A row has erupted over Wigan's historic Haigh Hall regeneration project after the creative directors, Al Holmes and Al Taylor, were informed that their contract would not be renewed.
The duo, known as Al and Al, expressed astonishment and shock at the decision, which was made by town hall bosses.
Having worked on the restoration of the Grade II-listed building since 2021, their interim contract expired on August 31. A meeting with Wigan council's chief executive, Alison McKenzie-Folan, and James Winterbottom, director of strategy and innovation, on October 1, confirmed that the contract would not be renewed.
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The move has sparked a backlash on social media, with a petition calling for Al and Al's reinstatement gaining traction. A post on the Friends of Haigh Hall Heritage and Open Access For All Facebook page stated: "We have been inundated with hundreds of messages from the Wigan community expressing shock, anger and sadness over Wigan council's decision NOT to renew their contract, despite the project being halfway complete."
In a separate development, the relatives of artist Theodore Major have withdrawn their involvement in the project. As the artist was born in Wigan, the plan had been to display a collection of his works in the completed hall.
However, Major's granddaughter, Ruth Owers, expressed her loss of confidence in the council's handling of the project in an email to Peter Hughes, Wigan council's service lead for culture, on October 22. The email, obtained by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, states: "Regarding your letter dated 14th October, due to Wigan Council senior management decisions I will not be proceeding with the Haigh Hall project. I no longer have confidence in Wigan council's conduct and management of the project.", reports .
A spokesperson for Wigan council responded, saying: "We are saddened to see the public statement made by Al and Al and the unfounded allegations made within, including the inaccurate description of events provided. There is no doubt that Al and Al's artistic direction has shaped the vision for Haigh and for that we are truly grateful."
"That being said, Al and Al were just two members of a creative and committed project team working hard to realise our ambition for Haigh. We're confident that as we enter this next phase, the project will really come to life."
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Al and Al expressed their surprise and disappointment, saying: "We were wholly committed to Haigh Hall and to seeing it at the cultural centre of Wigan and the North. We worked closely with the Wigan community, with local and international artists, and all the stakeholders in the project."
The ambitious renovation of Haigh Hall had garnered substantial support including from influential stakeholders such as the Major and Lindsay families, the Arts Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the Levelling Up Fund, which all together contributed £20m towards the initiative.
However, they said in their statement: "We were astonished and shocked to be told that our contract was not to be renewed and that we were required to stop work on the Haigh Hall project forthwith. There had been no hint of this turn of events.
"We were not given any comprehensible reason for this decision nor on whose authority the decision was made, other than the reason that our contract would not continue was due to 'political pressure' and 'political concerns'."