Towns on the shortlist will fall into 3 categories - small, medium and large-sized. Each will be given £60,000 to develop a full bid. The winning town will receive £3 million to deliver a cultural programme in the summer of 2028. Additionally, the two finalists from their category will receive £250,000 each to deliver elements of their bid.
Richmond is hoping to become the UK’s Town of Culture 2028 in a competition launched by The Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The initiative, based on the long-established City of Culture competitions, is. designed to celebrate the unique contribution of towns to the national story.
Richmond is among an estimated 200 towns which submitted expressions of interest to the Ministry by the end of March. A decision on a shortlist of towns moving on to the next stage was expected at the end of May. However, it has been delayed to late July because of what the judging panel describes as “the exceptional response we have received”.
Towns on the shortlist will fall into 3 categories - small, medium and large-sized. Each will be given £60,000 to develop a full bid. The winning town will receive £3 million to deliver a cultural programme in the summer of 2028. Additionally, the two finalists from their category will receive £250,000 each to deliver elements of their bid.
Preparations for Richmond’s application began with a public meeting in the Town Hall last January at which many individuals and groups offered support. A steering committee was then formed to promote awareness and generate feedback through public consultation, social media, questionnaires and visits to local societies and schools.
The bid put together by the committee envisioned a cultural programme combining heritage, creativity, technological innovation and community participation, including community-led drama and music, artist residencies, discovery trails, community sports and major signature events.
Endorsement for the bid has come from a wide range of local authorities, political groups, individuals, clubs and organisations. In the House of Commons, Rishi Sunak MP praised the town’s campaign to win the national competition saying Richmond “has a unique place in our national story with a history stretching back to Norman times and a history of successfully putting on community events like Mayfest.”
The CIC Directors believe that Richmond meets the three main criteria on which bids will be judged. The town has a significant place in our national story, a strong cultural presence and a proven track record for staging community cultural initiatives. An extract from the expression of interest reads:
“As UK Town of Culture, Richmond writes its next chapter, building on centuries of reinvention, with culture as the engine of renewal. This is a town looking forward, not back, using culture to raise its profile, power people-centred growth, strengthen local identity, and spark economic revival.”
Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, replied “I’ve been following with interest the work that the Community Interest Company is doing there. They’ve brought together an incredible group of people and gathered huge public support for the bid. And the question that the Mayor of Richmond asked recently was ‘why not Richmond?’. I would absolutely concur with those remarks and encourage them to continue.”
Marcia McLuckie, the CIC Director who headed up the Steering Group, acknowledges that competition to become UK Town of Culture will be strong. But she says, “Even if we are not shortlisted I and my colleagues believe that putting together the application has been a very worthwhile exercise that has given a firm foundation in readiness for any future opportunities that may arise to win rewards for Richmond and its people.”