How a successful City of Culture bid could transform Middlesbrough’ s economy, confidence and future
FEATURE
Collective imagination – Middlesbrough’ s‘ makingmentality’ can play a key role in a successful City of Culture bid.
How a successful City of Culture bid could transform Middlesbrough’ s economy, confidence and future
A TOWN REIMAGINED
WORDS: DAVE ALLAN
Something is changing in Middlesbrough. The signs are everywhere. BBC
Proms came to town for the first time this summer. Orange Pip Market celebrated its 10th anniversary. The inaugural Storytelling Festival showcased the town’ s growing creative confidence. At the end of September, Middlesbrough Art Week – the North-East’ s largest visual arts festival – will once again transform venues across the town. Then, from late 2026 into 2027, MIMA will host the Turner Prize, one of the world’ s most prestigious contemporary art awards.
Against that backdrop comes Middlesbrough’ s biggest opportunity for a generation – a place on the longlist to become UK City of Culture 2029.
The town joins Blackpool, Inverness, Ipswich, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon and Wrexham in the race for the title. The list will be reduced to four finalists this autumn, before the winner is announced in December.
Middlesbrough Council’ s Gaye Kirby( top) and Teesside University’ s Dr Laura Sillars.
Success would bring £ 10m towards a year of cultural celebration. More importantly, it has the potential to unlock investment, create jobs, attract visitors and inspire a new generation to believe their future can be built here.
The bid is being led by Middlesbrough Council, Teesside University and Middlesbrough Cultural Partnership, bringing together more than 30 organisations, artists and creative businesses behind a shared vision for the town.
For Gaye Kirby, head of culture at Middlesbrough Council, the bid represents far more than a cultural accolade.
She says:“ For me, UK City of Culture is a catalyst for unlocking the incredible potential Middlesbrough has.
“ We talk really proudly of our heritage as the original boomtown – the Infant Hercules – and it’ s that same spirit of creativity and invention that means we can do something really special once again.
“ We don’ t just have to wait for
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