Heritage Project Overview
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past. For more information check out https://www.heritagefund.org.uk
About the Project
Last year marked Hope Mill’s 200th Birthday and earlier this year we were successful in obtaining National Lottery Heritage Funding. Using money raised by National Lottery players, the National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Hope Mill’s Big Birthday is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to uncover and explore the history and heritage of Hope Mill, its people and local communities.
In summer 2024 we were successful in gaining National Lottery Heritage funding. This grant enabled us to research and celebrate the history of the mill! The project aimed to uncover, explore and share the histories of Hope Mill, built 200 years ago in 1824.
The building began as one of the first industrial developments on the banks of the Ashton Canal to Hope Mill today: a heritage landmark and vibrant cultural hub at the centre of a neighbourhood being transformed by regeneration. The project aimed to create a communal understanding of the important role Hope Mill has played for local people and its pivotal place at the heart of huge industrial, social and cultural revolutions – preserving this heritage beyond the life of the project as a digital asset.
The project explored the histories and stories of Hope Mill over these 200 years, guided by the curiosity of Hope Mill’s communities – the people who live, work and play here today.
For the chance to win free cotton membership of Hope Mill Theatre
To find about more about what we got up too, make sure you check out the links below.
Heritage Events
Across the 8 months the project ran for, we hosted a variety of public events. These were designed to encourage visitors to engage with the heritage of the building. Check out the photos and videos below to see what we got up too.
12th – 16th August 2024Summer School
24th August 2024Family Fun Day
On Saturday 24 August 2024 we hosted a free, Family Fun Day to mark the bicentenary of the building.
We transformed the grounds of Hope Mill into a Victorian style funfair, complete with rides, stalls, food and live entertainment. There was even a donkey or two…
25th August 2024Makers Market
On Sunday 25th August 2025 we hosted a Makers Market.
200 years ago Hope Mill was alive and busting, full of mill workers spinning some of the finest cotton in the world. To celebrate 200 years of this iconic Manchester building we had some of Manchester’s best makers. Featuring many artists from AWOL studios which are now housed in Hope Mill.
4th October 2024Heritage Tours
On Friday 4th October 2024 we partnered with Awol Studios at their Open studios event. We ran free heritage tours of both the theatre and mill. Check out the video below and see the bits of the mill not normally open to the public.
8th February 2025Qweer Shorts
In December 2024 we commissioned five writers/practitioners to create pieces based on our research into local LGBTQIA+ history over the last 200 years.
9th FEBRUARY 2025Celebration Closing Event
In February we hosted a final celebration event. Our Choir Orchestra and Theatre School performed, our research team shared their findings and we had a good old music hall sing along.
Our Evaluation
Thank you to our Heritage Team
Alyx Tole
(She/Her)Project Manager – hopemill200@gmail.com
Ruth Darling
(She/Her)Researcher
Dawn Cameron
(She/Her)Evaluation Consultant
Volunteer Research Team – Becky Wilks, Debra Crolla, Jayne Marshall, Jennifer Campbell-O’Brien, Jill Brown, Julie Cowen, Liz Bennett, Mike Hills, Olivia Robinson, Pauline Ashton, Stephanie Kniveton-Jones, Zoe Willock
© 2025. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.