Government boss urges city to apply for culture capital
AMBITIOUS plans to put Stoke-on-Trent forward as a UK cultural capital came from a top Government adviser, it has emerged.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) sent a delegation to the city on May 1 to see what attractions and facilities were on offer.
During the visit, DCMS director of culture Mick Elliott told representatives from Stoke-on-Trent City Council that they should submit a bid to become UK City of Culture in 2017.
If the programme goes ahead, a different city will receive the title every four years – beginning in 2013.
The city council's head of community services, Ian van Arkadie, said praise from a senior Government figure was a huge boost for the city's hopes of taking the title.
But he stressed that success would require an enormous effort by the authority, its commercial and voluntary sector partners and local communities over the next eight years.
He said: "We had a meeting with the DCMS and they mentioned that the Government was working on the City of Culture programme.
"The conversation came about after they had seen and heard about everything we are doing here in Stoke-on-Trent.
"Mick Elliott, the director of culture, told us he was very impressed by what he had seen and that we should bid for City of Culture in 2017.
"Obviously there will be a formal application process to go through, but the fact that they told us to go for it is certainly very encouraging."
Yesterday's Sentinel described how the Government was looking at creating a national award to capitalise on the success of Liverpool's European Capital of Culture status last year.
Mr van Arkadie added: "Of course it is very easy to be cynical about this kind of thing.
"People in Liverpool were cynical about their city's bid for European Capital of Culture, but they can now see that it has been really successful and raised the city's profile.
"Our bid for UK City of Culture is in the very early stages, but we wanted to make sure we put a marker down early to show we are interested.
"We also want to stimulate discussion locally to get the appropriate support, so that when the time comes we will be ready to go forward with our bid."
The council's interim culture manager, Peta Murphy-Burke, said the city already had a wealth of cultural attractions and activities on offer and would also benefit from a number of major regeneration projects by 2017.
She said: "This is not something which is happening next year, so we have got time to really work on this with our partners and the community and get it right.
"At the moment, the arts and creative sector is one of the fastest growing areas of the economy and Stoke-on-Trent is attracting more and more creative industries and jobs.
"We already have six theatres in the city and four museums, all of which are either of a national or international standard."
She added: "It is difficult at the moment to say what form our City of Culture bid will take, but it will be a massive programme of activities, much of which will involve local communities."
Councillor Hazel Lyth, portfolio holder for enterprise and culture, said: "We have got some fabulous things happening in the city now and we need to push them so that people in the city understand the real value of what they have got and we can develop it for the future.
"It's about building up people's hopes and aspirations and helping them to see the fantastic skills and facilities that we have to offer."
City to make bid to be UK Capital of Culture (and reader comments)
6 Comments
by James S, Blackpool
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 7:03PM
“So a top Goverment advisor recommended Stoke on Trent for the City of Culture. Has the person been to Stoke on Trent at all ?
It is problematic of all goverment members to asume that something is great without actully seeing it.
They say that the city of Stoke on Trent has a lot of skills and facilities to draw in the crowds, but lets be honest, six theatres and four museums in a large industrial city like Stoke on Trent. Do they really believe that, that is going to be enough and they say it will build up peoples hopes and aspirations.
A lot of people in the area have given up hope and rightly so when the goverment has allowed so many people's jobs to transferred abroad.
Stoke on Trent people are proud and honest and their reputation as drinkers and fight fanatics is truly undeserved. They are a lovely bunch of people and like most inner cities, need the chance to show how good they are and what they have to offer, but if the goverment continues to give away all of their skills to another country, then what is left. History shows that Stoke on Trent was the hub of the world's best pottery industries and their skills could not be matched but the goverment in their own unique way cocked everything up and allowed foreign imports to enter the UK and huge tax rises etc and it seriously caused harm to the pottery industry. And so the heart of Stoke on Trent was ripped out from them and the goverment did not bother to replace it with anything else.
Don't get me wrong, there are some things in Stoke on Trent to entertain you such as , erm, Festival Park, Shopping centres in Hanley, Nightclubs to get drunk in, but where is all the constructive places. The sort of places that get people to say, "Hey, that was good, we will have to come back again".
The story says that Stoke on Trent is creating jobs in the creative industries and arts. Does that mean that they would bring back the pottery jobs, etc. I doubt it. I don't want to seem as if I am putting Stoke on Trent down as I would love to see the city rise to the top again, but, I say this to Councillor Hazel Lyth, if you want to see the city evolve and be something special then create something that all the people of Stoke on Trent can be involved in and give them back a little hope and dignity, because culture comes from its people and they need to be encouraged to show what they can do with a permanent solution at the end of it and not just so the council can get an award. I think the people have had enogh of false promises and the idiotic stupidity of all local goverments. For God's sake do something right for once. I think the people of Stoke on Trent deserve it, don't you ?”
by stephen, fenton
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 2:22PM
“oh! I have just looked at the picture and one of the selling points is a statue of wedgwood...I wonder how many coach loads that will bring in.?”
by stephen, fenton
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 1:55PM
“"It's about building up peoples hopes and aspirations"We lso hope with this concil fifty years ago..and in the last fifty years everything has gone from Stoke.If 6 theatres and 4 museums is all we have to offer to attract a bid then they should be ashamed of themselves..We can't offer to show Spode ,Aynsley, hardly anything of Wedgwood, and all the great names associated with this once proud great city..The only thing we can offer is the great folk of this city, who have had to endure the dereliction of this place..The council have not been interested in regeneration till now..and what regeneration? Putting new plants, shrubs and new lamp post in potteries way.
Spend 65 million for a new road from Stoke to Hanley...Compare us with Liverpool..What a joke...”
by AW, Staffs
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 12:55PM
“Half my message seems to have gone missing. It should of read. In the current political climate, we are looking for ' Honesty ' and ' Integrity ' from our politicians. So lets see some !!. The former leader of Liverpool Council made it quite clear, their bid had nothing to do with " Culture " and everything to do with " Regeneration ". If you wish the residents of the City to embrace this idea, let them see some results from the currently proposed ' regeneration ' ideas first. Otherwise this looks like another, " we know whats best for you " BSF programme.”
by AW, Staffs
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 12:45PM
“In the current political climate, we are looking for ' honesty ' and ' integrity ' from our politicians. So lets see some !!. The former leader of Liverpool Council made it quite clear, their bid had nothing to do with " Culture " and everything to do with " Regeneration " . If you wish the residents of the ' City ' to embrace this idea, let them see some ' results ' from the currently proposed ' regeneration ' ideas! . Otherwise this looks like another we know what's best for you BSF programme.”
by Andi, Stoke
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 7:35AM
“Another one straight from the circus ring , this time he as changed his name from Bonzo the clown . Get the city on its feet now not umpteen years in the future !”