Redruth steps into the spotlight with powerful new film for Town of Culture bid
Redruth has added “another iron in the fire” as it bids to become UK Town of Culture 2028, with a striking new film and poem created by one of Cornwall’s best‑known theatre‑makers.
The short film, written and performed by Will Coleman, is being shown at Redruth’s Regal Cinema and at The Ladder’s Kernow Kino event.
It uses poetry, performance and powerful imagery to explore Redruth’s past and present - and to make the case for why the town’s story matters now.
A small town with big ambitions
Redruth is a former industrial powerhouse. Once known as the richest square mile in the UK thanks to its mining wealth, it is now one of the most deprived areas in Cornwall.
Including surrounding mining villages, the wider area is home to more than 42,000 people - making it the most populous area in the Duchy.
In recent years, the town has begun a cultural and creative renaissance. New and revitalised spaces such as Kresen Kernow, Krowji, The Buttermarket and The Ladder have helped put arts, heritage and creativity at the heart of Redruth’s future.
Redruth now:
- Hosts the largest artist studio complex west of Bristol
- Is the third‑largest hub for digital businesses in the UK
- Is home to the UK’s largest heritage archive project
- Houses Cornwall’s largest creative employer
- Hosts around half of Cornwall’s Arts Council National Portfolio Organisations
Artists and creatives are increasingly drawn to Redruth as the most affordable place in Cornwall to live and work, and the town retains one of the strongest senses of Cornish identity anywhere in the county.
Will Coleman’s creative response
The new film is a single, artist‑led response to Redruth, described by organisers as a piece of art in its own right rather than a traditional “promotional” video.
Through a combination of spoken word, performance and carefully chosen locations, Coleman weaves together themes of:
- Mining and industrial heritage
- Migration and Cornish diaspora
- Language and identity
- Theatre, making and creativity
The work places Redruth’s present moment within a long line of making, performing and storytelling, connecting the town’s industrial past with its cultural future.
Coleman is a theatre‑maker, author, musician and educational consultant, best known for his work with Kneehigh Theatre and as founder of Golden Tree Productions.
In 2016 he created the Man Engine - the 40‑foot mechanical miner that toured Cornwall and beyond, bringing national attention to Cornwall’s mining heritage and UNESCO World Heritage status.
His latest commission forms part of his wider body of work exploring Cornish culture, language and landscape, including projects such as Kerdroya and the Go Cornish schools programme.
The film is also being shared online via Redruth’s Town of Culture 2028 Instagram account, underlining the campaign’s ambition to reach audiences well beyond the town itself.
Making the case for Town of Culture 2028
Redruth’s Town of Culture campaign is led by Redruth Town Council, the Redruth Cultural Consortium and The Ladder.
Together they are proposing a £3.5 million cultural programme for spring and summer 2028 if the bid is successful.
Joshua Nawras of The Ladder, which is partnering with Redruth Town Council on the bid, said the new film is designed to act as a clear cultural statement.
“We wanted the final word in this phase of the bid to come from an artist rooted in Cornwall,” he said.
“This film is a cultural statement. It speaks to where Redruth comes from and why that story matters now.”
The release of the film marks the final public moment in the current phase of the Town of Culture campaign, as the town waits to see whether its bid progresses.
Why Redruth’s story matters
Backers of the bid argue that Redruth has a vital role to play in telling a richer, more complex story of the UK - one that many people outside Cornwall have yet to hear.
Once defined by heavy industry, the town is now defined by creativity, resilience and cultural ambition. Its mix of deep‑rooted Cornish identity, cutting‑edge digital business and rapidly growing arts scene makes it, they say, the ideal candidate for UK Town of Culture.
With its new film and poem now on screen, Redruth is making its case not just with statistics and strategy, but with a strong creative voice – firmly rooted in Cornwall, and looking confidently to the future.