The contest to be the UK City of Culture 2025 is officially on – and Carlisle has formally entered the running.
Carlisle – in a bid as part of The Borderlands region which is made up of Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, Northumberland and Cumbria – is among a record 20 entrants to be the UK’s next City of Culture, with representatives looking to show judges that they put culture at the heart of their community with their plans for recovery from the impact of COVID-19.
The competition is organised by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden said: “This record number of applications from all four corners of the country is testament to the huge success of City of Culture in generating investment, creating jobs and boosting local pride.
“This prestigious prize creates a fantastic opportunity for towns and cities to build back better from the pandemic and I wish all bidders the very best of luck.”
Carlisle City Council leader John Mallinson said that, if successful, the bid could transform Carlisle and the region culturally.
He said: “Obviously we are very excited about the bid and I think it’s a natural add-on to the wider Borderlands project, which will have profound implications for Carlisle in the coming years.”
Mayor of Carlisle Pamela Birks added: “I think that culture and heritage is vital as we come back to a normal way of living and I’ve been extremely fortunate to have done the Historic Quarter Art Trial and visited Prism Art.”
She saw the arts and culture offering of Carlisle to visitors as well as the community.
“Art is for everybody and it speaks to us all in different ways,” she added.
There is a bid from each UK nation, including Wolverhampton in England, Stirling in Scotland, Conwy County in Wales and a joint application from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon in Northern Ireland.
The 20 bidders will be reduced to a longlist in the coming weeks and then cut down further to a final shortlist in early 2022. The winner will be announced in May 2022.
Those longlisted will be awarded grants of £40,000 to support the next stage.
The successful area will take on the baton from Coventry, the 2021 UK City of Culture.
The full list of bidders for UK City of Culture 2025 are: Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon; The City of Bangor and Northwest Wales; The Borderlands region, comprising Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, Northumberland, Cumbria and Carlisle City; Bradford; Conwy County; Cornwall; Derby; County Durham; Lancashire; Medway; City of Newport; Powys; Southampton; Stirling; The Tay Cities region; Torbay and Exeter; Wakefield District; City of Wolverhampton; Wrexham County Borough; and Great Yarmouth and East Suffolk.Categories: CultureLocations: CarlisleAuthorities: Cumbria County Council.
