Family of Wigan artist Theodore Major 'will not be proceeding with the Haigh Hall project'

An exhibition of the Wigan artist’s work had been planned as one of the main attractions once the multi-million-pound transformation of the grade II*-listed building was complete.

But earlier this week artists Al and Al revealed the council had not renewed their contracts as creative directors and the Major family had pulled out of the project.

An email from Major’s granddaughter Ruth Owers, which was sent to Peter Hughes, service lead for culture at the council, on Tuesday, October 22, has now been seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In it, she says: “Regarding your letter dated October 14, 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.”

The email was sent just a day before Wigan Today reported Al and Al had departed from their roles as creative directors at Haigh Hall.

They had been working with the council to transform the building into a nationally significant arts, culture and heritage destination, complete with the Major exhibition, an area for children’s education, event space for weddings and parties, a rooftop terrace, restaurant, bar and more.

The pair said they were “assured” by the council that they would be creative directors until the project was complete – “perhaps for a period of 10 years” – but were told on October 1 that they would no longer be involved.

In a statement sent to Wigan Today, they said: “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’.”

Al and Al said the Major family, whose ancestors lived at Haigh Hall, had also decided to end their support for the regeneration project.

The move has sparked a backlash on the Friends of Haigh Hall Heritage and Open Access For All Facebook page, with contributors launching a petition calling for Al and Al’s reinstatement, which has been signed by 675 people so far.

A council spokesperson said: “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.”