Oswaldtwistle (/ˈɒzwəl.twɪzəl/ "ozwel twizzel") is a town in the Hyndburn borough of Lancashire, England, 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Blackburn, contiguous with Accrington.

The town has a rich industrial heritage, being home to James Hargreaves, inventor of the spinning jenny, and Robert "Parsley" Peel of calico printing fame.

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal passes through the town and was responsible for the export of much of the area's cotton produce.

Robert Peel was born at Peelfold (within the township) in 1723, and laid the family fortunes by innovations in calico printing.

[4] Robert Peel went into business with his Brother-in-law, Jonathan Haworth in 1760, establishing the Brookside Mill Calico Works, the remnants of which are still visible in Bury Meadow Nature Reserve.

[5] The soubriquet helps distinguish him from his son also Robert Peel, who was born at Peelfold in 1750 and went on to become a successful cotton mill owner (with large works at Bury and Burton on Trent), a very rich man, an MP and a Baronet.

The mechanisation of the textile industry (with the introduction of looms powered by steam engines from the 1820s onwards) resulted in redundancies, low wages, and hunger.

On 26 April, a large number of cotton workers attacked the factory in White Ash (Brookside Mill) in Oswaldtwistle, about a mile from Hargreaves' workshop, destroying looms and other equipment.

The remains of the site which includes two stone-built engine beds and a bank of 24 beehive type coke ovens are protected as a scheduled monument.

At its peak in the 1960s, Shopfitters (Lancashire) Ltd employed over 80 salesmen nationally, and had an annual turnover measured in millions, in an age when a new house cost about £3,000.

The first production performed at the Arts Centre was Romeo and Juliet, directed by young producer, Joanne Haworth.

The Centre is now home to a number of theatre groups, including ReAct Academy, Dramatic Annie, Sparks, Oswaldtwistle Players and St Mary's Panto among others.

The Civic Arts Centre is involved in local heritage projects, and organises outdoor festivals.

The committee was formed in June 2014, after a sixteen year gap, and the first event was successfully held that summer.