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Birkenhead's bid to become the Uk's first Town of Culture is well and truly underway, and organisers of the bid are said to be "over the moon" with the shortlist. They've also called it a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" for the town.
As reported by BBC News and us, Birkenhead has been shortlisted to become the first UK Town of Culture.
It's one of 15 towns to be considered and is the only location in the North West to make the prestigious list. Judges whittled it down after almost 400 towns submitted applications.
Craig Pennington, from Future Yard CIC, who led the bid on behalf of the Birkenhead Culture Partnership, said the opportunity would be "a hugely transformational opportunity for our town".
He added, "To be picked out of such a strong field nationally is really quite humbling."
Describing the bid as "an unapologetically optimistic view" of Birkenhead, he said the recognition reflected the town's thriving creative community and its ambition for the future.
"This feels like a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our town to make sure culture is right at the heart of its future," he added.
The next stage of Birkenhead's bid will involve further developing the original proposal.
This includes building on the work of Birkenhead's art, in the form of artists, musicians, creative organisations and community groups.Even if we don't win the award, each shortlisted town will receive £60,000 to prepare their bid before an independent panel selects three finalists next year. The winner will then be named the UK Town of Culture 2028 and will receive £3 million to develop a year-long programme of cultural events. Those in second and third place will get £250,000 for their town.
Liam Kelly, chief executive of Make CIC, also welcomed the announcement, saying it is about "putting Birkenhead on the map". He also added that despite Birkenhead's reputation as a depressing place, which we recently reported on, with seven areas in Merseyside coming up in new statistics about regionwide depression, "the future is Birkenhead".
Wirral Council leader Paula Basnett described the shortlist as "a powerful recognition of a town that has always had an extraordinary story to tell", adding that it showed Birkenhead is "a town on the rise, confident in its identity, ambitious for its future and ready to take its place on the national stage."
