The People's Palace: Brick by brick

The People's Palace podcast tells the story of how Morecambe's historic and iconic Winter Gardens building was saved from wreck and ruin and is undergoing renovation led by the Morecambe Winter Gardens Preservation Trust, Chaired by University of Sheffield academic Professor Vanessa Toulmin and nationally recognised as recipients of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

The series explores the rich history and architecture of the building; the amazing people helping to run, maintain and restore the venue; and what the future holds for the space.

In this episode we hear from Professor Vanessa Toulmin who has drawn on extensive research extending over two decades on seaside cultural ecology and practice-led research on seaside regeneration and conservation to draw on the venue’s history to lead sympathetic restoration and regeneration. We also look at the building's impressive architecture and talk to some of the talented craftspeople breathing life back into the Winter Gardens.

Opened as the Victorian Pavillion Theatre in 1897 as an extension to the original Winter Gardens, Bath Houses and Aquarium.  Following the demolition of the original building the Theatre was saved from demolition and is now led by the Preservation Trust under the leadership of Professor Vanessa Toulmin.  The volunteer-led transformation is a nationally-recognised exemplar of culture-led regeneration and has received grant-funding from a range of national organisations.

The restoration of the Morecambe Winter Gardens is supported and funded by the UK Government, Coastal Communities Fund, The King's Award for Voluntary Service and Arts Council England.