Archiving the Past for the Future
Wigan Little Theatre is on the threshold of change, with the development of new bar facilities taking place in time for the 2016/17 season. As often happens when embarking on change, thoughts go to the past and fact that the theatre has been providing drama in the borough for almost 70 years.
It was decided to gather memorabilia for exhibition at events in the future. It proved to be very fruitful with lots of photographs, posters and programmes to collate.
In light of the recent flooding, it seemed timely to have the materials stored safely and to have all materials cataloged and transferred to archival envelopes to ensure the long life of the hard copy materials. The theatre approached the Archive service who welcomed the opportunity to work together on what will be an important resource for everyone in the borough and beyond.
The theatre has a long relationship with photographer, Nick Fairhurst, who has kindly agreed to work with the theatre and archive service to build a comprehensive record from decades past and as an ongoing project.
The work on such a large amount of material will take some months to complete, and will continue as long as WLT supply memorabilia.
WLT Chairman, Martin Green commented, ‘I’m delighted that we are developing this archive to acknowledge past and present members’ achievements, as well as build a record for the future. The theatre continues to grow, develop and change and we relish our reputation for providing first class entertainment and a place where everyone can get involved’.
Nick Fairhurst is a well-known photographer in the area and is a great friend of WLT. He said, ‘ I was very pleased to be asked to take part in this project, it’s so worthwhile to preserve photographs of the work of the theatre and everyone who supports it’.
Alex Miller, Archives Manager, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this project, which will allow us to develop our online archive for the benefit of residents looking to delve into the borough’s past. Our volunteers do a fantastic job supporting projects like this and it’s great when we can work with other organisations to improve this important community resource.”
For anyone interested in the project work would be us at the Archives – archives@wigan.gov.uk
This is the address of WLT’s archive which will be populated in time. http://archives.wigan.gov.uk/archive/wigan-little-theatre
