A Creative Home for Runcorn: Claire Pitt on Art, Community, and the Power of Reconnection.

This week, the Reconnecting Runcorn programmes team sat down with Claire Pitt, Director of Hazlehurst Studios and a member of the Runcorn Neighbourhoods Board. As a driving force behind several key projects, Claire shares her journey from dreaming of a new creative space to helping shape a town-wide transformation. In this conversation, she reflects on the highlights, challenges, and hopes for a future where Runcorn is not just a place people pass through—but a destination full of pride, creativity, and community spirit.

How did your involvement with Reconnecting Runcorn come about?

Hazlehurst Studios were already looking to expand into another building around the same time Halton Borough Council began putting forward the ideas that eventually shaped the Reconnecting Runcorn programme. We now sit within the ‘Creative & Digital Skills Centre’ strand of the project. At first, the idea of moving into 71 High Street felt like a bit of a dream — we couldn’t quite believe it might actually happen. It ended up being a three-year process, and as that journey unfolded, we became more deeply involved with Reconnecting Runcorn as a whole. I took the lead on Hazlehurst’s contribution to the wider programme, and that connection has only grown stronger.

You’ve been involved with the delivery with several of the Reconnecting Runcorn projects, what would you say have been some of your highlights?

It has to be Hazlehurst Studios getting the keys to 71 High Street – that’s the biggest highlight. But for me, it’s not just about the bricks and mortar. It’s about the opportunity to grow as an organisation and give more local artists a place they can call their creative home. The possibilities this move has opened up are already exciting – and it’s just the beginning.

Another big highlight has been working on the Dukesfield Murals. That project gave us the chance to connect with so many people who were genuinely excited about local history being brought to life. It also offered a really tangible way to show what ‘High Street Connectivity’ can mean in practice. It might not be the catchiest phrase when talking to the public, but through our walks and talks we’ve helped people join the dots and feel part of the wider story of Runcorn’s regeneration.

How do you think Reconnecting Runcorn has had an impact on the community so far?

I think it’s been quietly transformative. People are beginning to benefit from the projects – even if they don’t necessarily realise that what they’re experiencing is part of Reconnecting Runcorn. Whether it’s new artwork, community activities, or spaces being brought back into use, there’s a subtle but growing sense that something positive is happening. You can feel the shift.

What’s your vision for the future of Reconnecting Runcorn once all of these projects have been delivered?

Right from the start, I’ve imagined what it might feel like to walk across the Silver Jubilee Bridge from Widnes into Runcorn – seeing the golden chedi and the new temple garden on the horizon, glancing down at the canal and spotting people on the water, then strolling along the High Street to Hazlehurst. I already love that walk, but I want other people to feel that same sense of pride and possibility.

Once all the projects are delivered, I want Runcorn to be a place people choose to visit and spend time in – not just somewhere they pass through. That change in perception is key.

What’s motivated you to be involved in a programme like this?

Regeneration is never easy – it’s a long process, full of highs and lows. But if the people doing the front-facing, community work aren’t part of shaping it, you risk losing the voice of everyday people. That’s what’s driven me to stay involved – making sure our community is not only heard, but genuinely represented.

Over the coming months what would you say are you most excited to see be delivered?

That’s such a hard one, because it’s all been designed to work together – every part matters. From the very beginning, it was important to us that all the projects come to life, because that’s when you really start to see the impact.

So, I’m excited to see the canal boats getting on the water, the new temple and garden continuing to bloom, the health and education hub opening its doors, and young people moving into their new space at the Youthy – and that’s just this year! As we edge closer to everything coming together, I think that’s when the wider public will really start to feel the momentum, too.