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Lytham's new windmill is promising to be just as big a part of the community as the iconic white one
10th April 2025Lytham's new windmill is promising to be just as big a part of the community as the iconic white one
On Tuesday 8th April, Lytham’s local creatives, producers and freelancers got the chance to have a sneaky peak at Lowther Pavilion’s brand new £3 million venue, The Windmill Performance & Education Centre.
The event, hosted by Tim Lince, CEO and Artistic Director at Lowther Pavilion, alongside Kerry Tuhill, Youth Theatre Director / Education Officer and Head of Marketing, Anthony Price, promised the chance for designers, writers, illustrators, actors and creatives to explore the new space, connect with like-minded professionals, and discover opportunities to collaborate.
With this new venue, Lowther Pavilion is hoping to create a space where the community can learn, create and shine. But it’s not just about local productions — the team are keen to showcase international talent too and introduce a diverse mix of performances.
In a week where we saw the sad announcement that Blackpool’s Old Electric is set to close (bringing this year’s total of venue closures in the north west to seven) it seems even more unbelievable that Lowther Pavilion has managed to get this project over the line. It’s no wonder that Arts Council England has asked to bring struggling venues to Lowther to see what they’re doing and learn from their example. They’d love for Lowther Pavilion to become a model which they can spin out to other venues across the country.
So how, and why, have Lowther Pavilion managed to succeed, where so many others have failed? A large part is down to the determination and hard work of the team, led by Tim Lince. Tim used to work in a very active venue and saw that it offered a real sense of community in the town. During the Pandemic, the artistic community collapsed and has never recovered. He feels passionately there’s a real need to preserve what’s left as well as growing and nurturing the next generation of creative talent. Their vision is clear — we “aspire to inspire”.
The project also hasn’t relied on national funding, which has suffered major cuts over recent years and become increasingly difficult to secure. The majority of funds have come from smaller charitable trusts and foundations, alongside local organisations such as Fylde Council, Windmill Community Benefit Society, Duggie Chapman Associates Theatrical Productions, amongst others, who’ve all bought into Tim’s clear vision and determination. The community has also got behind the project — sponsoring seats, leaving legacies and becoming ‘a Friend of Lowther’.
The hard work doesn’t end here though. There are still two further phases to come, including a complete revamp of the café and foyer area in the original Pavilion building, additional dressing rooms and making the stage fully accessible. You can find more about how you can support the project on their website.
The Windmill Performance & Education centre will be home to community choirs, arts groups, youth theatres and dance projects, home education classes, writing and reading sessions, dementia groups, cinema, workshops and live music. And it doesn’t stop there. The Lowther team were keen to hear from the group as to how they could use the space, and what they felt was missing, or holding them back from putting on a performance.
The Chapman Studio facilities:
The Chapman Studio facilities:
Multifunctional space with fully retractable seating
Capacity: 162 seated/350 standing auditorium
Maple sprung dance floor
Mirrored wall
Bi-fold doors leading out to Lowther Gardens
Outdoor and indoor performance areas
Rigging points for aerial performances
Load-tested gantry capable of holding musicians
Expert on-site lighting and sound technicians
“Lethargy has taken over the arts world”
“Lethargy has taken over the arts world”
According to Tim, so he and the team are looking to see passion and drive from creatives and be inspired by their new ideas. If they believe in it, they’ll back it and provide access to the space, the technicians and their invaluable support and expertise. If you’ve got an idea for how you might use The Windmill Performance & Education centre, get in touch with the Lowther Pavilion team.
Tim, Kerry and the team at Lowther Pavilion are keen to showcase projects that matter and that will help change the world we live in. They believe theatre should be about challenging an idea and beliefs, such as the upcoming play ‘Afloat’, which tells the real-life stories of asylum seekers and invites the audience to step into their shoes and confront the daily struggles and challenges they face.
Afloat is showing on 29th May 2025 — Get your tickets here, and for a full list of upcoming events, visit the Lowther Pavilion website and filter events by The Chapman.
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