes to the Harris layout while keeping its Victorian heritage.
New galleries, a larger café, workshop rooms, expanded toilets are all featured.
The city council say the Harris is due to welcome half-a-million visitors each year once open – which would be an increase on the 350,000 it used to welcome based on figures from 2021.
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