Stockton bidding to be the first UK Town of Culture

Stockton town has launched an ambitious bid to be crowned UK Town of Culture 2028.

The prestigious new national competition, part of the Government's Plan for Change, aims to drive local economic growth and opportunity, create a lasting sense of pride in towns, and open doors to the arts for everyone.

The winning town which is recognised for delivering a vibrant cultural programme will be awarded a £3 million prize to help deliver a major cultural programme in 2028. The two runners-up will each receive £250,000 to deliver some of the key elements highlighted in their bid.

Cllr Lisa Evans, Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "There is so much for us to be proud of in Stockton, from the rich history that has shaped our story and culture to our unique and hugely popular festivals and celebrations, and it's time to show the world exactly why the town is so special!

"We would encourage residents, businesses, investors and visitors alike to get behind our ambitious UK Town of Culture bid and help us shape a programme that showcases everything that makes Stockton town such a remarkable place."

The bid aims to rebalance the cultural map — proudly showing that our small northern town punches above its weight in not only driving the future of culture, talent and ambition, but bringing world class culture to Stockton as that's what our residents expect and deserve.

Culture is also a vocational calling for many who live and work in the town and a calling for others to experience and participate in cultural events and initiatives.

The bid, a collective of cultural partners from a host of Stockton town centre venues and organisations alongside Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, sets out a programme which will explore how culture and towns serve community happiness through three themes: Connection, Creativity and Confidence.

To illustrate why Stockton is fully worthy of the UK Town of Culture 2028 title, the bid highlights:

• The town's significant historical global influence. The first passenger train arrived in the town 200 years ago on the Stockton and Darlington Railway - and transformed forever how the world traded, travelled and communicated. John Walker invented the friction match here and we built landing craft for D-Day.
• Connecting communities and promoting enjoyment with iconic festivals and cultural town centre venues like the Globe, Arc, The Georgian Theatre and Ku, and collaborating closely with venue operators and cultural representatives from the town and far beyond. Every summer the world-renowned Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) transforms the town centre landscape with a blaze of colour and sound, uniting local and international artists alongside a joyful community carnival.
• Stockton is leading the way in showing how twenty first century town centres can be transformed into attractive cultural spaces for all the community. The soon-to-open Stockton Waterfront urban park will provide an iconic civic space three-times the size of Trafalgar Square for residents and visitors, reconnecting the town to the Tees.

Cllr Evans added: "Stockton helped shape this country and Stockton is now redesigning itself and ready to be a national cultural blueprint again.

"Being crowned Town of Culture 2028 would amplify this connectivity and provide a once-in-a-generation boost for community confidence.

"Stockton has always been a town in which culture has the greatest power to make a difference to people's lives and bring different communities together. For us that mutual care and humanity IS our culture, how we are and how we live, in public, together.

"Our culture is one of shared experiences, communities standing side-by-side, revelling in joy and wonder. This is a culture we are proud to promote to the world."

Richard Drake, from Drake the Bookshop on Silver Street, which is part of the collective, said: "We have been honoured to be a part of the fabric of the town of Stockton for the last 10 years or so and equally thrilled to be involved in the application process as Stockton looks to become the Town of Culture.

"It seems particularly fitting that we can shout from the rooftops about what a rich and vibrant feel the town has during the National Year of Reading.

"Over the years we have been proud to bring many children's authors to Stockton and we are always blown away by the level of enthusiasm and engagement that the children have shown and this recognition would only serve to bolster the way the next generation feel about literature, music, and the brilliant community."

Alexander Ferris, Chief Executive & Creative Director at ARC, also part of the collective, said: "Stockton has always been a place where culture lives in the spirit and heart of its people - whether it's communities coming together to share their stories, crowds filling the town centre for SIRF or the thousands of audience members visiting so many cultural venues week in, week out.

"For us at ARC, Stockton has always quietly been a town of culture. This opportunity would give us the chance to turn the volume up, inspire the next generation and celebrate the voices and stories of young people, communities and artists who call Stockton-on-Tees home.

"We are ready to give the creativity of this great town its deserved place on the national stage."

The UK Town of Culture 2028 competition is open to small, medium and large towns, with shortlisted towns announced later this Spring. Finalists and the overall winner will be announced early next year.