The UK City of Culture 2025 Shortlist
Earlier this year, I was interested to see all the cities and regions that put themselves forward as host for the year-long UK City of Culture 2025 festival. These cities and regions have been whittled down, and the Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries, has announced the UK City of Culture 2025 shortlist as follows:
Winning the UK City of Culture 2025 title will be a great honour for the host city, and provides a tremendous opportunity to attract investment, create jobs and boost tourism, whilst creating a legacy for years to come.
I am keen to see who will win, but I am sure that any one of these candidate cities would put on a great festival of art and culture in 2025. They all already have a strong cultural and art base to build upon.
If you are planning to visit any of these cities / regions in the near future, I have provided a summary of some of their key art and cultural facilities, which are worth visiting.
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon
Armagh has been a city since 1994, whilst Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon is the local government district. Whilst Armagh has a population of about 15,000, the wider region has a population of around 215,000 people.
The Market Place Theatre & Arts Centre provides the cultural focus for Armagh and the surrounding area. This facility hosts art exhibitions from local, national and international artists. It also hosts a diverse mix of shows and theatre performances from comedy nights, children’s shows to opera. It also hosts intimate gigs and large-scale concerts across different musical genres.
The Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre can be found along Market Street in the centre of Armagh, BT61 7BW.
Bradford, Yorkshire
Image Credit: Tim Green
Bradford is Yorkshire’s third largest city with a population of almost 550,000 people.
During my years studying for my degree in Art & Design at nearby Leeds Metropolitan University, I became very familiar with Bradford, regularly visiting the National Science & Media Museum and Salts Mill.
Bradford is famous for being an international centre for textile manufacturing during the industrial revolution and was considered the wool capital of the world during that time. Its importance during the industrial revolution can still be seen today in its widespread Victorian architecture. City Park provides a contemporary introduction to this otherwise Victorian streetscape, with its award winning, high-tech water feature.
More recently, Bradford has developed a strong cultural community. Bradford has earned a reputation for having some of the finest Asian food in the UK and has regularly been awarded the Curry Capital of Britain, whilst in 2009, it was the first UNESCO City of Film - hosting film festivals and film related events throughout the year. This has allowed the city to develop a culture of creativity and life through the moving image.
There are many cultural highlights in Bradford to explore, with some of my favourites being:
The National Science and Media Museum - This is a fascinating venue that explores the science and culture of image and sound technologies and their impact on our lives. There is a focus on photography, film, television, animation and videogames. The National Science and Media Museum can be found at Pictureville, Bradford, BD1 1NQ.
Impressions Gallery is one of the first dedicated photography galleries to open in the UK and regularly hosts exhibitions that explore issues such as identity, race, gender and politics. Impressions Gallery can be found at Aldermanbury, Bradford BD1 1SD.
Salts Mill combines the architecture of the industrial past with the works of local artist David Hockney. The building also acts as a venue for independent retailers, cafes and restaurants, and a home for a multitude of businesses ranging from technology through to landscape architecture. Salts Mill can be found to the north of Bradford at Victoria Road, Saltaire, BD18 3LA.
Cornwall
Cornwall is an historic county with a population of almost 600,000 people. It has a long history, with its own language and customs. Cornish is one of the Brittonic languages, alongside Welsh and Breton.
Cornwall has several fantastic cultural venues and events, with some of the highlights including:
The Eden Project - This is an educational charity and social enterprise that seeks to create a movement that builds relationships between people and the natural world, highlighting human dependence on plants. It has become an important environmental and cultural venue. The Eden Project is located about 3 miles from St Austell at Bodelva, PL24 2SG.
The Minack Theatre is an open-air theatre carved into the granite cliff, with the stunning and dramtic backdrop of Porthcurno Bay. This theatre has a full programme of live performances, but there is more to see here, including the sub-tropical gardens. Minack Theatre can be found at Porthcurno, Penzance, TR19 6JU.
Tate St Ives is part of the Tate family of galleries found across the country. Tate St Ives displays contemporary works from artists with links to the Cornwall area. The gallery was built in 1988 and extended in 2017. This gallery is partially built into the cliff, overlooking Porthmeor Beach in St Ives, TR26 1TG.
