Community engagement record

William Blake, Job and His Family Restored to Prosperity, from Illustrations of the Book of Job (detail). Source: William Blake Archive →

Community engagement · 2024–2026

Saving Blake Cottage is a shared endeavour. Alongside conservation work, the Trust brings people together through school projects, public tours, talks, creative activities and practical volunteering. Visits and discussions with artists, scholars, museums and other organisations connect the cottage with audiences locally, nationally and overseas.

This record brings those activities together by year, with the most recent first. Entries within each year run from newest to oldest; activities known only by month or season are grouped approximately. Forthcoming activities appear separately below.Browse the illustrated activity archive →

2026

20 October · The Trust visited BLAM furniture makers with the president of Bruce Dickinson’s fan club to film the construction of the replica Blake printing press. The press will help bring Blake’s working methods to life.

12 October · Arts Council England visited the cottage.

10 October · A further heritage open day gave visitors the opportunity to see the cottage while conservation work is still in progress.

9 October · Chichester Festival Theatre’s creative director and members of the A Midsummer Night’s Dream cast visited the cottage, extending connections with the region’s theatre community.

8 October · Arun Arts Centre visited the cottage, developing links with local arts organisations.

6 October · The Trust gave an interview for a forthcoming feature in Britain magazine, introducing the cottage and its conservation to a wider readership.

5 October · The Trust met artist Hideyuki Sobue to discuss a Blake-related touring art project.

5 October · Local artist Annie Rolls met the Trust to discuss how she could support its work.

2 October · Heritage company Tricolour visited the cottage.

23 September · Collective Wisdom, engaged to advise on how The Blake Cottage Trust can best communicate its work, visited the cottage and village, meeting former owners’ families, the local church and ambassadors.

23 September · A former resident shared David Dimbleby’s 2005 film of the cottage, adding to the material available to tell its story.

19 September · Amazon’s senior leadership visited to explore future staff development and volunteering opportunities at the cottage.

18 September · Local building companies visited the cottage for the first time, introducing them to the conservation project.

17 September · Young people helped distribute the community survey to households in Elmer and Middleton, inviting more local residents to help shape the cottage’s future.

16 September · West Dean College’s principal and senior management team visited the cottage, strengthening connections with arts and conservation education.

13 & 15 September · Nick Tyson and Joe Thompson led oversubscribed Heritage Open Days tours. Visitors saw conservation work in progress, while the Trust gained experience to help plan tours around the 2027 bicentenary. Read about the Heritage Open Days →

September · School arts workshops continued, while house-to-house survey distribution in Bognor, Elmer and Middleton invited local views on the project.

August–September · Delia Ryan organised practical volunteering at the cottage. Amazon volunteers also helped clear the garden and rooms, contributing hands-on support for the conservation work. See the volunteers at work →

29 July · Doug Nicholls, Sarah Parker and ambassador Liz Thiel joined Barry Smith of the South Downs Poetry Festival at West Sussex Record Office to examine original documents from Blake’s 1804 sedition trial. See the trial-records visit →

20 July · The Morgan Library visited ahead of its Blake exhibition, connecting the Felpham cottage with an international centre for Blake scholarship.

16 July · Professors Amy Weldon and Thomas Ward visited the cottage. Blake scholar Aidan Bappoo also gave a public lecture, sharing research with a wider audience. Read Amy Weldon’s account of her visit →

10 July · Poets, musicians, artists and supporters gathered at the cottage to celebrate Allen Ginsberg’s centenary and his connection with Blake.

8 July · Artist and Trust ambassador Jeremy Deller visited the cottage to discuss further artistic collaboration.

Spring–summer · Primary-school pupils submitted more than 200 garden designs from five schools, imagining how the cottage garden could reflect Blake’s ideas. See the winning garden designs →

Spring–summer · School songwriting, arts and heritage projects introduced pupils to Blake’s work. A local youth choir initiative developed with the church and primary schools.

Spring–summer · Volunteers transported and began cataloguing Dr Keri Davies’s gift of more than 600 Blake-related books, helping establish a resource for future readers and researchers. Read the Sussex Express report on the library gift →

19–26 June · Artists and composers visited the cottage, and Sussex members of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings toured the conservation project.

16–29 May · The Trust welcomed Australian visitors, benefited from Jan Woolf’s art auction and discussed collaboration with local pubs, extending support both locally and overseas.

