WARRINGTON’S bid to become City of Culture for 2021 is officially up and running.
Warrington is one eleven towns and cities who have now put their names forward to become UK City of Culture in 2021.
Joining Warrington are Perth, Paisley, Stoke, Sunderland, Coventry, Hereford, Portsmouth, Wells, Swansea and the smallest city in Britain, St Davids.
The winning city will succeed Hull, which is the City of Culture for 2017.
The Heritage Lottery Fund has pledged to give £3m to the winning city.
The successful bidder will have to prove its bid is centred around heritage, and that it will build on existing investment it gets from the lottery fund.
All final bids need to be submitted by the end of April. A shortlist will be announced in July and the winning city named in December.
Minister for Digital and Culture, Matt Hancock, said it would be a “fantastic opportunity” to use culture “as a catalyst for economic growth”.
He added:”I am delighted to see so many bids from across the country, showing how many areas recognise the important role culture can play in the development and regeneration of communities.
“UK City of Culture helps boost tourism and raises the profile of arts and culture.
“The exciting funding commitment from the Heritage Lottery Fund is yet another incentive for towns to secure this prestigious title.”
warrington-worldwide is proud to be a primary sponsor of the bid.
Editor Gary Skentelbery said:” I know there will be people out there knocking our town’s ambition but this is a great opportunity to promote our town in a positive light – with great economic benefits if successful.
“I would urge everyone to get behind this bid and work together as team Warrington.”
16 Comments
warrington worldwide is proud to be backing the bid
Hi Gary
What is the total cost of the bid?
And from which of the council’s many pockets is the money going to come? Was the earmarked sum listed in Cllr Bowden’s recent budget? Given the potential of a £3 million windfall if WBC is lucky, where is the rest of the money going to come from to showcase the town’s heritage?
Not sure of exact coatings yet but considerably less than what can be achieved with if successful! Some funding is also coming Friday m the private sector via sponsorship
Hi One Don Management Limited is Warrington based and has many talented Musicians/ Singer Songwriters producing fantastic music. One Don Managements team is fully behind this bid and would express its interest to be involved. Please contact 07903655008 or email at [email protected].
Look forward to hearing from you
Heritage?
But every historic building the council has has its hands on has been allowed to fall into ruin and then buy demolished. The conservation area in the town centre was listed at risk last time I looked and the lib dems flogged off all the green space last time they were in power and, snd I hate to point out the elephant in the room, Warrington isn’t a city, though the traffic planners have managed to create city sized traffic jams by misplacing the traffic lights. Does anyone else think this is nuts?
It doesn’t need to be a city to enter though does it? No elephants but at least one ass 😉
Do you know where us mere mortals can read all the information submitted in the councils bid and their case for the hopeful ‘City of Culture for 2021’ status ? (preferably an online link if you know of one, ta).
A £3 million handout would be good for Warrington….saying that how far does £3 million go these days 🙁
I seem to remember it cost way over £1 million just for the Town Hall’s Bank Park recent ‘regeneration’…
From what I understand, the £3 million merely goes towards the cost of staging the event. I understand Hull has spent £32 million overall but expects to get £180 million back in the local economy. How much of this then goes back to repaying the public funds, I have no idea
£3.million wouldn’t pay for the overspend on the new Sankey Live Wire project.
and nor should it. That isn’t what it’s for.
That’s as maybe. But if this jolly goes ahead, as a later report now confirms, Live Wire with its ‘cultural connections’ will inevitably be involved and since money seems to be hemoraging to keep current LW projects afloat that £3 million, if we are lucky, will be useful.
Mr. Positive strikes again with his latest hobby horse.
Followed by http://www.gghtorguk.n.nu Independent tenants site…
I think this is worth supporting.
I think that any spare money ought to be spent on Older Peoples homes, inspection of the same, what use is a city of culture if we cannot look after our many groups of vulnerable people including places for the homeless to go during the day. The YMCA does a good job, and that could have funded it for a good few
years. It is a socialist town, why not act like one and improve the housing and living conditions for its people.
AGGIE