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Support Dansworks at The Rossendale Mill Studios: Bringing Creativity, Community & Opportunity Back to Bacup. Help us transform Athertonholme Mill into a vibrant creative and digital hub for everyone. Rossendale Mill was the original name of the mill when it was built in 1860. The images used are conceptual only for illustration purposes.
A Vision for Rossendale’s Future
- The Rossendale Mill Studios is more than a building — it’s a bold, transformational project designed to breathe new life into Athertonholme Mill in Bacup.
- Our mission is to create a modern, inclusive, and future ready creative and digital centre for children, families, young people, educators, performers, and community groups across Rossendale.
- This project has the backing of our local MP and Rossendale Borough Council (not financial backing), reaffirming its value and impact on the wider community.
- The project is also being supported by In Kind contributions from local businesses, colleges and volunteers.
We are asking for your help to raise £500,000 in stages, to bring this remarkable vision to life.
Why This Matters
- The mill is part of our town’s heritage — a former textile mill and shoe/slipper manufacturer that has stood at the heart of Bacup’s industrial story for generations.
- Revitalising it, preserves our past while building space for the future.
- Inside this 8,000 sq ft space, we are creating something our community has never had before: a multi functional, dynamic environment where creativity, learning, digital skills, and community belonging can flourish.
A Lifeline for Home Educated Children
- One of the identified community needs that The Rossendale Mill Studios wants to address, is the lack of facilities available for use by home educated children.
- Our Creative & Digital Learning Hub will provide collaborative learning spaces, performing arts opportunities, digital skills development, tutoring, and group learning led by parents and tutors.
- This isn’t just about education — it’s about giving young people a place to connect, grow, and feel part of something bigger.
Expanding the Reach of Rossendale Radio
- Rossendale Radio will base new office space and an extra satellite studio onsite, allowing them to expand their work with the local community, schools, young people, and local groups.
- This will help amplify local voices, tell local stories, and create new training and volunteering opportunities across the Valley.
️Recording Studios & Creative Spaces
At the heart of The Mill Studios will be professionally equipped recording and broadcasting facilities serving:
• Musicians & singers
• Podcasters
• Sound engineering students
• Local creators of all ages
These spaces will unlock creative careers and broaden access to digital media training — right here in Bacup.
A Home for Performing Arts, Health & Wellbeing
Dansworks Academy of Performing Arts CIC will use the studios daily, offering the following classes with a unique positive focus upon the physical and mental wellbeing of students:
- Dance classes
- Acting lessons
- Music lessons
- Singing lessons
Beyond that, the building will be able to host:
• Early years sessions and parent and toddler sessions
• Yoga, Pilates, and fitness classes
• Mobility, dementia support, and wellbeing programmes
• Sound engineering courses
It will be a lively, welcoming centre for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
Building a Modern, Safe & Accessible Facility
Your donation will help us to achieve the following benefits:
• Secure controlled entry system
• CCTV and upgraded fire alarms
• Accessibility improvements including accessible toilets
• Full air conditioning and climate control
• Music & singing studios
• A professional recording studio
• 5 dance studios
• A broadcasting studio
• Offices, classrooms & study areas
• Reception, student chill out spaces & retail counter
Investing in a Brighter, More Creative Rossendale
- The Mill Studios is not just a building — it’s a long-term investment in the social, educational, and creative fabric of our community.
- Its impact will be felt by families, young people, local businesses, schools, performers, educators, and community groups for decades to come.
With your support, we can create a space where dreams are nurtured, skills are developed, and opportunities grow.
❤️ How You Can Help
Your donation — no matter the size — helps us:
- Renovate and secure the building
- Install specialist creative and digital equipment
- Build accessible, inclusive learning and performance spaces
- Provide opportunities for children, teens, adults, and seniors
- Ensure this historic mill remains as a vibrant space for the whole community
Together, we can create something truly extraordinary for Rossendale.
Please donate, share, and help us spread the word.
Let’s build The Rossendale Mill Studios — a place where creativity, community, and opportunity come alive.
Organizer