UK launches search for town of culture' among places written out of national story'

"The town of culture designation comes after the success of the cities of culture programme, which has put Derry, Hull, Coventry and, this year, Bradford in the limelight for a year, boosting the local economy, tourism, civic pride and access to the arts, according to its supporters. The government said the first winning town would get 3.5m to help it develop a cultural programme in the summer of 2028."

"She told the Guardian that too often the debate around art and culture was framed as an excellence-v-access debate. Actually, the vision in Bradford is exactly the vision we've got, which is access to excellence, she said. Great culture is everywhere, but the opportunity to showcase it, to put it on display and to weave it into our national story is not."

A national search aims to identify the UK's first Town of Culture, extending the Cities of Culture model that boosted Derry, Hull, Coventry and Bradford. The winning town will receive 3.5m to develop a cultural programme for summer 2028. The 2029 UK City of Culture competition has opened with a 10m government contribution announced. Visits to Bradford showcased projects including a Turner Prize exhibition at Cartwright Hall in Lister Park. The initiative emphasises access to excellence by showcasing local talent and integrating culture into the national story. The programme aims to ensure towns feel seen and valued.

Read at www.theguardian.com