Creativity. Culture. Community
The Old Electric is the new home of The Electric Sunshine Project cic and many others.
The Electric Sunshine Project (TESP) was formed in 2016 to offer creative experiences; workshops, events, projects and shows which aim to reduce barriers for children, families and adults to connect with their own creativity.
The name was inspired by events of 1879, when Blackpool became the first town in the world to have electric street lighting; they called it ‘electric sunshine’; we aim to capture this spirit of aspiration, innovation and creative solution and, through the arts, to reinvent perceptions of what Britain’s best-loved seaside town can offer the rest of the world.
In 2020, TESP received Reaching Communities Lottery funding to develop a new community arts hub in the heart of Blackpool.
As a result, we have taken over part of this building which originally opened as The Princess Electric Theatre in 1922 and has been welcoming visitors ever since as a cinema, market, band venue and a series of nightclubs.
This rich history and the years of enjoyment she has provided is embedded into the fabric of the building; with a new identity of The Old Electric (TheOE) we hope to welcome many more people through her doors – for fun, togetherness and something a little bit different!
