Redruth bids to become first UK Town of Culture

Redruth has announced its intention to bid to become the first ever UK Town of Culture.

The bid celebrates the town's "rich heritage, creative energy and strong community spirit", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Towns that apply have a chance to become the UK's first Town of Culture in 2028 as part of a competition, with the winner awarded £3m and the chance to showcase cultural events during the year.

Redruth Town Council, Redruth Cultural Consortium and arts organisation, The Ladder, have submitted the bid in which they said the town had "positioned culture as a driver for pride, opportunity and long-term regeneration".

A spokesperson for the bid said "Redruth may be a small town, but it has big ambitions".

They said the closure of the mines and the town's brewery in the 1990s had marked a period of "significant change".

They said: "Once known as the richest square mile in the UK, it is now among the most deprived.

"Today, with the opening of Kresen Kernow, Krowji, The Buttermarket and The Ladder, arts, culture, heritage and creativity are driving a renaissance of the town."

The spokesperson said the town was home to the largest artist studio complex west of Bristol, the third-largest hub for digital businesses in the UK and the UK's largest heritage archive project.

"Redruth punches well above its weight," they added.

Three finalists will be chosen by a panel, with two runners-up receiving £250,000 each.

The competition had been launched as part of efforts to "restore pride in communities" with applicants encouraged to showcase their "unique stories", the government has said.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the competition was a chance for towns to "make a real difference to their local community".

"Great culture is not confined to our largest metropolitan centres; it is everywhere, rooted in communities across the country," she said.

Redruth mayor Alison Biscoe said: "Redruth has an extraordinary story to tell and becoming UK Town of Culture 2028 would give us the platform to celebrate who we are, where we've come from and where we're going."

The first title will be awarded for 2028 when the winning town will start a year-long programme of cultural celebrations.

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