New Town Of Culture Competition To Shine A Spotlight On The Contribution Of Northern Ireland Towns That Tell National Story

The contribution of Northern Ireland towns will be celebrated through a new UK Town of Culture competition launched by the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy today.

The UK Town of Culture competition will be targeted at small and medium sized towns, enabling them to tell their unique story and shining a spotlight on the important role that towns play in our national life. 

It has been confirmed today that the winning town will be awarded £3.5 million to help them deliver a cultural programme during the summer of 2028, harnessing what makes their town special. Shortlisted towns will receive £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competitions. 

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 has gone live today with expressions of interest able to be submitted, from cities, large towns, regions and groupings of places across the UK invited to apply.  

For the first time ever, there will be a confirmed cash prize of £10 million for the 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.

To encourage as many places as possible across the country to bid and to benefit from the UK City of Culture process, longlisted places will receive £60,000 each to help them to develop their full bids for the competition. The 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 and deliver real change for their local area. 

The criteria for UK City of Culture has also been updated to make the competition more accessible to large towns, focusing on creating transformational opportunities and richer lives for people across the UK, delivering local impact and empowering communities to shape their bids.

Both competitions support the government's Plan for Change mission to break down barriers to opportunity, driving local economic growth and creating jobs across the UK as we head towards a decade of national renewal.

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.

“We already know from UK City of Culture that winning, and even bidding for, these titles brings real benefits - jobs, investment, and opportunities for people to get creative and learn new skills. Now I want towns to be able to get these benefits too and that is why I am proud to launch the UK Town of Culture competition. 

“Every place has a story worth telling so I want to encourage towns across Northern Ireland to step forward and show us what makes them special.” 

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, said:

“Winning the first ever City of Culture Award over a decade ago continues to be a source of great pride for Derry-Londonderry. It delivered economic and cultural benefits which energised this historic city and attracted new investment.

“It’s fantastic to see the UK Town of Culture initiative open, and I encourage Northern Ireland towns to apply for this opportunity to showcase their unique local culture and history.”

The competitions will build on the success of the UK City of Culture programme, which has gone from strength to strength since the first winner - Derry-Londonderry in 2015. It has seen significant lasting and transformative impacts across the winning places, Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and Bradford, extending well beyond the title year. This includes over £1 billion of additional investment added to local economies of past host cities, increased jobs, tourism and local pride.

Derry-Londonderry delivered significant benefits during its year as UK City of Culture in 2013, including: 

• School children surveyed being 84% more proud to be from the city

• 81% of all residents attending a City of Culture event

• £160 million in capital investment due to holding the UK City of Culture title

• The completion of the Guildhall, major public realm along the river, Ebrington Square and the Peace Bridge leveraging major renewal in formerly dilapidated areas of the city

• Significant employment growth effects arising from its UK City of Culture year, and

• Visitor trips increased by over one third in 2014 compared with 2011.

Expressions of Interest for UK City of Culture 2029 are now open. Applications for Town of Culture 2028 will open shortly.

Chair of the UK City of Culture independent expert advisory panel, Sir Phil Redmond said: 

“The UK City of Culture competition is a huge prize and one well worth bidding for as witnessed by the positive impact the year has had on Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and already now in Bradford.

“It is great therefore, that the new Town of Culture competition will allow more places to experience the catalytic effect that culture can deliver, while raising awareness both internally and externally across the UK. That in turn brings increased visitors, a greater sense of local pride and a deeper understanding of what binds our four nations together.”

Dan Bates, Executive Director and Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture: 

“Bradford 2025 is the first UK City of Culture to be embedded in its surrounding district, reaching far beyond the city centre into villages, towns and the countryside. We've seen the real impact that has made - from artists bringing creativity to care home residents, vibrant murals bringing colour to the streets, performances in parks instilling community pride, and investment in cultural buildings ensuring access to the arts for years to come - all celebrating Bradford and making it an even better place to live. 

“Delivering this designation has been a huge privilege, and as we prepare to pass the baton on to the next holder of the UK City of Culture title, we're delighted to be supporting the launch of the new Town of Culture competition.”