Middlesbrough in the running to be named UK City of Culture 2029
Middlesbrough's one of nine places to be longlisted by the Government
Middlesbrough is in the running to be named UK City of Culture 2029.
The town now has £60,000 to strengthen its bid.
If Boro wins it'll host a year of cultural events and get a £10 million cash prize.
Middlesbrough is up against Blackpool, Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon and Wrexham.
The Government says winning this title will have enormous benefits for local communities, with previous hosts attracting millions of pounds in additional investment and thousands of visitors to their area, as well as generating new jobs.
Today’s announcement comes as over 230 towns have thrown their hat into the ring to become the UK’s first-ever Town of Culture by registering their interest in bidding for that title, like Bishop Auckland. Many towns have also declared that they will be submitting a bid, to highlight their unique story and the elements of their local culture and heritage that they would celebrate should they be successful.
The competition is open to applications from small, medium and large towns for just under two more weeks, with the winner then tasked with delivering a vibrant cultural programme in 2028.
The Government says both of these competitions are part of the Prime Minister’s ambition to restore pride in every part of Britain. Throughout this year, both competitions will continue to shine a light on local visions and voices from across the UK, which will encourage local investment, create a lasting sense of pride, and open doors to the arts for everyone.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “For far too long, opportunity has not been shared equally across the country. The UK City of Culture and new UK Town of Culture competitions recognise the enormous contributions made by communities all over the UK who are all part of the story of who we are as a nation.
“I look forward to seeing what the nine longlisted places have in store as they progress in the competition. I also urge any towns thinking about entering the UK Town of Culture competition to seize this opportunity and get involved. It’s a chance to show the country what makes them unique and shine a spotlight on their cultural offer, enriching the lives of local people.”
The UK City of Culture longlist was recommended by an independent expert advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond and supported by Deputy Chair, Claire McColgan. Panel members have been selected based on their wide range of expertise from across the UK.
They are:
• Sir Phil Redmond (Chair)
• Claire McColgan (Deputy Chair)
• Roberta Doyle (Scotland Representative)
• Dr Sarah Green OBE
• Shona McCarthy (Northern Ireland Representative)
• Jonothon Neelands
• Devinda De Silva (Wales Representative)
• Moira Sinclair OBE (England Representative)
• Trenton Tomlinson
• Megan Wastell
• Claire Whitaker CBE
The longlisted places will now work to finalise their bids, which will explain how they would use culture to create transformational opportunities and better lives for people living in their local area.
All nine longlisted places will receive £60,000 each to help them to develop their full bids for the competition - up from £40,000 since the last competition.
For the first time ever, there will be a confirmed cash prize of £10 million for the UK City of Culture winner to help them deliver a show-stopping year of rich cultural activity rooted in their unique identities and drawing on local strengths and stories. The three most impressive bids from places that reach the shortlist but are not selected as the winner will receive £125,000 each to help them to take forward elements of their bid.
Sir Phil Redmond, Chair of the City of Culture Expert Advisory Panel, said: “Once again, the UK City of Culture competition is providing bidders the opportunity to both demonstrate and experience a focused year, using culture as the creative catalyst for change, raising awareness and changing perceptions. Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and more recently Bradford, have all demonstrated the quality and depth of cultural activity embedded across the UK, as well as the benefits of simply taking part.
“The competition brings people together, to talk to each other rather than at each other, sharing commonality and tolerating difference. Above all, allowing places to demonstrate their own pride in their places.
“It is for these reasons that the new UK Town of Culture competition has been launched, to share the opportunities as wide as possible, with Expressions of Interest (EOI) due by the 31st March.”
The UK City of Culture 2029 winner will be announced later this year and will follow Bradford’s tenure as UK City of Culture 2025. Previous winners Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and Bradford have shown how the competition can deliver greater and long-lasting cultural participation, economic regeneration and local pride.
Last year Bradford led a showstopping cultural programme of 5,000 events - over 75% of which were free - that pulled in an audience of three million, involved over 650 local artists and organisations, and resulted in capital investment for more than 30 local cultural organisations. Bradford’s year in the spotlight also led to increased opportunities for local people to get involved with events, with over 87,000 residents taking part in key projects throughout the year.
There is also evidence that bidding to win City of Culture in its own right brings many benefits, including supporting a place to develop its cultural strategy and bring together key partners.
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke said: "Our bid takes Middlesbrough’s motto, ‘Erimus’, - which translates to ‘We Shall Be’ - literally.
"It brings together our history as an industrial powerhouse with our ambition to become the UK's most creative place.
"I am delighted that we've been longlisted for what would be a once in a generation opportunity to celebrate the creativity of our residents, artists and businesses and change how people view Middlesbrough."