Christopher BarrettThe Department for Culture, Media and Sport has launched the UK Town of Culture competition, with the winning town awarded £3.5 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028.
DCMS said the competition will be targeted at small and medium sized towns, with shortlisted towns to receive £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition.
Applications for the competition will be judged on three main criteria:
- Your story – the unique story of the town
- Culture for everyone – how the town will design a cultural programme for all
- Making it happen – how the town will then deliver a successful programme
Separately, the UK City of Culture 2029 competition was also launched today. DCMS said it has updated the criteria for the competition to make it more accessible to large towns. Expressions of interest can be submitted from cities, large towns, regions and groupings of places across the UK.
For the first time, the Government will provide a prize of £10 million for the UK City of Culture winner, which it said would help them deliver a year of cultural activity rooted in their identities and drawing on local strengths and stories. All longlisted places will receive £60,000 to help them develop their bids, and the three most impressive bids will receive £125,000.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said, “For far too long, too many people have felt left out of our national story. These competitions are our chance to change that by shining a light on the places that have shaped our cultural life but haven’t always had the recognition they deserve.”
DCMS said the UK City of Culture programme has seen significant lasting benefits for the winning places, which include Coventry and Bradford, resulting in more than £1 billion of additional investment in local economies along with an increase in jobs and tourism.