Cultural Capital Exchange: Burnley 2027 Year of Culture Symposium

This one-day symposium examines the case for culture as the catalyst for social and economic regeneration that contributes to the transformation of places to be more attractive to live, work, visit, and invest. Also exploring how Year of Culture could drive growth, foster innovation, create a lasting legacy and benefits including promoting social cohesion, civic pride and environmental sustainability.

The day will include contributions from creative practitioners, cultural leaders, programme directors, politicians, key decision makers and sector organisations that combine to bring the creative vision to life.

Culture is a powerful tool that can unite, inspire, educate, and transform lives. The collective ambition for 2027 is to bring sectors together across culture, leisure, health, business, education, community, hospitality and tourism to create projects that involve, engage and inspire local people to lead happier, healthier and more fulfilled lives.

Burnley 2027 Year of Culture will bring together new activity as well as pre-existing annual and bi-annual programmes to raise the profile of Burnley's cultural offer and attract tourism.

Programmes will include new public art, theatre, film, music, literature, digital and more. It will be the start of a new chapter for Burnley, creating a legacy of projects to take it into an exciting future.

The symposium will be hosted and co-developed with broadcaster Nihal Arthanayake who will unlock the creative inspiration from the region and beyond to tell the story of who makes culture and how they do it.

Hear from individuals and organisations that have delivered similar initiatives in other places including Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford City of Culture 2025, as well as those involved in delivering other mega-cultural events that have facilitated similar step change in places via a culture-led approach.

The event will be opened by The Lord- Lieutenant, Mrs Amanda Parker JP, representative of His Majesty the King within the County of Lancashire. Other speakers include Liz Pugh, Co-Founder and Creative Producer of Walk the Plank, Simon Cronshaw, Co-Founder of Remix Summits and multi-disciplinary artist and fashion designer Aitor Throup. The full speaker list will be announced shortly.

The event will take place at the University of Lancashire (formerly UCLan), Burnley Campus.

The Cultural Capital Exchange symposium is presented in association with Creative Lancashire, a service provided by Lancashire County Council, and is being delivered with the support of the University of Lancashire.

Timings provided are a guide and may be subject to change.

Getting to the venue:

By car

From the M65 Leave the motorway at Junction 10, and follow signs for Burnley A671. At the roundabout take the Town Centre exit and then turn right at the traffic lights onto Trafalgar Street. UCLan Victoria Mill is on the left. Parking at the University is restricted to staff and students, however there are town centre pay and display car parks a short distance away - see map for details SS_Parking-in-Burnley-map-update-30012025.pdf

Public transport

Train

Victoria Mill is a 5-minute walk from Manchester Road Station and Princess Way is a 2-minute walk from Burnley Central Station.

From Burnley Manchester Road Railway Station to Victoria Mill Turn left out of the station and head down Manchester Road. Turn left at the roundabout onto Trafalgar Street and cross the road. Continue on Trafalgar Street and you'll find UCLan Victoria Mill 500 yards on the left.

From Burnley Central Railway Station to UCLan Princess Way Turn right out of the Station onto Railway Street, at the end of the street turn right onto Canning Street and onto Princess Way. Cross the road, using the crossing to UCLan Burnley Princess Way.

Bus

The Burnley Campus is situated on major bus routes and buses to Preston, Blackburn and Manchester run regularly.

Info: Choice of 4 simultaneous sessions - Culture in context / Culture: what is it good for / Culture Clash (repeated at 14:05) or visit to the British Textile Biennial exhibit ‘FROM THE MOOR’ – a retrospective exhibition showcasing Aitor Throup’s ground-breaking designs, sculptures and drawings from the past 20 years.

Info: Grab-bag sandwich lunch provided

Info: Choice of 3 simultaneous sessions - Culture in context / Culture: what is it good for / Culture Clash (repeated at 11:40) or visit to the British Textile Biennial exhibit ‘FROM THE MOOR’ – a retrospective exhibition showcasing Aitor Throup’s ground-breaking designs, sculptures and drawings from the past 20 years.

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