UK City of Culture 2025: Lancashire hopes 'uniqueness' could help win title

Lancashire is among 20 applicants to battle for the UK City of Culture 2025 title

Lancashire is "confident in its uniqueness" as it aims to become the first county to win the UK City of Culture title, the bid chairman has said.

The county is one of 20 places to put its name forward despite the county council pulling its funding in June.

Tony Attard from Lancashire 2025 said Lancashire's "time in the spotlight was long overdue".

"Without a doubt, we are in this competition to win it," he said.

'Diverse culture'

Mr Attard said: "Lancashire is a place that inspires invention and creativity, a place of talented, imaginative, and hard-working people whose diverse culture has built a county like no other."

The bid for Lancashire 2025 was revived last-minute after it gained backing from some town councils and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership following the county council's withdrawal of support.

Tony Attard is leading Lancashire's quest to be the first county to win the coveted City of Culture title

More places than ever before have put in bids to become the next UK City of Culture.

Other areas applying to host a year of cultural festivities in 2025 include Cornwall in England, Stirling in Scotland and Conwy County in Wales.

Arts charity Blaze described Lancashire's bid revival as "inspiring to see challenges overcome and ideas reignited".

The arts group, which supports young creative producers, said the submission "showed how much creative energy there is in Lancashire".

The idea to scrap the bid angered those who had worked on the project for two years, as well as opposition politicians and arts organisations.

The winner will be announced by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in May 2022.

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