Coventry runs to be the UK’s next City of Culture

Coventry has officially launched its bid to become the country’s next City of Culture in 2021, after submitting a 30-page and 20,000 word long document stating its case.

If it wins the competition, the prestigious title could attract new investors as well as stimulate local economic and cultural developments. The Heritage Lottery Fund has also pledged £3m to the winning city.

The bid, which argues why Coventry should win the title, has been in the works for nearly two years and was submitted to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on Thursday 27 April.

The document is based on social and economic research into the city’s resident population and tourists, and pitches a program of up to a thousand cultural and communal events across the city to take place in the upcoming years, as well as demonstrating how the prize would have a positive impact on the city.

The city’s themes include “moving,” “underground,” “reinvention” and “being human.”

Coventry’s bid is being supported by a partnership of the City Council, Coventry University and the University of Warwick, alongside sponsorships from Ricoh Arena, Jaguar Land Rover and Birmingham Airport.

While works have been underway for over 18 months, the competition was only launched this January in the 2017 UK City of Culture, Hull.

The city has seen £1bn investment since it won the competition, which is held every four years, and attracted 340,000 visitors to its first event.

Laura McMillan, manager at the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “There have been some very long hours and some massive decisions along the way but we couldn’t be happier with the bid.”

“It recognises the challenges that Coventry faces but also some of the great things that are going on under the surface. The evidence we’ve gathered from the research – such as Coventry being a very young, diverse city – has had a huge bearing on the bid.”

“The support we’ve had along the way – from the public, from key local organisations, from businesses and from the media in the region – has been nothing short of incredible.”

Trust chair David Burbage commented: “Coventry’s population is on average seven years younger than the rest of the country and young people will play a major role in 2021.”

“We are a diverse city too and, already through this process, we have drawn out some wonderful stories of Coventry’s cultures giving them the local, national and international profile they deserve.”

“But the truth is Coventry doesn’t only want to be City of Culture in 2021 – it very much needs this opportunity to help to tackle some of the inequalities that remain and to turn round the city’s visitor economy.”

“It would bring so many benefits to the city and the West Midlands. Places like Glasgow, Manchester, Hull and Liverpool have shown how perceptions of the north can be changed. The time is right for the Midlands to stand up and deliver.”

Ten other towns and cities across the UK have also put their names forward: Perth, Paisley, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Hereford, Warrington, Portsmouth, Wells, Swansea and the smallest city in Britain, St Davids.

Coventry is expected to find out where they have been shortlisted before summer.