The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Pioneering’ Perth City of Culture bid collapses
COMPETITION: Disappointment as campaign fails to make shortlist for 2021
Perth’s dreams of becoming the next UK City of Culture have been dashed. The Fair City has not been shortlisted for the prestigious 2021 title, arts minister John Glen has revealed.
Instead, Paisley will go up against Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland and Swansea for the chance to host 365 days of cultural events and attractions. The winning city is likely to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors throughout the year, generating about £60 million for the local economy.
Perth and Kinross Council leader Ian Campbell said: “Obviously it is disappointing that we haven’t been shortlisted. We always knew that our offer was different to those of the traditional UK City of Culture entries ... but our bid was pioneering.”
Perth has failed to make the shortlist for the UK City of Culture crown.
The Fair City’s ambitious bid to secure the prestigious and lucrative 2021 title was dashed last night, as arts minister John Glen revealed the five contest finalists.
Paisley has made the cut, alongside Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland and Swansea.
The winner, which stands to make about £60 million through a year-long programme of arts, events and exhibitions, will be announced in December.
Announcing the final five, Mr Glen congratulated all 11 towns and cities which entered.
“The strength of competition showed us how valuable our cultural assets are to our towns, boosting tourism and jobs in local communities,” he said.
“I have seen first-hand how Hull has embraced its status as City of Culture 2017 and how beneficial it has been for the area.”
The announcement came after a meeting of the independent advisory panel chaired by former Grange Hill and Brookside scriptwriter Phil Redmond.
The £400,000 bid spearheaded by Perth and Kinross Council was launched with a colourful street party in August.
Local authority leader Ian Campbell remained upbeat, stressing that entering the contest had been good for the city. “Perth is a small city with huge ambitions and the experience of developing our bid has absolutely cemented our conviction that we can achieve these,” he said.
“This is in no small part thanks to everyone who was involved in the mammoth task of putting together our stage one bid.
“This was a process that started a year ago when we first approached communities and asked them what they wanted to celebrate, share and change about Perth.”
He added: “Obviously it’s disappointing that we haven’t been shortlisted. We always knew that our offer was different to those of the traditional UK City of Culture entries and this is reflected in the shortlist – but our bid was pioneering.
“The issues we face may not be those of a large, post-industrial city but what we have highlighted is that the challenges of the UK’s small cities, towns and rural areas are no less significant.”
Perth’s bid highlighted a “quiet crisis” of low wages, social isolation and connectivity issues, with people living in rural areas cut off from city life.
Mr Campbell added: “I’m glad a Scottish contender is still in the running. Congratulations to Paisley, which has the full support of the Perth 2021 team.
“They are running a fantastic campaign and have done a great job of raising the profile of the area.”
Council chief executive Bernadette Malone added: “The process of bidding for UK City of Culture has taught us a lot.
“We entered this competition clear about the benefits it would bring for the regeneration and growth of Perth.
“While we are saddened to be leaving the competition at this stage, the connections we have made and the experience this has given us has helped us to put together strong bids for other events and funding, including the Tay Cities Deal and the Great Places Scheme.
“This means that the bidding process itself has secured a great return on the investment put in to entering the competition.”
She said there was also “immeasurable value” in the publicity gained through the bidding process.
Mr Redmond added: “The appetite for using culture to bring about regeneration and to strengthen communities is clearly stronger than ever. Overall, the panel thought the five cities’ bids showed the potential to deliver a UK City of Culture 2021 programme.”
Perth will soon receive feedback on its bid. Minsters and officials will also enter into talks with each of the unsuccessful cities about how best to realise their ambitions.
The shortlisted areas have to submit their final bids by the end of September.
What we have highlighted is the challenges of the UK’s small cities are no less significant