Fareham makes bid for Town of Culture title with focus on creative practice
Fareham is hoping to be named the UK’s Town of Culture - and has plans for a range of activities
A town is hoping to show off its artistic side by entering the running to be named the Town of Culture.
Fareham Borough Council has submitted a bid to the government’s Town of Culture programme, highlighting its focus on supporting creative practice and engaging local communities.
The Town of Culture programme is a national initiative that supports places to deliver a year‑long programme of cultural activity, with the aim of increasing participation in culture and supporting local pride, wellbeing and economic activity.
The bid covers the borough of Fareham, so includes Fareham town centre and Portchester, Stubbington, Titchfield and surrounding neighbourhoods.
It sets out a proposed programme of cultural activity designed to take place across a wide range of indoor and outdoor venues, community spaces and public places.
Fareham’s submission also highlights making use of existing civic, community and cultural assets across the borough. The bid has been informed by the insights from local engagement undertaken through the town centre regeneration and place branding work.
The Government is expected to announce the outcome of the Town of Culture bidding process later this year. Emsworth has already thrown its hat in the ring for the title, as have Basingstoke and Lymigton elsewhere in Hampshire.
Get access to trustworthy local news for a fiver when you sign up for a digital subscription to The News.
It comes after Portsmouth was announced as one of nine places across the UK longlisted to become the City of Culture 2029, with a funding boost to support their bid for the title.
The city will now benefit from £60,000 to develop a full application and will also receive £10m if crowned the winner.
If successful, the bid, led by Portsmouth Creates alongside partners across the city, aims to unlock new opportunities for young people - from skills and apprenticeships to creativity, confidence and clearer routes into long-term employment.
Portsmouth’s bid is being led by arts organisation Portsmouth Creates, and chair Bernie Topham previously said: “We are truly ecstatic that we have made the longlist of cities in the running to become UK City of Culture 2029.
“Even at the very start of this process we have seen and felt firsthand the incredible power that a competition like this can have on a community and place.”