Hello! Morecambe - The Secret Galleries was a project that took place in Morecambe, near Lancaster in the North West of England.

The business part of things was The Secret Gallery Shop. In May 2009, during the recession, I opened a shop to stock the work of local artists and makers. It ran until April 2010. I kept a blog of my experiences, and tried to be as frank as possible about finance, the hassle, and the glory. The blog is still available to view here though it is no longer updated.

The community art side of things was just called The Secret Galleries. This was a not-for-profit project. In fact, I didn't have any funding at all! I used a series of empty shops in The Plaza Arcade to display the work of local artists. Again, more details are on the blog. It was great; within a year, four of the units had been let. I got great positive feedback, too. Sadly, as my shop is closed, I won't be continuing the Secret Galleries either.


If you want to know more about my experiences, perhaps because you are starting a similar project, please contact Sarah Morton on 07595 873191 or email webfoot@hotmail.co.uk.