The C21 Project in Blackburn withDarwen was a hugely successful celebration of arts and culture - whichresulted in an ongoing model of usingtown centre shops and spaces for creativity.

Rebecca Johnson, Head of Arts, said:‘Because it was so successful, it is amodel we have continued to expand andgrow. At the moment, for example, wehave some artists based in the market,working by the fish stall - and again, it is

C21 ProjectBlackburn, Lancashire

Hema Upadhyay, Bleeding Hearts. Photo: Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

about opening up art to people who wouldperhaps not normally be interested, ormake the effort to go to a special venue totake part in it.’

One of the focus points of C21 was Asianart, in particular the Parallel Realities exhibition, from the Fukuoka Asian ArtMuseum in Japan.

The exhibition featured 50 artists from 21Asian countries, and was displayed at allkinds of 'non-art' venues in the area -

Utilising a disused bank to create a new space for art, engaging the public in abusy shopping centre

including Blackburn Cathedral and BBCRadio Lancashire. Two artists-in-residence were also located inempty shops.

The main exhibition space was known toeverybody as 'The Halifax' - a reminder ofits previous life as a bank! The building,inside a shopping centre, was due fordemolition as part of a redevelopmentprogramme. The centre manager agreedto the alternative use, and the space wasconverted into two large galleries with fivesmaller rooms for individual pieces.

In-house staff managed the project,including any adaptations and decoratingthat needed to be done.

Rebecca said: ‘It was a fantastic venue.We wanted somewhere that worked forthe exhibit, which included a lot of digital

work which was best displayed in thesesmaller rooms, so it just really worked forthat. Plus its location is fantastic, and ofcourse it was free!

‘We had a really high footfall through theHalifax, largely due to where it was. Youwould see people peering in while theywere eating their pasties and lunches, andthen they'd come in with their shoppingand have a look round. The exhibitionwas very playful and accessible, so itencouraged people to come in. It definitely had a positive effect on the waypeople in the area saw art, and viewedmuseums and galleries.’

C21 was awarded £500,000 lottery moneyby the Arts Council and the MillenniumCommission as part of the Urban CulturalProgramme.

Yamaguchi Keisuke, Two Plans, Blackburn 2006. Photo: Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council