An East Lancashire cultural hub driven out of its home by a huge fire has found a new one.

Blackburn's Bureau Centre for the Arts was one of the casualties of the devastating blaze at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in 2019.

Since then it has been temporarily located in the former Thwaites Visitor Centre in Penny Street, Blackburn.

But now it has been revealed it will have a permanent new home in to the former Lewis Textile Museum in Exchange Street, next to Blackburn Town Hall.

The move is partly-paid for by Blackburn with Darwen Council making alterations to the building and providing a grant to help them move.

The bureau is also investing its own money into the relocation.

The move to a more central location in Blackburn's £50 million proposed leisure and cultural quarter aims to make it accessible to as many people as possible.

Lancashire Telegraph: Councillors and Bureau directors outside its new homeCouncillors and Bureau directors outside its new home

All forms of the arts are catered for at the Bureau, which gives opportunities to people of all abilities and experience to get involved from complete beginners to seasoned professionals.

Its activities include the Shared Sounds early years' music and art projects, Blackburn Festival of Light Street Band, and the Obscura dark room for budding photographers.

The Bureau’s new home next to the Making Rooms and near Blackburn Museum helps all three to carry on working together.

Cllr Phil Riley, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: “We are really pleased that we have been able to have a productive partnership with The Bureau and that we have been able to help fund this move to the historic Lewis Textile Museum.

“This is part of a wider plan for Blackburn town centre to bring creative organisations and businesses together to create a real cultural quarter in the town.

“We were also really keen to bring the Lewis Textile Museum back into cultural use due to its strong heritage and the Bureau Centre for the Arts is a fantastic fit to carry on this proud history.

"I can’t wait to see the Bureau move in fully and make the space a real arts hub for the whole borough.”

Cath Ford, a Bureau Centre for the Arts director, said: “We are thrilled to be relocating to the former Lewis Textile Museum - a special place for generations of local people and a building at the heart of the town's cultural heritage.

“The Bureau is a place for all people to create and experience art in its many forms.

"We look forward to starting the next chapter in The Bureau's story in this beautiful building.”

The Lewis Textile Museum was opened in 1934 and was bequeathed to the people of Blackburn by a local cotton industrialist, Thomas Boys Lewis.

It closed in 2006 and a new gallery with its collection of looms and textile machinery was moved to Blackburn Museum.

The Bureau has already planned its first exhibition ‘Chip In Creative Community Exhibition’ at 'The Bureau at The Lewis' from March 13 to 23 celebrating local young volunteers.

The Chip In project supports young people age 16 to 30 into volunteering opportunities across arts, culture, sport, heritage and environment organisations.