Curious Minds announces move to Wigan Pier

Curious Minds, the Wigan-based arts education and cultural learning charity, has taken the first formal steps to occupying Wigan Pier as its new permanent home.

Working closely with Wigan Council, Curious Minds plans to breathe new life into Pier 2, the oldest building on the Pier site, which dates back to the 1700s. Once part of the town’s busy industrial waterfront, its brick walls and canal-side setting have witnessed centuries of change. It is known to many through George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier and the area was once framed in the national imagination by his writing on the hardships of industrial working-class life.

Now the charity is helping to write a different story – one that celebrates Wigan’s creativity, honours its working-class heritage, and presents it as a place of opportunity, innovation and cultural leadership. After years of standing empty, Pier 2 will soon be alive with creativity, learning and community; linking Wigan’s proud past with an ambitious future.

Rooted in Wigan, connected to the nation

After reaching agreement in tenancy with Wigan Council this summer, Curious Minds now begins the process of restoring and adapting the building with utmost care and consideration. A planning application has been approved which details how the distinctive masonry, waterfront setting and historic character of the building will be retained, while introducing accessible, adaptive spaces designed for modern creative life.

When the renovation work is complete, Pier 2 will be used to host community-based creative projects and cultural events, as well as providing office and training space for the Curious Minds team. From within its walls they will continue their national mission – designing pioneering arts and culture programmes, influencing policy and helping to raise standards in cultural learning for all children and young people.

A home for creativity, curiosity and community

The submitted plans for the building reflect three guiding commitments of accessibility, sustainability and longevity. The building will be easy to navigate, fully inclusive and welcoming to all. From construction to daily operations, environmental impact will be minimised through low-carbon design and use of recycled materials. In addition, flexible layouts and thoughtful use of space will ensure the building remains relevant, practical and inspiring for decades to come.

Curious Minds outlines an exciting and bold vision for each of the building’s 3 floors:

Ground floor – The Chance to See Studio

This light-filled space will hum with energy and imagination. Children and young people will make, create, rehearse and perform alongside brilliant teaching artists from Wigan and beyond. It will be a place for connections to be made and ideas to take shape, with direct access to the canal adding a unique backdrop to the creativity inside.

First floor – Curious Works

This will be a vibrant shared workspace. It will be a place to exchange ideas, share resources and work side by side – a hub of activity where collaboration sparks new projects and possibilities.

Second floor – The Curious Stories Gallery

High in the roof space of Pier 2, this light-filled gallery will showcase the work of young artists and host inspiring exhibitions. It will also serve as a flexible training and event space, equipped with digital tools for content creation and facilities for hybrid meetings, connecting people in Wigan with partners and audiences far beyond.

Commenting on this exciting milestone for Curious Minds, its Chief Executive, Derri Burdon, said:

“Curious Minds is proud to be deepening its roots in Wigan – a town with a rich and radical history of arts education and cultural enrichment. From the pioneering work of Drumcroon Gallery to the vibrancy of today’s arts and music scene, Wigan is a place where creativity and community go hand in hand.

I’m absolutely thrilled that we will soon call Wigan Pier our home. The Pier has long stood as a symbol of resilience, reinvention and northern pride. Curious Minds is honoured to be part of its next chapter – sharing it with local creative networks and using it as a base from which our charity can continue building a future in which every young person has the chance to thrive through the arts.”

Councillor David Molyneux MBE, Leader of Wigan Council, said: “This partnership with Curious Minds will see opportunities for creativity and community at Pier 2 of Wigan Pier, breathing new life into our iconic heritage.

 “This is Progress with Unity in action. I’m so pleased that young people are at the heart of these plans, and that they will be able to access culture and new opportunities here in the heart of town.

 “Wigan has a strong heritage of making, creating and fettlin’, and it’s great to see that legacy continuing in a space with such historical significance.”