Residents asked to help shape Town of Culture bid

Residents of Royal Leamington Spa are being asked to share memories of the town to help shape its bid for the government's UK Town of Culture competition.

The town council said it will put forward a bid for the 2028 competition, with shortlisted towns expected to be announced in the Spring.

Mayor Councillor Ruggy Singh said the town's "exciting" bid will be inclusive of its vibrant art scene, diverse communities and history.

He said: "We need the help of the people who live and work here and everyone who loves Leam to shape our bid."

The 2028 competition is the first of its kind across the UK and has been created to celebrate the cultural life and identity of towns.

The strongest bids will progress to a shortlist, with each shortlisted town receiving £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition.

Three finalists, one from each of the three categories, will be chosen with the winner receiving a £3 million prize and the two runners-up receiving £250,000 to enable them to deliver parts of their proposed cultural programme.

Leamington Spa will put in a bid to be considered for the medium category.

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