'Creativity meets innovation' in City of Culture bid

When asked what makes Exeter special, many may think of heritage buildings such as Exeter Cathedral or maybe its Roman history. But those behind its 2029 City of Culture bid say they want to combine its rich past with looking forward into the future.

In addition to involving the city's many cultural institutions, artists and performers, local leaders want to celebrate Exeter's role in sport and mark its work in advancing science and innovation.

Exeter City Council's bid for City of Culture has been developed after five months of consultation with creatives in the city to come up with a five-year cultural strategy.

Council Deputy Leader Laura Wright, a musician herself, said she knew how important theatre, music and art were to the city and she wanted to involve everybody in the bid to make Exeter a better place to live.

She said: "We've held really big sporting events here: the Women's Rugby World Cup, we hosted some of the games, that was a key thing for us.

"Science and Innovation is massive for us here too, with the university, the Met Office and the science park.

"Culture isn't just an arty thing. It is that, but it's also a culture of how people think, innovate and learn."

Bosses at the Northcott Theatre said they thought being rooted in the community was an important element of Exeter's bid.

Shows such as Exe Men, The Commotion Time and their upcoming play in July about Daphne du Maurier have either featured local stories or writers, community ensembles and local talent.

Northcott creative director Martin Berry said he recognised the national platform the bid could give Exeter would also elevate such work.

He said: "There's a sense sometimes in the South West that we are the poorer cousin, if you like, to some other parts of the country.

"But it's a load of rubbish. We don't believe that for a moment."

He added that the investment a winning bid would bring could showcase more local talent.

"What a brilliant thing it would be to tell even more of those stories, of this city and this region," he said.

Helen Hartstein, museum manager of Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, agreed.

She said: "It's a really great opportunity for us to celebrate the cultural life of the city, the creativity and community spirit that makes Exeter such a wonderful and special place."

Exeter will be competing against Plymouth, Bristol and Portsmouth, among others, for the title.

If it makes the long list, the city will be given £60,000 by the government to formally write up its bid.

The overall winning city will get £10m in funding to create a year-long celebration of arts and culture.

The city's creatives are already meeting in special workshops to discuss how their application should take shape.

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