The Grand at Clitheroe Ltd is the only performing arts venue in the Ribble Valley. We have been at the forefront of arts and social provision in our community for over 15 years, welcoming over 20,000 visitors annually. Lauded as ‘one of the most incredible live performance spaces in the north of England,’ we are a year-round arts venue, but our ultimate goal is to provide high-quality arts to young people in our highly rural area.
We do this by creating a nurturing environment and the essential infrastructure for young artists and emerging music professionals to develop their skills, test new ideas, and connect with live audiences. Our Emerging Artists programme includes: Be My Band, Stereo Press, Bunker Sessions, and our newest initiative, Bunker Sounds. These programmes give young people access to the arts, nurture emerging talent and offer aspiring artists the opportunity to forge a career in the competitive creative industry.
These projects are delivered in our industry-standard facilities, including state-of-the-art rehearsal and recording spaces, a 400-capacity auditorium, and a committed team of industry professionals dedicated to mentoring the next generation of talent.
Most of our staff and freelance team are lifelong Ribble Valley residents who know firsthand the challenges of accessing services like the arts when growing up in a rural area. Our team ranges from our Head of Management, with decades of experience in Ribble Valley-centric youth work, teaching and events management, to our in-house Studio Manager and Director of the Performing Arts Academy hosted at The Grand. Both individuals are homegrown talents who got their start at The Grand through our music and performance-based provisions. Both came to us as aspiring creatives and, after pursuing their own careers as a professional singer and Technician, have now both returned to The Grand. Our creative programmes were their first taste of the arts. This seasoned experience helps us in our aim to equip young creative talents with the skills and experience necessary to build portfolios and prepare them to enter this incredibly competitive industry.
We are providing a much-needed opportunity for the community to meet and connect with the arts and culture in an area where such opportunities are few and far between. The Grand works to ensure local creatives in East Lancashire can access high-quality, sustained support to progress in music both on and off the stage.
