North East towns miss out on Town of Culture bid

Towns across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham have missed out on the chance to become the UK’s first Town of Culture, writes Local Democracy Reporter, Austen Shakespeare.

The Government has announced a shortlist of 15 locations across the country who could take the inaugural title in 2028.

Almost 400 bids were made across the UK, including 20 from the North East and Tees Valley areas.

While Stockton town centre has made the shortlist, and will get £60,000 to develop a full bid, no others from our region were successful.

It means disappointment for Alnwick, Amble, Barnard Castle, Bedlington, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Hexham, Peterlee, Shildon, Ashington,  Bishop Auckland, Blyth, Cramlington, Jarrow, North Shields, Redcar, Seaham, Stanley, Gateshead, and Hartlepool.

North Tyneside mayor Karen Clark had hoped that North Shields might have claimed the accolade, adding to the town’s recent 800th anniversary celebrations.

She said: “While we are naturally disappointed that North Shields was not short-listed, we remain immensely proud of everything that the town achieved through the bid process and, more importantly, of the incredible cultural story it continues to tell.”

Ms Clark continued: “The story of North Shields is far from finished, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate and invest in the culture, heritage and people that make it such a special place.”

Ian Lavery, Labour MP for Blyth and Ashington, admitted it “was always going to be a huge challenge” for Ashington, Bedlington or Blyth to be selected from a total of 398 bids.

He added: “But every single person who stepped forward to support, contribute and champion these bids should be incredibly proud.

“Our communities and our culture deserve to be celebrated loud and proud. From the Pitmen Painters and Blyth Carnival to Bedlington Family Festival, our music, our dialect, our heritage and, most importantly, our people tell a story worth sharing.”

Gateshead Council launched a bid for the entirety of Gateshead to become a large town of culture in March of this year.

Lindsay Murray, the council’s service director for communities and culture, Gateshead Council, said: “Whilst we’re disappointed not to be short-listed for Town of Culture 2028, this won’t stop us achieving great things for culture in Gateshead. We have a bold new Culture Strategy, Creative Spaces, and an exciting vision for Gateshead as a leading creative and cultural hub in the North East.

“Our ambition remains unchanged- to ensure culture is for everyone, everywhere in Gateshead. We have a great deal to be proud of, and even more to look forward to in the years ahead.”

The historic town of Jarrow was also put forward as a joint effort between the local authority, the town’s neighbourhood board, and Jarrow Forward.

Susan Wear, Chair of Jarrow Forward Neighbourhood Board, said: “Many thanks to everyone who got behind our exciting bid. The good news is Jarrow doesn’t have to wait until 2028 to celebrate. The £20m Jarrow ten-year plan, reflecting what residents and young people said they wanted, was approved in April, and work is already underway to bring new events and opportunities to our town.

“The neighbourhood board, Jarrow Forward, has already committed £150,000 in the Community Growth Grants to community groups for small projects to help them do even more. By the next school term, we will have launched another new fund to help young people find their way to the jobs they want and soon the town centre will have its own street ambassadors.

She continued: “We send our hearty congratulations to Stockton, representing the North East on the shortlist, a town that has invested in culture for decades, and will look forward to hearing more about their plans.”