Wigan Creative Industries Asset Strategy

A creative industries asset strategy that harnesses opportunities and infrastructure to support a long-term blueprint for the borough’s cultural and creative sector growth. It builds on ‘The Fire Within’ cultural strategy with actions needed to support and sustain its cultural and creative activities over the next ten years.

Wigan boasts a vibrant and engaged cultural and creative sector with enthusiasm to grow its cultural ecosystem. Meanwhile, the Northern Creative Corridor is a new partnership that promises to unlock the potential of the creative industries across the North of England, potentially generating an additional £10 billion GVA across the region.

We Made That worked with ekosgen and GC Insight on behalf of Wigan Council to develop the strategy which included an evidence review of the borough’s cultural assets and infrastructure, and conversations with local and regional stakeholders. Though Wigan has 124 spaces for culture, it faces a significant under supply of adequately equipped spaces for cultural production – creating a compelling case for targeted investment. With thoughtful planning and investment, Wigan can evolve as a regional powerhouse of creative production.

To ensure that the borough has adequate spaces to support its cultural and creative communities, the study identified a series of strategic investment objectives, 15 priority initiatives, and key assets. Together these form a blueprint and roadmap for fostering creative sector growth, while also safeguarding key heritage and public assets, with environmental benefits generated from retaining at-risk buildings and improving their environmental performance.

Strategically positioned between the major urban centres of Manchester and Liverpool, Wigan benefits from a large catchment population within a 30-minute travel time, making it an accessible and attractive hub for cultural and creative activities. This prime location, combined with an impressive array of underused heritage assets like Trencherfield Mill, Leigh Spinners Mill and spaces on King Street presents a unique opportunity to create additional spaces for culture and creativity to thrive.

The creative sector in Wigan is already showing significant growth, with 495 businesses operating within the industry, representing 5.7% of the Greater Manchester business base. This growth, outpacing the national average with a 24% uplift over the past decade, is further supported by a favourable policy environment that encourages continued expansion.

Wigan also boasts diverse cultural clusters across areas like Wigan, Leigh, Atherton, and Tyldesley, complemented by a strong grassroots live music scene, community centres, and libraries. These assets, combined with evident developer interest and a strong alignment between cultural offerings and audience preferences, position Wigan as a burgeoning powerhouse in the creative industries, ready to capitalise on its strengths and drive future growth.

A series of key projects have been developed through feasibility and design studies to support the strategy.

Mural Credit: Rosa Kussabi