Exclusive:Paisley and Perth politicians eye bid for £3m UK Town of Culture
Arts minister Ian Murray said he has already received “some informal lobbying” from about the £3 million competition - and urged towns across Scotland to apply.
Paisley and Perth are two potential bidders for the first ever UK Town of Culture as applications open.
Arts minister Ian Murray said he has already received “some informal lobbying” from politicians about the £3 million competition.
The Edinburgh South MP encouraged all Scottish towns of to submit expressions of interest for the new competition before the March 31 deadline.
The competition intends to mirror the UK City of Culture competition, which Paisley unsuccessfully bid for in 2021.
Mr Murray said: “I’ve had some informal lobbying bids from colleagues already. [Labour West Scotland MSP] Neil Bibby from Paisley has been on the phone, asking what the criteria is for Paisley.
“[SNP MP for Perth and Kinross-shire] Pete Wishart has been talking about Perth and Perthshire because they bid before for various competitions.
“So we’re really encouraging local towns to come forward and also towns within the city regional space as well.
“Because, obviously we have our big cities, there’s towns attached that should be able to apply for these as well, using the power of the arts and culture offering in cities.”
He added: “We want as many bidders as possible. I would encourage, in particular, Scottish towns to bid.”
The strongest bids will progress to a shortlist, with each shortlisted town receiving £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition.
Three finalists - one small (up to 20,000 residents), one medium (between 20,000 and 75,000) and one large town (over 75,000) - will then be chosen.
The winner will be crowned UK Town of Culture 2028 and receive the £3m prize.
The two runners-up will each receive £250,000 to deliver elements of their bid.
The shortlist for UK Town of Culture 2028 expected to be announced this Spring.
When asked if there would be a specific number of Scottish towns on the shortlist, Mr Murray said: “There aren’t formal quotas in that sense, but the panel are well aware that they want this to be as varied as possible from around the country.
“Therefore when they’re thinking about bids, they’ll be thinking about - not just the bids themselves - but we’re looking at what the bids do for local communities.”
Applications will be judged on three main criteria: the unique story of the town, how the town will design a cultural programme for all and how the town will then deliver a successful programme.
The UK Governmet said the UK City of Culture, has delivered transformative benefits for its four winners.
Bradford, last year’s title holder, is projected to benefit from £389 million in growth across the district, with city centre footfall up 25% during its year in the spotlight.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “There is so much for us to be proud of in the towns we’re from - from the rich, local history to unique festivals and celebrations. They have shaped our national story for decades. Now it’s time they take centre stage and showcase the unique stories they have to tell.
“We have seen the transformative power of culture through the UK City of Culture competition. I want to make sure that towns have the same opportunity to make a real difference to their local community and show the world exactly why their town is so special.”
UK Town of Culture Chair, Sir Phil Redmond said:
“I am delighted to have been asked to Chair the new Town of Culture competition, as in the past it has been hard to adequately demonstrate the depth, breadth and diversity of the UK’s cultural landscape through the UK City of Culture’s urban lens.
“The two competitions will complement each other while providing more opportunities for more places to both demonstrate and celebrate that creativity is not confined to the great urban concert halls, theatres or galleries. It is in everything we do together. In every town, village, neighbourhood, street or road.
“UK Town of Culture asks what makes your town special? What makes its people proud to be there? And why should that be celebrated?”
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