Stockton Town among elite 15 shortlisted for first UK Town of Culture
Stockton town has been shortlisted in the race to be crowned UK Town of Culture 2028!
Stockton is one of only 15 towns to make it onto the shortlist unveiled today (Thursday 9 July) from nearly 400 applications for the inaugural competition.
The high-profile national contest, 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.
Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said of Stockton's bid: "What our industrial towns make and build forges the heart of their culture and identity. Stockton Town Centre Ward's cultural scene has so much to shout about, from a riverside festival to having the widest high street in the country! I can't wait to see the final bid."
Cllr Lisa Evans, Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "To be shortlisted for this prestigious accolade from such a high number of entries is wonderful news for Stockton town!
"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 we were delighted to see the Secretary of State highlight our famous flagship event, the Stockton International Riverside Festival, which next year is due to celebrate its 40th birthday!
"Now it's time to show the world exactly why Stockton town is so special!"
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.
Stockton town's bid was put together by a collective of cultural partners from a host of Stockton town centre venues and organisations, alongside Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. The submissions sets out ambitions across three themes; Connection, Creativity and Confidence, bringing people together to celebrate our pride in historic achievements and harness the friendly and entrepreneurial spirit of our residents and businesses.
To illustrate why Stockton is fully worthy of the UK Town of Culture 2028 title, the bid highlighted:
- 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 newly-opened Stockton Waterfront urban park provides 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 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."
Each shortlisted town will receive a £60,000 bid development grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and be invited to submit a full application.
Finalists and the overall winner will be announced next summer.
