Berwick-upon-Tweed to bid for UK Town of Culture
Berwick-upon-Tweed will bid to become the first ever UK Town of Culture in 2028, with Berwick Town Council, The Maltings (Berwick) Trust, The Straw Yard, and Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival joining forces to coordinate and develop a formal Expression of Interest in the small towns category (under 20,000 people).
Wide ranging consultation with civic leaders, community partners, festivals, venues, local creatives, and the wider public will be central to this process – convening conversations, gathering ideas and crafting an application that fully reflects the town’s distinctive cultural story.
The UK Town of Culture programme, launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), offers towns across the UK the opportunity to showcase their unique cultural identity, creativity and community pride on a national stage.
The successful town will be awarded £3m funding to deliver an ambitious programme of cultural activity in 2028, with two runners up receiving awards of £250,000.
The first stage in making a bid is to submit a formal Expression of Interest to the DCMS by 31 March.
The UK Town of Culture competition
The UK Town of Culture competition places strong emphasis on culture for everyone, community participation, young people, and the ability to competently deliver an innovative and ambitious programme that is firmly rooted in its location.
For Berwick, the process of developing an Expression of Interest is seen as valuable in itself – helping to strengthen partnerships, raise the town’s profile and build momentum around culture-led regeneration.
Berwick Town Council voted unanimously to endorse a Berwick bid at its Full Council Meeting on 19 January.
Support from local councillors
David Smith, MP for North Northumberland said “I am delighted that Berwick is bidding to become the first ever UK Town of Culture. No place has a history or identity quite like Berwick’s, and this bid is a chance to celebrate the town’s unique story and showcase the creativity, resilience and strong sense of community of which people in Berwick are rightly proud. I fully support this effort and the ambition it represents for Berwick’s future.”
Cllr Philip Rowe, Berwick Town Council, said: “This is about more than a title, it’s an exciting opportunity to work collaboratively for the whole of Berwick and surrounding villages, celebrate what already exists, and imagine what culture in Berwick could become over the coming years – not just in our venues, but across the whole town, our schools, our communities and every aspect of daily life. Together we’ll shape a strong and competitive Expression of Interest that reflects and celebrates Berwick’s amazing character, creativity and ambition, and ensure that local voices are at the heart of the bid process.”
The Expression of Interest phase will take place during January – March 2026. A shortlist of towns who will be supported to prepare full bids and outline detailed programmes for 2028 will be announced by DCMS in the Spring.
Berwick needs your views!
What do you love about Berwick? What would you like to see more of in the future? As we prepare our Town of Culture bid, we need your support by sharing your ideas and experiences via the short survey below. This is your chance to help shape what comes next for your town.
