Durham submits its bid

As the race to be the first UK City of Culture hots up, Durham is ready to hand in its bid today (Friday December 11). The bid announces 2013 will be its year of culture, with a repeat of the hugely successful festival of light, Lumiere.  pictured: Boys from across County Durham with Rhys Yeoman, star of Billy Elliot in the West End, were in London with a copy of the bid.

Talks are also under way for the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels, one of the world’s greatest treasures, to Durham for three months during 2013. It is intended that the Gospel Book will be displayed within the City’s World Heritage Site, which is shared by the University and Cathedral and is already home to one of the world's great collections of medieval manuscripts and treasures together with the relics of St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede.

Durham’s commitment to culture goes further with the city’s Market Place being transformed into an events space  and a brand new visitor centre for the city’s World Heritage Site.

If successful Durham could become a hub of UK cultural activity for the year, hosting such prestigious events such as the Turner Prize, BBC Sports Personality of the Year, The Brits and the RIBA Stirling Prize.

In the five months since Durham announced it would be bidding for the accolade, there is no doubt the whole county and the North East has got behind the bid with over 33,000 people pledging their support.

Durham’s cultural commitment has been well and truly proven after the success of November’s Lumiere festival. Organised by Artichoke, the spectacular light festival saw over 75,000 people attend the event held in the city centre over four successive days. The event was such a success, and proved the region’s appetite for culture, that Lumiere will become a biennial event, taking place in 2011 and forming one of the major events of 2013.

The city will be brought to life in May 2010 with the introduction of Durham’s first set of Mystery plays for 200 years. Organised in partnership with Durham’s Gala Theatre and produced entirely with the help of acclaimed writers like award-winning author of 'Skellig', David Almond and BBC Radio 3 presenter Ian McMillan and people throughout the North East, the Durham Mysteries will see contemporary performances of a major new revival of a traditional mystery play cycle. The 10 stories, including Noah and the Flood, Cain & Abel, The Nativity and the Fall of Lucifer, are being giving a fresh and modern makeover.

An array of cultural personalities with connections to Durham are backing the bid. Among them is Sir Thomas Allen, the baritone who has been cited by the playwright Lee Hall as the inspiration for Billy Elliot. Sir Thomas is currently starring in Der Rosenkavalier at the Royal Opera House and supports Durham’s bid.

“Durham was only twelve miles from where I was born in Seaham. Its pull has grown stronger over the years. The centrepiece of our small city is a cathedral, the most powerful and most beautiful symbol of its kind in the world…my opinion. Already a World Heritage Site, Durham deserves accolade upon accolade and I'm delighted to support the application to be UK City of Culture in 2013.”