Keighley prepares bid to be UK Town of Culture

Keighley has announced it will bid to become the UK's first Town of Culture in 2028.

The competition was set up by the government following the success of UK City of Culture, which was awarded to Bradford last year.

Nearby Ilkley and Halifax are among nine other Yorkshire towns to have expressed an interest in the inaugural competition.

Keighley town clerk Joe Cooney said becoming Town of Culture would be a "game changer" for the area as well as giving the town a chance to "tell our story".

He said: "Keighley's a great place to live and the people who live here are very proud of their town.

"We've got a lot to shout about. Culture is everything, from our environment, to our buildings, our people and our history, not to mention our sport. We want to pull all of those strands together.

"We've got so much to offer. Our buildings and architecture are some of the best you'll find across the North of England."

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has pledged £3m worth of funding for the winner of the title, which is due to decided next year.

Cooney said the town council wanted to try to "change perceptions" about Keighley with its bid and added that the opportunity to secure a significant investment for the town was too "amazing" to be passed up.

He also said Keighley would look to "build on the legacy" of Bradford 2025.

"Bradford 2025 was district-wide and Keighley got some benefit from it," he added.

"But Keighley's big enough to stand on its own two feet. It's a big town.

"Bradford's had it's time in the spotlight last year - it's now time for Keighley to have its time in the spotlight in 2028 and show what we can do, and not necessarily in the shadow of our big brother next door."

Julie Webster, who has lived in Keighley all her life, said she believed the town would benefit from the cultural title because the area had been "forgotten" about.

"This town used to be absolutely thriving," she said. "It's gone to nothing. We need more shops and the market needs to be sorted out.

"People used to come to Keighley to shop. It's heartbreaking to see it on a Saturday afternoon now, it's dead."

Beth Cunningham, 71, said she believed Keighley was "underrated" and had been "overlooked" for a long time.

"Keighley is just so rich in history and there's a lot of talent here as well," she said.

"It's quite a distinctive town. There's some lovely parks and gardens and canalside walks, and there's lots of history as well.

"There's a basic kindness and down-to-earthness in this area and it would be nice if things could be done to nurture those qualities."

Amber Bliss, 23, said becoming the Town of Culture would help bring people from different backgrounds closer together.

"If people can see each other's cultures and find things they've got in common, it couldn't be anything other than a good thing," she said.

"If the arts in and around the town and things like the market got a breath of fresh life that would be amazing."

Scarborough, Knaresborough, Whitby, Richmond, Pocklington, Driffield and Beverley are the other towns across Yorkshire to have indicated they will bid for the title ahead of the DCMS deadline at the end of March.

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