Southport: That’s Entertainment
The Atkinson awarded National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to explore Southport’s seaside entertainment heritage
theatkinson.co.uk/southport-thats-entertainment
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The Atkinson in Southport has been awarded a £248,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver an ambitious community engagement programme celebrating seaside entertainment and preserving its cultural legacy for future generations.
Traditional seaside entertainment is widely recognised as heritage at risk. Southport, however, has a rich and enduring history of entertainment dating back to the 19th century. Thanks to this funding, The Atkinson will preserve the artistry of British seaside entertainment, create a new oral history archive, and expand opportunities for cultural engagement across Sefton.
The Atkinson’s Southport: That’s Entertainment project builds on Southport’s wider 2026 Elegantly Eccentric programme of cultural activity. It comes at a significant moment for the town, as Southport continues to reflect and recover following the tragic events of 2024. In response, there has been a strong national focus on renewal, with the pride and resilience of residents proving truly inspiring. Southport: That’s Entertainment presents a timely opportunity to reframe the narrative of Southport by using shared heritage to bring communities together and create a lasting cultural legacy.
At the heart of the project is a call for the public to share their Southport memories. Southport: That’s Entertainment invites people to contribute to a new oral history archive by recounting their experiences of entertainment in the town, from the excitement of the fairground to music, theatre and variety shows, seaside holidays, and everything in between. These recordings will be digitally archived on the local history website, Sefton Looking Back, ensuring free and lasting public access.
A newly appointed Heritage Officer will work alongside a network of volunteers and cultural partners to deliver an extensive public programme, including training opportunities, workshops, talks, audio recordings and creative activities.
In collaboration with Sefton Council for Voluntary Service, two rounds of community grants will further broaden participation, enabling local performers, artists and community groups to develop their own creative responses to the project.
As a lasting legacy, Southport: That’s Entertainment will contribute to a temporary exhibition in The Atkinson’s art gallery in 2027 and directly inform the development of a new permanent exhibition in the museum, set to open in 2028. The exhibitions will showcase the oral history archive alongside memorabilia that captures a vibrant cultural past, much of which risks being lost as seaside resorts evolve in the modern era.
Together, these initiatives will preserve artefacts and shared memories for future generations, ensuring Southport’s unique entertainment heritage continues to inspire as the town looks to the future.
Want to be part of the legacy? Visit The Atkinson’s website to find out how to get involved. New opportunities, events and updates will be shared throughout the project.
Councillor Liz Dowd, Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnership Engagement at Sefton Council, said: “This is fantastic news for Southport and a real boost for our communities. Southport’s seaside heritage is part of who we are, and this project will help people of all ages share their stories and feel proud of where they live. It’s also a great example of how culture can bring people together, support recovery, and create new opportunities for creativity and learning across the Borough.”
Dave Tetlow, The Atkinson’s Principal Manager: Museum & Art Gallery, said: “We are delighted to receive this support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we can celebrate and safeguard Southport’s unique entertainment heritage. Southport: That’s Entertainment is about people and place, bringing communities together to share memories, uncover stories, and ensure this rich cultural legacy is preserved and passed on for future generations.”
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About The Atkinson
The Atkinson is the leading cultural venue in Sefton, bringing together a museum, art gallery, theatre and library under one roof. It houses collections of over 3,500 artworks and 25,000 historical artefacts, alongside a dynamic programme of exhibitions, events and live performances.
Through its wide-ranging programme, it champions arts, culture and heritage, providing opportunities for visitors to be entertained, inspired, and enhance their wellbeing.
A vital community hub, The Atkinson is also home to Southport Library, a café operated by Autism Initiatives UK, and an independent shop supporting local makers.
Rated ‘Very Good’ by VisitEngland and ranked #1 for things to do in Southport on TripAdvisor, The Atkinson is recognised for its welcoming atmosphere and high-quality visitor experience.
theatkinson.co.uk / theatkinson.co.uk/southport-thats-entertainment
Follow @TheAtkinsonSouthport on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
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About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. 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.
Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund