Introducing The Mill Race Cultural Consortium

Our Flow of Change Cultural Consortium is now up and running! They’ve been quick to get to work, selecting some exciting new arts and heritage commissions that will be taking place in the Mill Race area of Lancaster.

Our consortium have also been learning about the fascinating history of the Mill Race area. In June, Alan Rice, a researcher in the cultures of the Black Atlantic from the 18th century to present, shared his research into Lancaster's colonial history. In August, Rachel Roberts, the Collections Registrar with Lancaster City Museums shared her research into the lives of former Lancastrian residents living in the Mill Race area. Finally, guided by Kate Smith, Lancaster City Council's Regeneration Officer, the cultural consortium explored how the Mill Race area has changed and developed throughout history.

"I remember seeing this old photograph of Lancaster and it sparked my curiosity in the place I now call HOME. This area houses so many impressive and important buildings and places that have forged our history and the history of the North West, a place where my grandparents worked in the mills and struggled to make a living. I wanted to be involved with the Mill Race Cultural Programme to form a deeper connection to Lancaster’s history."

"I am interested in the Mill Race Cultural Programme because of the locality’s post-industrial past and its heritage buildings. As a person grounded in urban regeneration and cultural history I can see the immense potential of the area and its cultural and economic initiatives being a potential flagship of creative urban regeneration transformation."

"A major point of interest in the Mill Race area for me is how it developed in the mediaeval period, from the building of the first mill in the 15th century until the 18th century and onwards. It would be especially interesting to know who gave permission for the first mill to be built - who had jurisdiction over such things as charters for markets etc. There is evidence of small independent industries from the late middle ages onwards. The social history of the people who lived there is as important as the development of large commercial businesses"

"The Grand Theatre is one of my favourite buildings, and it is one of the oldest theatres in the country still in use. I also like the fact that it is supported by the people of Lancaster by volunteers working there and by patrons attending the shows."

 "This image represents the hidden Lancaster, not the big show rooms or impressive educational facilities, but someone’s home. This depicts the reality for most of those who lived and worked in the Mill Race. As a result of the Mill Race being excluded from city developments, the heritage of the working-class people in the area has been forgotten. While it is now difficult to uncover the stories of individuals of the Mill Race, this project can help to bring life back to the area and help us understand what life could have been like in its industrial heyday, restoring a sense of identity to the area."

 My interest in the Mill Race area stems from historical research into my place of work and a deep interest in the social/material histories of the place. I am particularly interested in how we form rituals around materials, how we leave traces behind and material vibrancy/energy. 

"The Mill Race is in the heart of Lancaster, and its role in industry, culture, faith and commerce continues in the present with its culture, heritage and arts events. Its history is also one of transportation and journey. I love the notion of the ruins of classical architecture appearing through the decay of progress. And to ride on the road that flows through its heart, as you lean into the corners of its racing bends, you are carried in the tide of traffic. The journey through is the point of arrival at a moment of being."

"One aspect of the Mill Race area which particularly interests me is its role in Lancaster’s colonial history, which I think has the potential to be explored much further. Examples of this include the Mill Race area being the site of one of the workshops of Gillows furniture company, whose founder, Robert Gillow, is known to have relied upon the West Indies trade for his business. Moreover, the area was the home of the Butterfield family who are recorded as merchants and ship owners (e.g. Thomas Butterfield was a part owner of the ship ‘Expedition’). Whilst the Mill Race area is often remembered as emblematic of Lancaster’s early industrialization, it is equally important to remember the exploitation of countless enslaved people this industrialization relied upon."