£75,000 from the Wolfson Foundation will be allocated to Showtown.
16 January 2020
by Visit Blackpool
Blackpool Council has been awarded £75,000 from the Wolfson Foundation which will be allocated to Blackpool’s first museum – Showtown.
The museum which officially revealed its name, brand and themes last week at an event at the Tower Circus is planned to open in 2021.
The £13m museum will celebrate Blackpool as the UK’s most popular seaside destination and its role in the development of British popular culture.
The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity that supports and promotes excellence in the fields of science, health, education and humanities.
Lin Richardson, Deputy Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, commented: “Blackpool remains a popular UK seaside location which attracts millions of visitors every year. Wolfson is pleased to support this fun and unique museum which will engage and educate locals and visitors of all ages, focussing on both traditional and novel entertainment in this popular resort.”
Showtown will be divided into six themed spaces; seaside, magic, shows, circus, illuminations and dance and be filled with objects, film, music and performance. It will be located in Blackpool’s first five star hotel ‘Sands Venue Resort Hotel’ which has a prominent position on the Promenade in the heart of Blackpool, next door but one to The Blackpool Tower.
Cllr Simon Blackburn, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “This fantastic news follows the dazzling launch of our new name and brand just last week.
“Making the museum a reality is down to the hard work of so many people and the support from organisations that have appreciated the concept of the museum and provided significant funding.
“This is another notable landmark in Showtown’s exciting journey towards opening its doors for the first time.”
It is projected that Showtown will attract about 300,000 local, regional, national and international visits each year; engage with 7,500 local school children annually; create around 40 FTE jobs and 20 training placements and play a critical role in Blackpool’s re-imagining for the 21st Century.
www.showtownblackpool.co.uk
Image Credit: Blackpool Council Heritage Service