Burnley is a town rich in history, creativity, and community spirit — and now, it’s setting its sights on a bold new future through the Burnley 2027 year of culture initiative. Spearheaded by Charlotte Steels, Head of Culture at Burnley Leisure and Culture, the project is uniting organisations, communities, and young people in an ambitious plan to reshape Burnley’s cultural landscape.
“So I’m Charlotte Steels. I’m Head of Culture at Burnley Leisure and Culture, and my job involves working with lots of different organisations and partners across Burnley around cultural development,” she explains. “When we’re talking about cultural development, we’re talking about supporting grassroots community activity right through to big events and showcases.”
The seeds of Burnley’s 2027 year of culture were planted a few years ago, following research that identified a disconnect between cultural activity and public awareness. “There was this sense that because people didn’t know about it, they just thought nothing was happening,” says Charlotte. “What we decided to do was come up with an idea that would encourage everybody to come together behind one idea.”
This idea quickly evolved into a collaborative vision — involving the arts, business, leisure, health, and education sectors — to create a vibrant, inclusive cultural future for Burnley. Community meetings, including voices from young people, have shaped early plans that range from music and food festivals to esports tournaments and photography showcases.
“We’ve got a list of various things we’d quite like to do,” Charlotte says. “Lots of ideas are being generated at the moment that we’re going to see what’s practical to achieve.”
With 2027 fast approaching, attention is now also turning to funding and infrastructure. “We’re just moving into a phase of fundraising at the moment so that we can pull off some of these big ideas that we’ve got.” One of the key steps in raising awareness and support was the creation of the “Why Not Burnley?” film, which began as a poem Charlotte wrote after being inspired by an Executive Leadership Academy workshop run by Together an Active Future.
In Charlotte’s words, she wanted the poem to be about, “Our strategy and our framework and what our ambitions were”, and so the poem “Why not Burnley”? was born. The poem also serves as a challenge to change any outside perceptions of what Burnley might be about, as Charlotte goes on to expand upon.
“We’ve got some fantastic assets with Townley Hall, Gawthorpe Hall, and Queen Street Mill, and some of the arts and programmes and things that we do, it’s fantastic. We have some great things here. Look at us and value us for what we can do.”
Burnley is known to the outside as a place that has been built on the foundations of hard work and industrialism, with the historical footprint of the textile industry clear to see all around town. But whilst it’s important to pay homage to that history, for Charlotte Burnley 2027 is about creating a legacy and inspiring the next generation.
“Part of what we’re trying to do is to create that future narrative of what Burnley is for the future,” Charlotte says. “Young people in particular need to know what the opportunities are for them. Some of these opportunities include apprenticeships through Lancashire Skills Pledge, as well as having access to organisations such as Blaze Arts and Burnley Youth Theatre.
These organisations offer programmes focused on tapping into the creative potential of young people. A key example of this in action is a recent youth festival that Blaze Arts ran in July called “In Focus,” which shone a light on young artists, performers, producers and makers from across the town.
As Burnley moves toward 2027, the goal is clear: to create a cultural movement that is inclusive, sustainable, and empowering. “The possibilities are endless, really,” Charlotte reflects. “We want to make sure we’re putting the right things in place now that then informs what happens in future.
Burnley 2027 is about the people of Burnley coming together to shape it.
If you would like to take part by volunteering, hosting an event, sponsoring activity, or simply sharing your ideas – your involvement matters.
Message us now at @CultureBurnley on Facebook to join the journey. Here’s to 2027!
