BRADFORD will find out tonight if it has been named the UK City of Culture 2025 after receiving support for its bid from a famous actor.
It is battling with County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough to replace Coventry as the UK’s City of Culture.
Tonight the winner of the UK City of Culture 2025 will be crowned live on The One Show by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries. The show starts at 7pm.
Before the announcement, Bradford has been backed for the prestigious title by actor Miriam Margolyes, who starred as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film franchise.
In an audio clip posted by former Bradford district councillor Richard Dunbar, the actor said: “I would be thrilled if Bradford was city of culture. It would open people’s eyes!”
Ms Dorries said: “The UK City of Culture competition is a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the contribution that art and culture make to all our lives.
It's got to be Bradford! #Bradford2025 #CityOfCulture2025 #TeamBradford https://t.co/IHxYQ7i2Up
— University of Bradford (@UniofBradford) May 30, 2022
“This title has been hotly contested and I’ve been hugely impressed by the quality of all four shortlisted bids from Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough.
“Winning the competition can boost investment, attract tens of thousands of visitors and bring the local community together for an unforgettable year. I wish the best of luck to everyone involved.”
The winner is approved by the Culture Secretary based on independent advice from a panel of experts led by Sir Phil Redmond, who created TV shows including Brookside.
The experts visited each of the four shortlisted places to learn more about the bids before making their final recommendation.
During his visit to the Bradford district earlier this month, Sir Phil remarked on Bradford’s ‘hunger’ for the title, adding that Bradford had demonstrated its understanding of how “culture is a great catalyst to bring about change”.
The Bradford bid team took the judges on a tour around locations including Kala Sangam, Little Germany, Salts Mill, Keighley and Lister’s Mill.
Previous winners, including Hull and Derry-Londonderry, have shown the huge economic benefits the title can bring. Hull received £15 million in government investment to help build a lasting legacy, and £18m of government funding in Coventry has led to a total of £172m inward investment, funding music concerts, the UK’s first permanent immersive digital art gallery, a new children’s play area in the centre of the city, and improvements to public transport.
The Telegraph & Argus will run a live blog throughout today including news and reaction to tonight's announcement
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