Bacup Cultural Consortium is led by the Horse and Bamboo Theatre’s executive director Esther Ferry Kennington. The consortium involves Rossendale Borough Council, Valley Heritage, Dansworks Dance Academy of Performing Arts, Mid Pennine Arts, Bacup Royal Court Theatre Ltd, Bacup Now, the ABD Community Trust and Analogue Farm Company. It will be supporting the council’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme (HAZ) that secured £1.08 million from Historic England to regenerate prominent but derelict buildings and offer grants to restore 22 buildings in the town centre. Esther said: “We are massively delighted that the funding has been approved. It offers huge potential to assist the high street in its recovery from Covid.