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Founded in March 2015, The Bureau Centre for the Arts CIC is led by Blackburn residents and artists wanting to make a positive change in the town by creating a space for local people to come together creatively to learn new skills and strengthen community links.

For the last 5 years, local volunteers have worked out of an old abandoned church building in the town to provide and host diverse events, activities and resources, such as studios and a dark room, for all members of the community and playing a key role in initiatives such as NCS and Blackburn Festival of Light:

“The Bureau is more than an arts centre. As well as providing opportunities for people of all ages to experience and make art in all its forms, we’ve become a hub in the town, providing a safe space for people to learn, grow and belong.”

On 3rd April 2019, St. John’s Church and its contents was destroyed by a fire. Since then, the directors and volunteers that make up The Bureau’s diverse community have worked tirelessly to keep its ethos and opportunities alive. With the support of partners across the town, they recently got keys for their new base in the former Thwaites Visitor and Training Centre.

 

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