Scarborough’s cultural and political leaders believe the town has what it takes to be crowned the UK’s inaugural Town of Culture.
The Government’s recent announcement that a new UK Town of Culture competition will be organised has not gone unnoticed in Scarborough, where locals hope the town’s rich seaside heritage could help it win the new accolade.
While details about the competition are still scarce, local and national groups have already said they would back a potential bid from the town which is set to celebrate its 400th anniversary as a spa resort next year.
Kathryn Ferry, chair of the Seaside Heritage Network said:
“One of our most successful cultural exports is the modern seaside resort, and that started in Scarborough.
These days we’re not very good at recognising the cultural value of our seaside places, but over the centuries they’ve contributed a huge amount to our nation’s health, wellbeing, art, architecture and entertainment,”
“It’s about time this story was shared with a wider audience and as a Town of Culture, Scarborough could really be a beacon for other coastal communities that have been overlooked for too long."
Following an announcement of the new competition by Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) spoke to several cultural and political leaders who expressed enthusiasm for such a bid from Scarborough.
Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said that
“either Scarborough or Whitby would be excellent choices – it never ceases to amaze me how many creative and talented people live in our brilliant part of the world, which, as we all know, has such a strong identity as well.”
Coun Simon Myers, executive member for culture at North Yorkshire Council, said:
“Scarborough is a town with a proud history, rich in culture and with the 400th anniversary celebrations coming up, it could be an ideal candidate, but we eagerly await the details of the competition.”
The Stephen Joseph Theatre’s executive director, Caroline Routh, said:
“Since the title was first awarded in 2013, the UK City of Culture scheme has shown us what a hugely beneficial effect it can have on the cultural, social and economic life of a community.”
She told the LDRS:
“We can’t wait to be part of the drive to see Scarborough become the first UK Town of Culture in 2029, and are looking forward to joining our MP, Alison Hume, in supporting this bid in any way we can.”
Coun Thomas Murray, mayor of Scarborough Town Council, described a potential bid as
“a fantastic opportunity”.
“We have a strong creative community that deserves national recognition and a successful bid could help bring people together, attract new investment, and shine a positive light on our town’s unique identity.”
Ms Ferry, of the Seaside Heritage Network, added:
“We’re really excited to be bringing our annual Big Day Out event to Scarborough next September to be part of the Scarborough 400 celebrations and would absolutely support the bid.”
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