Durham first to confirm it will bid for new culture prize

The bid spearheads a new programme of culture led regeneration aimed at enhancing economic improvements across the rural county.

 

Durham is admired as one of Britain’s finest small heritage cities. The physical beauty of the city's skyline, dominated by the UNESCO World Heritage site of Norman Cathedral and Castle, places the city on a par with the ancient Pyramids of Egypt or the Taj Mahal palace in India.

 

The city has inspired writers like Bill Bryson to call it “a perfect little city” (Notes from a Small Island 1991). In support of the bid Bryson says, "My long standing love affair with Durham is well known as I have, without hesitation, lavished praise on its architecture, heritage, gardens, and river. The more time I spend in the company of the people of Durham, the more I have come to realise that there really must be something in the water here.

 

For passion, creativity, an array of peerless assets and attractions and a palatable sense of community, Durham really is the perfect place."

 

Yet, large areas of rural County Durham remain challenged by rising levels of unemployment made worse by the recession and rooted in the decline of coal mining, the county’s former industrial mainstay.

The county’s best known cultural export Billy Elliott, the BAFTA award winning film and musical, about a boy from a Durham mining village who rejects the local boxing club to follow his dream of joining the Royal Ballet School; is generating rave reviews and sell-out audiences on Broadway, in Australia and across London’s West End theatres.

 

As the government provides British cities with a national platform to celebrate their culture, County Durham - the inspiration for Billy Elliott’s story – is motivated to demonstrate its cultural credentials and the potential they bring for social and economic change.

 

A partnership of organisations in County Durham, led by Durham County Council, will enter Durham in the national culture prize.The bid will reveal its undiscovered potential and its growing reputation for live cultural events and celebration of the arts.

Durham’s culture bid has the potential to transform the economic prospects of the county’s population.

Leader of Durham County Council, Dr Simon Henig, said: “The people of Durham have been shaped by a diverse and essentially rural landscape and by a history which is full passion and an enduring work ethic and community spirit. This bid presents an opportunity to create jobs and generate investment into the creative, retail and hospitality sectors of the county.”

 

There is widespread support for the proposals. Professor Chris Higgins, Vice Chancellor of Durham University says, “Durham is home to one of the most prestigious universities in the country that competes on the world stage. Cultural activities are central to our strategy and core to the education and experience we give our students. We fully support Durham's bid and look forward to playing a central role in helping Durham compete for this prestigious accolade."