The lack of a major venue in Preston since 2019 has created a ‘deep and damaging gap in Lancashire’s cultural offer’ says an organisation representing artists across Lancashire.
Arts Lancashire has written to the Secretary of State Lisa Nandy in support of our petition urging her to intervene and help find a way for Preston to have a significant venue again.
Representing more than 1,200 artists and 255 businesses and cultural organisations the director of Arts Lancashire, Alex O’Toole’, says the city has been ‘consigned to the margins’ when compared with cities and places of a similar size when it comes to cultural performances and shows.
Read more: Action Records and Preston music legend Gordon Gibson backs city venue petition
More than 2,500 people have now signed our petition calling on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to see what support can be offered after Preston City Council said they would spend a further 12 months considering whether to repair or rebuild the Guild Hall. All options are understood to involve multi-million pound bills and would require significant external funding.
Arts Lancashire are the latest organisation to signal their support for our campaign, joining Preston Business Improvement District, Preston MP Sir Mark Hendrick, Preston Probus Club, Action Records, Preston Partnership, city council leader councillor Matthew Brown, former Rock FM DJ Mark Freejack, Preston DJ Social, Preston Pulse and Tony Rigg and the Lancashire Music Association.
Below is a copy of the full letter issued by Arts Lancashire
Dear Secretary of State,
Re: Support for Blog Preston’s Petition for a Major Cultural Venue in Preston
I am writing on behalf of Arts Lancashire to express our unequivocal support for the petition led by Blog Preston calling for urgent action to secure the future of a major cultural venue in Preston – whether through the reopening of the historic Guild Hall or the creation of a new, fitforpurpose facility. This is an appeal that sits at the heart of the cultural, social and economic wellbeing of Lancashire’s creative sector and wider communities.
About Arts Lancashire
Arts Lancashire is the representative body for the region’s creative and cultural organisations, producers, independent venues, artists, performers, cultural educators and freelance practitioners. Our membership spans organisations of every scale -from grassroots theatre companies and music promoters to regional festivals, visual arts studios and community arts groups, Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations and Creative People and Places programmes. Collectively, we are the custodians and creators of Lancashire’s cultural life and contribute substantially to its economic vibrancy and civic identity.
The Importance of a Major Venue in Preston to Lancashire
A major venue in Preston, as the administrative heart of Lancashire and its principal urban centre, is not merely a building – it is a cultural infrastructure anchor that underpins the county’s creative ecosystem.
For more than half a century, the Preston Guild Hall served as that anchor: a multiuse performance space with a 2,000capacity Grand Hall, theatre, and event spaces that attracted national touring productions, music acts, conferences and community programmes. It was a venue where residents could experience, participate in and contribute to cultural life. Its closure in 2019 – and the prolonged uncertainty since – has created a deep and damaging gap in Lancashire’s cultural offer.
The absence of a major venue in Preston consigns Lancashire to the margins when compared with peer cities of similar size and regional significance. Cities such as Norwich or Sunderland – each with a recognised principal cultural venue – benefit from yearround programming, enhanced visitor economies and an ability to attract inward investment and talent to their wider regions. A flagship cultural venue acts as a beacon for regional and national promoters, confidence for private investment, and a magnet for tourists – benefits that extend far beyond ticket sales.
Conversely, in Preston and Lancashire we see:
– Limited capacity to host largescale touring shows, exhibitions and conventions (activities that generate spill over activity in hospitality, transport and retail);
– Reduced career pathways for local artists and cultural workers, who too often must relocate to larger cultural hubs to sustain their professional ambitions;
– A constrained nighttime and creative economy, with fewer reasons for people to stay, spend and return;
– A weakened identity on the UK cultural map, at a time when cities are competing globally to attract businesses, students and skilled professionals.
Despite Preston’s strong artistic talent, community creativity and success of local festivals, the lack of a major venue at the centre of Lancashire limits both the quantity and quality of cultural output that can be staged here, putting Preston and Lancashire residents at a disadvantage.
Impact on Lancashire’s Creative Workforce
Arts Lancashire members report that the absence of a principal performance venue has restricted opportunities for employment, commissioning, touring and training. This gap is exacerbated by the fact that investment in arts and culture in Preston is lower than in comparable towns and cities.
Freelance creatives – already operating in a precarious labour market – depend on reliable and sizeable platforms to showcase work, build audiences and generate sustainable careers.
A major venue in Preston would:
– Provide a hub for cultural production, rehearsal and presentation;
– Enable skills development for emerging creatives across disciplines;
– Support regional programming partnerships with education, community and sector stakeholders; stimulate local supply chains tied to arts production, hospitality and event services.
This infrastructure is not a luxury, but an economic and social necessity. A thriving cultural sector contributes directly to Lancashire’s capacity to attract and retain investment and highly skilled talent, cultural tourism, urban regeneration, and strengthen wellbeing, social cohesion and local pride.
In closing, Arts Lancashire urges your support for Blog Preston’s petition and calls for an urgent, ‑
longterm commitment – whether through restoring the Guild Hall or building a new flagship venue – that reflects the ambition and cultural potential of Lancashire.
We would be pleased to discuss further how cultural infrastructure investment in Preston can deliver lasting benefits for the county.
Yours sincerely,
Alex O’Toole
Director, Arts Lancashire
You can sign the petition on the change.org website.
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