wonderful electric

In 1895, Blackburn’s first electric current was generated in this room. What began as a modest flicker, soon became a surge of energy that transformed the town. Electricity from this building powered the mills that defined Blackburn’s industrial strength, lit football floodlights that brought communities together, ran the first projectors of local cinemas, and sparked innovations in transport and manufacturing that reached far beyond Lancashire.

The energy that once drove Blackburn’s industry now fuels creativity. Within these original walls, a new kind of current is flowing, one powered by the imagination of young people working in collaboration with AI. Together, they co- create new forms of art, identity, and expression through workshops, exhibitions, and experimental projects.

Inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, where electricity animates new life, The Fuzebox becomes the stage for a different reawakening. Shelley’s story of creation, ambition, and the boundaries between life and machine becomes a lens through which we explore our own moment in time, where sentient AI is no longer fiction, but collaborator as young people and artificial intelligence come together to co-create new culture, from digital art and soundscapes to immersive experiences. The energy that once drove industry now powers creativity.

The first spark of electricity in Blackburn changed what was possible. Today, that spark is alive again, not just lighting rooms, but illuminating ideas. The current that once built our heritage now builds its future. The Fusebox is where the current continues.

Wonderful Electric is a series of permanent artworks at Blackburn Youth Zone’s 2025 development, funded by Heritage Lottery Fund.