Penrith has missed out on a place on the shortlist for the Government’s Town of Culture 2028 programme.
But town leaders say the bid has already delivered a boost for arts, culture and community partnerships.
The market town was among 398 applicants from across the UK vying for a place in the inaugural competition, with just 15 towns making the shortlist.
But Penrith Town Council said despite the outcome, the process has helped forge stronger links between local organisations and generated fresh ideas that could still be brought forward in the coming years.
The bid set out a vision for a year-long programme of cultural events and activities celebrating Penrith’s heritage, creativity and community spirit, built around the themes of place, people and purpose.
Proposals included using the town’s streets, parks, public spaces and venues to host exhibitions, workshops, performances and community-led projects aimed at making culture more visible and accessible.
The submission also explored how arts and culture could help tackle wider issues facing communities, including improving wellbeing, supporting the town centre, encouraging volunteering and creating opportunities for young people and emerging creatives.
Ideas put forward included pop-up exhibitions, heritage storytelling projects, creative commissions, walking routes and hands-on activities designed to encourage residents, visitors, community groups and businesses to get involved.
Councillor Val Bowen, chair of Penrith Town Council and mayor of Penrith, said the town should still be proud of what had been achieved.
She said: “While we are naturally disappointed that Penrith has not been shortlisted, we should also be proud of the strength of the bid and the ambition it showed for our town.
“With 398 applications submitted and only 15 selected for the shortlist, this was an extremely competitive process.
“The process has still been extremely worthwhile. It has brought new energy to conversations about arts and culture in Penrith, strengthened the Town Council’s Arts and Culture Group and reminded us that the work our communities are doing has real value.
“We now want to build on that momentum by bringing more organisations and community groups together, widening participation and celebrating the creativity that already exists across Penrith. I would encourage anyone who wants to be involved to come forward and help us make Penrith shine.”
The council says attention will now turn to building on the enthusiasm generated through the bid and exploring opportunities to develop some of the projects and partnerships identified during the process.
