The Fire Within Wigan

In 2019 the first artist entered Wigan's The Fire Within creative space, a footstep to sound the restart of the borough's cultural heart. The place as a foundry for new ideas, its people a collective of modern creative industrialists. The beat goes on...

Five years on, the context in which arts and culture is delivered and received has radically changed. Wigan Borough's Cultural Partnership continues to re-shape and enhance our creative place, strengthening the sense of who we are and where we have come from. Our journey brings us to The Fire Within: The Forge 2025-30.

Culture enables communities to thrive. It breaks down barriers and challenges inequalities, creating opportunities for children, families, residents, and businesses to flourish. Our innate drive to create and share deepens our understanding of ourselves and others.

The Fire Within: The Forge, fuels a bold, collective ambition – to push further and achieve more by 2030, strengthening and expanding the cultural sector and increasing resident engagement in arts and cultural activities.