The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Perth win could mean a BBC partnership boost
Broadcaster intends to strike up a partnership with the winning city, offering some big events
A City of Culture win could bring the Turner Prize and Radio One’s Big Weekend to Perth, it has emerged.
The Courier understands the BBC intends to strike up a partnership with the winning city, offering some of its biggest events throughout 2021.
Perth will soon learn if it has been shortlisted for the City of Culture prize which would bring around one million extra visitors to the region and plough around £60 million into the local economy.
A draft plan for 365 days of events, exhibitions and entertainment has been drawn up by Perth and Kinross Council as part of its submission to the UK Government.
Bid co-ordinators have revealed that, if successful, Perth could get the chance to host the prestigious Turner Prize exhibition, a celebration of contemporary work by young British artists.
Should Perth win, the show and ceremony would almost certainly be held at the new-look city hall, the once thriving central venue which is currently being revived and transformed as part of a £30 million cultural review.
Radio One’s Big Weekend, another of the BBC’s flagship events, could also take place in or around the Fair City.
The roadshow was in Hull, the 2017 City of Culture, last month with a starstudded line-up featuring Little Mix, Katy Perry and Kasabian.
The Courier is officially backing the Perth 2021 campaign.
In the third part of a week-long series, Tom Flanagan, head of council economic development, explains how – whatever the outcome – the bid could be transformational for the region.
“This is a big economic opportunity for Perth,” he said. “And we have been looking at how we can maximise that economic benefit.
“For the successful city, one of the first partners you would sign up with would be the BBC, so we could be looking at getting some of these broadcast events.
“For example, one of the national events we could be offered is the Turner Prize and that would be a huge event of global reach.
“We would have to look at where that is placed in the calendar and what efforts we could make to link that with other events that are happening in Scotland.
“We would obviously have to look at how to maximise the economic impact around the 2021 events, but then further see how we can sustain that beyond the City of Culture programme, maintaining that level of income generation for the area for the future.”
The BBC does not organise the Turner Prize, but has backed it. A spokeswoman stressed no decision had been taken on the 2021 Big Weekend.
“One of the national events we could be offered is the Turner Prize and that would be a huge event of global reach