Warrington competes to become UK City of Culture in 2021

Warrington is the only North West area to have entered the competition to become the third UK City of Culture, the Minister of State for Digital & Culture Matt Hancock announced today.

Alongside Warrington, the list includes Coventry, Hereford, Paisley, Perth, Portsmouth, St David’s and the Hundred of Dewisland, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Swansea and Wells.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has today committed £3m to the holder of the UK City of Culture title from 2021 onwards to boost local heritage.

To unlock the funds, the successful bidder will need to demonstrate that their programme is underpinned by heritage and builds on existing investment by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Digital & Culture, said: “UK City of Culture is a fantastic opportunity for towns and cities to celebrate their creativity and use culture as a catalyst for economic growth.

“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 today is yet another incentive for towns to secure this prestigious title.”

A shortlist of the bidding areas will be announced in the summer before the winning area is announced in December.

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If I had a vote,my choice from that list would be St.David’s.

By Elephant

2015: least cultured place in the UK http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britains-worst-places-for-culture-named-10515216

2017: bids for UK city of culture

By Tofu

I’ve always presumed you had to be an actual city to apply or at least a metro borough. Coventry would get my vote though.

By flan

Warrington will be the UK’s second city before you know it… No-one is talking about Manchester or Liverpool any more.

By Wire

Warrington is a Town?

By Craig Earley

Sraping the barrel here

By Rooney

I’ve nothing against Warrington, but it’s a city not at town, and it doesn’t have any discernible culture. For it to win the 2021 award would make a mockery of the present incumbent, Hull, which is genuinely deserving of the title. Still, I’d much rather see Warrington win than Stoke-on-Trent.

By Terry Dolan

Warrington is a successful place.The winners of this are generally a bit desperate.

By Elephant

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