Northallerton’s history is to be celebrated with an imaginative new arts trail thanks to a £75,000 grant from Historic England.
The town is one of nine Yorkshire High Street Heritage Action Zones to be awarded cash to deliver community led cultural activities over the next three years.
The Northallerton Cultural Programme is made up of a number of projects which will see the town’s stories brought to life through a series of events, arts interventions and the development of a publicly accessible digital archive.
This archive will contain oral histories and historic photographs, collected from the local community.
Heritage toolkits will also be developed to support work with older people and young people.
Central to this is a new arts trail to celebrate the town’s heritage will be created with the help of locally based artists using a variety of styles and media.
ocal businesses will be asked to get involved with the project which will see locations of historic importance highlighted on the trail.
“Northallerton has a long and interesting history with links right back to the Romans and William the Conqueror,” said council leader, Councillor Mark Robson.
“We have the site of a Bishops Palace, a Georgian theatre and a medieval friary, as well as the old prison site which is being redeveloped into a retail, business and leisure destination.
“All this history must not be lost, so to have the benefit of the Historic England grant to allow us to celebrate and develop a greater understanding of our heritage forever is great news.
“Northallerton is much more than a retail location – we are regenerating it for people to enjoy especially as we come out of the coronavirus pandemic. It is a very exciting time for the town.”
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: “The high street cultural programme is a step change in the way we think about bringing high streets back from the brink.
“As we start to see these important historic spaces become regenerated through building work, it is the community-led cultural work that helps people to enjoy their high street again and also have a say in what the future of their high street might be.”
Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage MP added: “High streets are often the heart of our communities and should be places we all want to engage with and enjoy. These grants will help transform high streets into thriving cultural hubs, encouraging us to embrace all the joys our town centres have to offer.”
To find out what is happening and get involved, follow @HistoricEngland / @HE_Yorkshire #HistoricHighStreets and visit: www.HistoricEngland.org.uk/HighStreetCulture
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