Regional newspapers around the country are working themselves into a frenzy of support as the eleven bidders for the 2017 UK City of Culture are announced. The residents of Chester, East Kent, Hastings and Bexhill-on-Sea, Hull, Leicester, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Southampton, Southend-on-Sea. Swansea Bay in Wales and Aberdeen and Dundee in Scotland can expect to be inundated with positive vibes about their home towns until the decision is made. The current holder is the City of Derry which is now well into its tenure as the UK City of Culture 2013.
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| Who will win the award of being UK City of Culture 2017? |
Announcing the list of contenders, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said: "The competition brings together communities and creates economic and social benefits and I am pleased to see so many local authorities and different partners coming together." All 11 places must formally submit their initial bids by 30 April, and an independent panel that will be chaired by Phil Redmond, creator of popular TV series including Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks, will announce a shortlist in June. Mr Redmond said: "The UK City of Culture can be a real catalyst for change and I'm delighted so many places have registered their interest in the competition for 2017."
If you have been following the fortunes of the City of Derry as it has entered its chosen year, you can’t help but feel inspired by the amount of effort and positive thought that successful bidders put into making sure that their year of tenure is a success.
As mentioned, the local newspapers that cover the areas that are bidding are already ratcheting up the positivity to an extent that some more cynical residents may not recognise the place that they live in. But unsuccessful bidders in the past have said that despite not achieving the award has not dampened the renewed enthusiasm that people find towards the environment that they live in.
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