6 May · Work on a People’s Friend feature brought the cottage’s story to a new publication and its readers.

29 April · A heritage photographer recorded the building, creating a visual record of this stage of conservation.

9 April · Belgian artists and members of the Blake Fellowship visited, extending the cottage’s artistic and international connections.

30 March · Ambassador Rebecca Marks shared a film of her cottage visit, introducing the project to her online audience.

18–23 March · Talks to Petworth History Society and Worthing Mothers’ Guild shared the cottage’s history and the Trust’s plans with local groups.

12 March · Writer Iain Sinclair visited the cottage, strengthening links with the wider literary community.

From 9 March · Work with 39 Youth Club and Artswork developed Blake-inspired murals for the Hotham Way subway, bringing young people’s creativity into a public space. See the subway murals →

February · Discussions with councillors and residents considered transport and local access to the cottage.

12 January · Felpham Village Conservation Society circulated drawings of the cottage plans, helping local people understand the proposals.

January · Musician Ian Anderson visited the cottage.

January · A New Year gathering thanked local volunteers. Interpretation and bicentenary working groups brought together people helping shape the cottage’s future public programme.

2025

December · St Mary’s carol service, Blake Angel projections and angel leaflets in local shops connected the project with village Christmas celebrations.

13 December · Patron Bruce Dickinson visited the cottage following the roof restoration. BBC South filmed the visit, sharing progress with a regional audience. Read the BBC report on Bruce Dickinson’s visit →

December · Year 12 students made a filmed interview with building historian Nick Tyson, exploring the cottage and its conservation. Volunteers also helped prepare rafter timbers by stripping bark. Watch the students’ interview →

3 December · A poetry competition celebration at Bognor Regis Library brought writers and listeners together to share Blake-inspired work. Read the winning poems →

27 November · A presentation to Voluntary Action Arun & Chichester introduced the project to the local voluntary sector.

November · Local discussions considered parking and access, while volunteers helped with work on the cottage’s eastern extension.

6 November · Residents came together at a public meeting to hear about the cottage and discuss its future.

October · The cottage featured at Wimbledon BookFest, reaching an audience interested in books, writers and their lives.

2 October · A talk to the Trefoil Guild in Worthing shared the cottage’s history and the conservation campaign.

28 September · A benefit play, Jack Boyd’s church performance and Jane Summerville’s guided walk offered different ways for local audiences to encounter Blake and support the cottage. Read about the September programme →

27–28 September · The established local BlakeFest brought performances, music, walks, storytelling and workshops to Felpham and Bognor Regis. Read about Open Days and BlakeFest →

16 September · Nick Tyson led the Trust’s first Heritage Open Days tours, opening the conservation project to visitors. Read about the first Heritage Open Days →

September · Films of the new thatching and press coverage shared the skilled work restoring the roof with people unable to visit. Watch the cottage film and browse restoration coverage →

Summer · A talk to Yapton WI introduced the campaign to another local group. Printmaking and heritage specialists contributed ideas for future activity.

12–21 June · Discussions with museums and the National Trust explored shared promotion and opportunities to involve their audiences.

4 June · The Trust introduced the project to the General Federation of Trade Unions and gave a presentation to Tangmere History Group.

June · Felpham residents and supporters, including school students, joined a British Library manuscripts tour, connecting local interest in Blake with major national collections.

16–25 May · An information day for councillors, links with Chichester University and visits by journalists introduced the project to civic, educational and media audiences.

15 May · Bognor Regis Local History Society presented a donation to support building archaeology at the cottage.

8 May · Village VE Day celebrations included student readings, a Trust stall and conversations about volunteering and the cottage’s future.

May · Film and immersive-media companies explored ways to tell the cottage’s story to new audiences.

4–5 April · Discussions with the Thomas Paine Society in Hastings explored related historical interests. A volunteer researched historic cottage postcards for a local museum display.

April · The Trust’s chair joined local artists discussing the district’s cultural strategy. The Blake Experience consultation document invited community partners to consider the project’s future.

18 March · The Trust discussed a potential partnership with the Weald & Downland Living Museum.

March onwards · Volunteers continued site clearance and maintenance, and a ceramicist developed a Blake-inspired fundraising plate.

