COUNTY Durham will find out if it has been successful in its pursuit of the coveted UK City of Culture 2025 bid later today – with the all-important big reveal just hours away.
Following months of intense competition, the region will find out if it has beaten competition from Bradford, Southampton and Wrexham to take on the prestigious title, on the BBC’s The One Show at 7pm.
Broadcast live, the vital decision will be announced by culture secretary Nadine Dorries, with the winning city becoming the centre of the UK’s cultural spotlight in 2025 and use culture as a catalyst for levelling up, attracting visitors to the area, and sparking investment.
Read more: Why County Durham should win City of Culture 2025
The status also brings together the local community, gives people new cultural experiences and attracts thousands of visitors.
Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 used the title to transform the city through a year-long cultural programme, engaging an audience of over one million.
The previous winners, including Hull and Derry-Londonderry, have shown the huge economic benefits the title can bring.
Hull received £15 million in government investment to help build a legacy, and £18 million of government funding in Coventry has led to a total of £172 million inward investment, funding music concerts, the UK’s first permanent immersive digital art gallery, a new children’s play area in the centre of the city, and improvements to public transport.
County Durham will become the first region to become the City of Culture if it is successful.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “The UK City of Culture competition is a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the contribution that art and culture make to all our lives.
“This title has been hotly contested and I’ve been hugely impressed by the quality of all four shortlisted bids from County Durham, Southampton, and Wrexham County Borough.
“Winning the competition can boost investment, attract tens of thousands of visitors, and bring the local community together for an unforgettable year. I wish the best of luck to everyone involved.”
Previously, bid director for County Durham, Alison Clark, has set out what the City of Culture could do for the area.
Writing in The Northern Echo, she said: “It would attract more than 15 million visitors, inject hundreds of millions of pounds into our economy and create and safeguard thousands of jobs.
“And it would place the extraordinary people and places that makes County Durham so special at the heart of an inclusive and pioneering cultural programme with an international legacy that extends far beyond 2025.
“In short, becoming UK City of Culture 2025 would be a game changer for County Durham and the North East.”
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here