'Winning would turbocharge culture in our town'

Towns are coming forward to enter a competition they say could "turbocharge' culture.

BBC Politics South has been speaking to councils in the south of England that are putting themselves forward to be UK Town of Culture 2028 to find out why.

Those involved say it could bring significant benefits including a £3m prize for the winner.

The competition has drawn bids in Hampshire from Lymington and Basingstoke.

In Dorset, there is a joint application from Weymouth and Portland and a combined bid from three towns in East Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Andy Martin, Cabinet Member for Culture at Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, says the bid will "turbocharge our cultural offering".

Wokingham and Slough in Berkshire and Banbury in Oxfordshire have also expressed an interest in the Town of Culture competition.

The winner has to demonstrate its town's unique story and the ability to design and deliver an inclusive year-long cultural programme.

Lymington has a number of cultural venues, including the St Barbes Museum and Gallery and The Malt cinema and theatre.

Cllr Jack Davies from the town council says the competition is an opportunity to showcase what else they have to offer: "Lymington and Pennington are two very unique parts of not just the New Forest culture but also the national story as well.

"From our salt industry in Pennington back in the Middle Ages to our maritime history, we have so much culture to offer.

"I want to shout about it, I want to make everyone aware There's a £3m prize as well, I mean that's what will come in handy."

Culture spokesperson at BCP Council, Andy Martin says three towns combined have a lot to offer: "It's a great opportunity for us to celebrate and promote our incredible, extraordinary cultural landscape across BCP.

"From Arts by the Sea to our world-class symphony orchestra, the fantastic museums, the amazing Boscombe Emerging Arts Festival, and all our community individuals, performers and artists across the whole conurbation.

"It's a real opportunity for us."

Reading in Berkshire and Portsmouth in Hampshire are bidding to become the next UK City of Culture in 2029.

Southampton was unsuccessful in its bid for the title in 2022, but the council says the city is still feeling an uplift in the arts, thanks to their bid.

Cllr Lorna Fielker says it was a wonderful thing to be part of: "What we've seen as a result of that bid is renewed interest in Southampton as a place.

"New activities for people who live here to do and it's attracting people to come in and spend their money here in the city which creates new jobs.

"We think it's been absolutely worth it and all our plans for the future of Southampton are absolutely built on what came out of that bid".

Applications for the award are open until the 31 March.

The shortlist of towns is expected to be announced this spring with the £3m first prize to be announced in early 2027.

Shortlisted towns will receive £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition and two runners-up for the main prize will get £250,000 to deliver elements of their vision.

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