The town of Bolton has been awarded £750,000 to unleash its creative potential. The programme will start next year and aims to reach tens of thousands of people over three years, from small local celebrations to large-scale events.

This is one of nine North West projects on which the Arts Council will spend £8.5 million.

Bolton's The Fabric of Bolton is led by the Octagon Theatre, as part of a consortium with Bolton at Home, Bolton Solidarity Community Association and Bolton Council. It is all part of Arts Council England's Creative People and Places scheme to deliver more grassroots-led cultural experiences in areas where involvement in arts and culture is below the national average.

The £750,000 will support the town's programme to weave together the people, stories, landscape and character of Bolton to create a tapestry of creative opportunities – through sport, comedy, arts, music and dance.

Octagon CEO Roddy Gauld said: “The Fabric of Bolton is a truly ambitious endeavour to put cultural activities in the hands of local people and to strengthen our communities. Over the next few years we’ll be working with residents, listening to what they want to take part in, and working towards inspiring, uplifting and meaningful cultural moments.”

Rebecca Ball, Arts Council England's north area director, said: “The Creative People and Places programme empowers our communities across the North to design and shape the cultural offer on their doorstep.

Cllr Nadeem Ayub, Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Culture said: “The Fabric of Bolton will put our communities at the heart of cultural delivery, ensuring that creativity is shaped by local voices and shared across our borough.”

The second new CCP project is another £750,000 for Re-centre in Salford, which "will unlock the potential within people, reactivate places that matter, mobilise and amplify artistic activity and insights" across the rapidly evolving city of Salford.

By championing neighbourhood differentials and artistic excellence, Re-centre will empower the people of Salford to decide what they want to see and experience, producing the culture which is important to them. The partners driving the initiative are the University of Salford, Salford City Council, the Lowry, Salford Community and Leisure (SCL) and Salford CVS.

With previously announced projects, Creative People and Places will cover 13 local authority districts and seven Arts Council England Priority Places across the northern region.

The nine in the North West include projects across Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Liverpool City Region and Lancashire, each of which will receive around £750k-£1m, including: Heart of Glass in St Helens and Knowsley, which brings together artists and communities through a community-led programme based on shared spaces and experiences; Everyone Here, which is committed to establishing a long-term programme of creative activities and events for the people of West Cumbria; Super Slow Way, which will continue the work of the current programme across the four local authorities of Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Burnley and Pendle, and Blackpool Left to Right , which aims to engage 15,572 people in person and reach 305,260 people online. The focus will be on local communities, ensuring that their programs are centred around the needs and voices of the people.

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