A Wiltshire town is to debate making an application to be recognised as one of the best in the UK for culture.
Councillors on Warminster Town Council will debate whether or not to make a possible future application to become a UK Town of Culture for 2028, an award that comes with prize money of £3 million to deliver a cultural programme that year.
As previously reported, the competition was recently launched by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and aims to find the best small, medium and large towns with “a vibrant cultural programme.”
The town council will discuss the matter at the next town development committee meeting on March 3, and does not appear to have made any resolution on the matter at this stage. The agenda for the meeting states members of the committee are asked to resolve whether to invite interested parties to discuss a possible future application.
The agenda for the meeting adds: “Bidding places have until March 31 to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI), making the case for why their town is special. Relevant councils must be engaged in any applications put forward.”
Neighbouring Devizes is also considering a future bid for the title, and was named in The Guardian as a potential winner after it was suggested by a local reader.
According to the agenda minutes, 1,186 towns in England and Wales that may be in contention for the award based on population (5,000 to over 75,000).
Applications for the UK Town of Culture competition will be open until March 31. Three finalists – a small town, a medium town, and a large town – will be chosen, with the winner handed the prize money. The two runners-up will each receive £250,000 to deliver elements of their bid.
An expert panel led by Sir Phil Redmond will judge how towns tell their unique story, bring the community together and deliver their vision for a “vibrant cultural programme.”
Although it has not received the same national buzz Devizes has, the town is home to a strong cultural offering, with a popular theatre in the Atheneum, and one of Wiltshire’s most well-known independent markets, as well as the top carnival in Wessex,
Over the past year, the town has also seen a revival in the number of independent businesses populating the town. Indy spots like the train station’s Beans and Bits, Market Place’s Neighbourhood, as well as the new Malto Lounge branch in the former Lloyds building.
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