New street art mural to celebrate Blackpool's "unique character" gets funding from Historic England

Historic England has pledged a grant of £15,000 to TAB Heritage and Art Project, which will ask young people what matters to them about the architecture and character of Blackpool.

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Led by a collective of youth organisations in Blackpool and Blackpool Council, it is hoped the final piece will embrace the role of street art in the city and the skills of young people in the community.

Inspiration will be sparked by walking the local area and learning about its heritage, specifically around Blackpool’s connection to tourism.

Rap performance

Young people will record the project, the making of the art and their personal journeys through a variety of methods including photography, videoing, drawing or cartooning, spoken word or rap performance and written word.

Why fund this?

In total, Historic England has funded 11 youth-led projects in the north of England. Called ‘History in the Making’, the idea is to provide new opportunities for young people aged 13-25 to discover, engage and connect with their local stories and ensure the history that matters to them is not forgotten.

The aim of the programme is to improve young people’s wellbeing, from increasing connection to and pride in their local place, to gaining skills and social confidence.

Another project to gain £15,000 focuses on the teenage experience throughout the decades of people living in Oldham, with specific focus on White British and the South Asian Communities.

Improve wellbeing

Ellen Harrison, Head of Creative Programmes and Campaigns at Historic England, said: “These History in the Making grants really show the breadth of what heritage can mean to different communities and the range of creative ways we can form connections to our local heritage through place marking. These projects will improve young people’s wellbeing by encouraging a sense of pride in their local place and enabling them to gain new skills and confidence.

“It’s been fantastic to get the input of our Young Advisors to help us ensure we are funding projects that truly allow young people to lead and explore their local history. We can’t wait to see what they discover and how they decide to share and mark their heritage.”