21 February · A visit from a US supporter helped develop an American network of people interested in the cottage.

12–17 February · Pub collection boxes, a talk to Sidlesham WI and a Rotary Club presentation offered local people more ways to hear about and support the campaign.

23 January · The Tin and Wireworkers Guild heard a presentation about plans for a replica Blake printing press.

22 January · Ambassador John Higgs promoted the cottage on BBC Radio 4, reaching listeners beyond the local area.

Early 2025 · Doug Nicholls spoke to Bognor Regis Local History Society, and actor Ruth Rosen prepared a local benefit performance.

2024

10 December · Arun District Council’s chief executive visited the cottage to see the project first-hand.

25–27 November · Billy Bragg’s fundraising guitar auction brought the conservation campaign to his supporters and music audiences. Read the BBC auction announcement →

28 October · Blake scholars visited the cottage, developing research connections around the building and the Blakes’ time in Felpham.

8–9 October · West Sussex heritage police and World Monuments Fund staff visited the cottage, bringing specialist heritage organisations into contact with the project.

26 September · A talk to Sussex Women’s Institute shared the cottage’s story with members from across the county.

19 September · A public meeting at Felpham Community College invited residents to discuss a new future for the cottage with the trustees. Read about the public consultation →

11–12 September · Artist Tacita Dean’s appointment as an ambassador introduced the campaign to further artistic audiences.

September · Audience research drew together consultation findings. Former residents and owners’ families visited, contributing connections with the cottage’s more recent history.

10 August–20 September · An online public consultation invited views on the cottage’s future.

31 August · The Trust joined Fun on the Prom, talking with seafront visitors about Blake and the cottage. See the Trust at Fun on the Prom →

August–September · Links with Sussex Women’s Institutes and Felpham History Society developed, while national and local press coverage widened awareness. Read the Guardian’s conservation report →

6 July · A stall at Felpham Fete invited visitors to discuss the project and contribute to the survey. Read about the early community consultation →

July · Music in the Park offered another opportunity to meet local people through a Trust stall, survey and children’s activities. Read about listening to local people →

July · Andrew Graham-Dixon’s cottage film, local filmmakers’ visits and International Times coverage brought the campaign to new audiences. Watch Andrew Graham-Dixon’s cottage film →

July · The Trust began discussions with Bognor Makerspace and welcomed Bognor Regis Museum’s committee for a study visit.

July · A cottage pamphlet circulated locally, and volunteers helped clear the garden.

July · World Monuments Fund engagement, K4K filming and discussions with Tate colleagues explored how heritage and arts organisations could help connect the cottage with wider audiences.

June · A film student made a video about the project. Links developed with Blake organisations, musicians and local community partners.

May · Bruce Dickinson spoke about the cottage on BBC Radio 4 and announced his patronage to an international audience.

May · A local artist donated cottage prints, and the Trust and its ambassadors joined a Blake discussion at Sotheby’s.

May · A new Trust website made information about the cottage and the campaign more widely available.

April · The Artists’ Union of England, new social media channels and a presentation to Felpham Parish Council introduced the campaign to artists and local representatives.

March · Camila Oliveira wrote about Blake and the cottage, while Alexandra Harris’s The Rising Down explored Blake’s Sussex connections. Read Camila Oliveira’s essay →

March · Chelsea Arts Club shared the project with its members, and a trustee presented at a Ginsberg symposium.

January · The Trust began discussions with the BBC about Blake and the Proms.

Planned activities · 2026

The following activities were planned as at 21 October 2026. They are listed newest first and are not records of completed events.

5 December · Garden sculpture workshop planned at Felpham Village Hall.

22 November · Arts workshop planned with Chichester Arts Group.

11 November · Workshop creating images for garden sculpture planned at Felpham Community College.

24 October · Doug Nicholls is scheduled to speak to West Sussex Archives Society.

22 October · Doug Nicholls is scheduled to give an evening talk at The Track, Bognor Regis, with the business development partnership.

Continuing involvement

Felpham’s “Heavy Gang” and other volunteers give practical help with clearance and care of the site. Newsletters and social media keep supporters informed and introduce the project to new audiences. Community and visitor consultation invites local views on access, conservation and future activity.

The Cottage and Garden Interpretation Group and the #Blake200 Events Working Group bring together people helping shape the cottage’s future public programme. The Trust’s #Blake200 activities for the 2027 bicentenary are distinct from the established local BlakeFest.Back to News & community →