Hall i’ th’ Wood My Place Walk, 2nd Jul 2026

Live from Worktown joined by Grace Williams, a journalist at the Bolton News, read her news article here! Although we had a blustery and drizzly start, Thursday 2nd July kicked off our programme of My Place Walks for the summer. The first stop was a visit to Hall i’ th’ Wood, which had kindly been

Worktown Words: Empathy, Jun 2026

We are happy to share the publication of the new issue of Worktown Words. This issue was curated and edited by Romina Ramos on the theme of Empathy. And if you’ve missed any previous issues, you can find our catalogue here. Submissions will open again shortly for the next publication.

Bolton Mass Observation on the BBC

After being involved at the end of 2025 in the BBC Radio 4 documentary Bolton: The Happiest Town on Earth?, we were equally pleased to hear from BBC North West Tonight who were keen to find out more about Mass Observation and the Happiness Survey that was a subject of the radio programme. After exchanging

Worktown Words: Call-out – May 2026

We are now inviting submissions for the next issue of Worktown Words on the theme of Empathy. Submissions open from 10/05/26 until 31/05/26 (midnight). This issue will be edited by Romina Ramos, LfW’s organiser of Worktown Words and co-founder of Natter, the monthly poetry open mic night for local creatives in Bolton that meets at th3guys_cafe. .

Documenting Worktown Happiness

Despite taking place almost 90 years ago, the Mass Observation research initiative that started in 1937 in Bolton is still regarded by many as an important part of the town’s history, not just in Bolton but further afield too, including at the BBC no less. Live from Worktown were contacted by Radio 4 producer, Katharine

Wrapping up 2025!

It’s been a busy year for everyone at Live from Worktown, which started with our Bolton Observed programme of events, all run as a part of Bolton’s tenancy as the Greater Manchester Town of Culture.  We ran call-outs for poetry and photography, plus a series of Side Door radio shows broadcast on Bolton FM. All this culminated

Request from BBC on Mass Observation

Can you help the BBC with research into people who participated in a Mass Observation survey? BBC Radio 4 are making a documentary about the Happiness Survey that was part of the Mass Observation in the 1930s. They’re looking for people who have a relative that took part in the survey OR who live on

Worktown Words: Reflections, September 2025

We are happy to share the publication of the new issue of Worktown Words. This issue was curated by Romina Ramos and edited by Will Stevenson on the theme of Reflections. And if you’ve missed any previous issues, you can find our catalogue here. Submissions will open again mid October for a November publication.

Worktown Words: Resistance, July 2025

We are happy to share the publication of the new issue of Worktown Words.This issue was curated by Romina Ramos and edited by Michaela Violet on the theme of Resistance. You can access the anthology here.  And if you’ve missed any previous issues, you can find our catalogue here. Submissions for the next issue will open in August for a September publication.

The creative struggle: Autism and the Arts

As a grassroots arts, culture and heritage organisation ourselves, we were delighted to be invited by Bolton-based filmmaker, Brett Gregory, to support his documentary that celebrates the life, challenges and poetry of Horwich local, Peter Street. Our very own Peter Firth, with his soft and melodious Bolton accent, was a perfect choice as narrator for