'A fantastic opportunity' - Boston sets sights on becoming UK's first Town of Culture, with £3m up for grabs
Boston is setting its sights on becoming the UK’s first Town of Culture, the borough council has announced.
If successful, the town would receive £3 million to deliver a programme of cultural activities.
The UK Town of Culture is a new competition from the Government’s Department of Media, Culture and Sport.
It follows on from the UK City of Culture competition, introduced in 2009.
The aim, in the Government’s words, is ‘to celebrate the significant contributions of towns to our national story’.
“The competition focuses on building a more socially cohesive country where communities feel proud of their place and empowered to celebrate it,” it says.
The competition will involve a panel selecting the best small, medium and large towns from the applications submitted. One of the three finalists will be named UK Town of Culture 2028 and receive £3 million to deliver its bid, while the other two will each receive £250,000 to deliver part of their bids.
The borough council said its bid would draw on the town’s ‘extraordinary 1,000-year story’, from its role as a major medieval trading hub and the second most important port in England, to its connection with the founding of Boston, Massachusetts, in the US.
“The proposal centres on Boston’s identity as a town shaped ‘by land and by sea’, exploring themes of travel, trade and ‘portable heritage, celebrating the traditions, languages and stories carried by generations of people who have made Boston their home,” a spokesman said. “The bid will also highlight the town’s modern cultural diversity, with more than 30 nationalities now calling Boston home.”
The council said feedback through consultations has shown a strong appetite for more cultural activity, opportunities for young people, and programmes that help reconnect communities with Boston’s international history and its modern identity.
If selected as UK Town of Culture 2028, the council said it would aim to deliver a summer programme of events, exhibitions, performances and community‑led creative projects that brought culture into ‘every corner of the town’ and help build momentum towards Boston’s 400th anniversary of the founding of Boston, Massachusetts, in 2030.
Coun Dale Broughton, leader of Boston Borough Council, said: “Boston has an extraordinary story, and this bid is an opportunity to tell it to all those who haven’t heard about our wonderful town; to celebrate our heritage, our communities and our growing cultural identity.
“By becoming the UK Town of Culture, it would help us highlight all the great things Boston has to offer to residents, businesses and visitors alike.”
Coun Sarah Sharpe, portfolio holder for heritage, culture and tourism, said: “Culture plays such a vital role in how people experience their town and this programme would really bring Boston’s fantastic stories to life and support our range of diverse communities.
“By working with local partners and young people, we can create a cultural legacy that we can all be proud of, one that lasts well beyond 2028.”
Claire Foster, interim chairman of Boston Town Board, a Government-backed grant-making organisation in town, said: “Boston is a town rich in culture and history and our consultation has clearly demonstrated the importance of the town’s heritage and creative offer to local people.
“The Town of Culture bid offers us a fantastic opportunity to highlight the creativity, arts, and culture that exist here and build on this by developing an engaging and inspiring programme that will showcase Boston locally and nationally.”
To win, Boston will need to beat Spalding which has already announced its intention to submit an application.