County Durham loses race for UK City of Culture 2025 status
County Durham has lost its bid for UK City of Culture 2025 status.
Bradford was announced as the winner on Tuesday night (31 May) on the BBC's One Show.
Also in the race for the title alongside County Durham were Wrexham and Southampton.
A win for County Durham would have marked the first time a county had been given the honour.
The title was expected to bring thousands of jobs and boost the economy by millions of pounds.
This month's announcement follows a visit from a panel of judges earlier in May.
Historic Durham, wild Durham and industrial Durham were all represented, with the judges splitting into groups to allow as much of the county as possible to be showcased.
Following the announcement, organisations involved in the bid - Durham County Council, Durham University and Culture Durham - said they were disappointed but wanted to make sure the county still saw a major cultural programme for 2025, which would pull in visitors from around the world and help to create local jobs.
In 2025 the global bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway is set to be celebrated and the county will host the National Astronomy Meeting.
The partners also aim to work with national agencies to seek support for Place Labs. This will see creative hubs introduced in major settlements across the county, providing a space for communities to share ideas and deliver their own cultural activities.
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, leader of Durham County Council, said: “We are of course disappointed that County Durham will not be the next UK City of Culture, but, on behalf of all of the partners, I would like to congratulate Bradford and wish them the best of luck for 2025.
“We are immensely proud of getting so far in the competition and for being the only county to make the shortlist. This is thanks in no small part to the support we have received from people and businesses across the region, and we are so grateful to everyone who backed the bid.
“We know the transformational impact a vibrant cultural offer has on residents. Not only does it bring people together and energise our communities, but it raises aspirations and attracts people and investment into our towns and villages.
“Working alongside our partners and communities, we will channel the excitement, enthusiasm and innovation that has come to the fore during the Durham 2025 campaign, to create a county of culture with a legacy that extends well beyond 2025.”
Tony Harrington, chair of Culture Durham, a partnership of more than 20 cultural organisations from across the county, added: “It’s a great shame we’ve missed out on UK City of Culture status for 2025, as we believe Durham truly is no ordinary county. However, this is by no means the end of the Durham 2025 campaign.
“Over the last year, it has been wonderful to see excitement for the bid grow, and to hear people’s ideas. It’s vital we keep this momentum going and deliver a radical and relevant programme that reflects our past, present and future and offers everyone the chance to get involved.
“This really is just the start of our journey.”
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