The Jackson Foundation was set up by contemporary artist Kurt Jackson and hosts an annual programme of environmentally focused events. It covers a range of mediums such as painting, poetry, sculpture, installation and film. This gallery is located within a vast former industrial building at North Row, St Just, TR19 7LB.
Derby
Derby is located in central England and is home to approximately 250,000 people. It is famous for being at the forefront of the industrial revolution, with an historical legacy for engineering advancements and innovation. It is still home to many well known businesses, including Rolls-Royce, Bombardier and Toyota.
Derby QUAD is an international centre for engagement in contemporary art and film. It is located at Market Place in the Cathedral Quarter, providing the cultural focus for the city. This facility is a multi-functional venue that includes a cinema, gallery and workshop. QUAD presents films from all over the world, and is a leading centre for the use and creative development of digital technologies including AR, VR, and AI. The venue also hosts an extensive exhibition programme of artworks from local, national and international artists. The workshops are community-led with a focus on inclusivity and connectivity.
A major performance venue is currently planned and will form the centrepiece of the regeneration of the Becketwell area. This venue will hold cultural and commercial events throughout the year, with the aim of attracting an additional 250,000 visitors to Derby every year.
Southampton
Southampton is a port and maritime city on the south coast of England and is home to about 250,000 people. It’s strategic location along the coast has meant it has been a port town for well over 1,000 years. Modern day Southampton is a diverse city with a rich cultural offering. It is also home to two excellent gallery spaces that promote contemporary art forms.
The Southampton City Art Gallery has a rich collection of modern and contemporary works, including recent video installations. It has an active contemporary exhibition space, with a variety of exhibitions throughout the year. The Southampton City Art Gallery can be found along Commercial Road, SO14 7LP.
The John Hansard Gallery forms part of the University of Southampton, and is an internationally recognised contemporary art gallery. It displays innovative contemporary art exhibitions and events that seek to reflect and challenge understanding, whilst reaching the widest possible public audience. The John Hansard Gallery can be found at 142 – 144 Above Bar Street, SO14 7DU
Durham
The City of Durham is one of the smaller candidate cities, with a population of just 50,000, although if it is awarded the UK City of Culture, the events will take place throughout the whole County of Durham. This cathedral city is located on the banks of the River Wear and is at an imposing and striking location. It is steeped in history, with buildings dating back to the 11th Century. Durham has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1986.
The County of Durham is home to many stunning landscapes, both urban and rural, from the impressive Durham Cathedral, the powerful 70ft High Force Waterfall, and the serenity of the River Wear itself. It is a place that has inspired artists throughout the years.
Stirling
Stirling is located in central Scotland and is often considered to be the gateway to the Highlands. Stirling was once the capital of Scotland and its historic past is evident throughout the city, but nowhere more so than the visually dominant Stirling Castle.
The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum has been part of the city’s cultural life since the Victorian period. It was founded as a contemporary art gallery, museum and library reading room. It still retains this function. The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum can be found at 40 Albert Place, FK8 2RQ.
The Macrobert Arts Centre is located at the University of Stirling and acts as a cultural hub for Stirling and the Forth Valley. The Macrobert Arts Centre features a variety of performances including family-friendly dances, comedy, music, and art exhibitions.
Wrexham
Wrexham is the fourth largest settlement in Wales, and largest in North Wales. It is located in Dee Valley and is a good location to explore the Welsh mountains.
It has a number of local attractions including:
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which is the longest aqueduct in the UK and the highest canal aqueduct in the world ,with a height of 38 metres.
Alyn Waters - the largest park in the area, well used by locals looking for walks and trails.
Xplore! is a Science Discovery Centre with more than 100 hands-on interactive exhibits that are designed to challenge visitors’ understanding of science in a fun and educational way. It is located at 17 Henblas Street, in the centre of Wrexham.
I am sure that each of these cities and regions would be an excellent choice for UK City of Culture 2025. But as you can see from the summary above, each has something individual to offer and would be worth visiting irrespective of the UK City of Culture 2025 title.
