Brighton considers City of Culture bid (From The Argus)
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Brighton considers City of Culture bid
12:10am Thursday 10th September 2009 in News By Alison Cridland
Brighton and Hove is considering a bid to become the UK's first City of Culture in 2013.
It is among 29 cities and areas across the country which have so far put themselves forward on a list of potential candidates for the prestigious competition.
The city or area which wins will be hosting national cultural events as well as staging a year-long programme of its own.
The new competition was announced by the government last month and the winner will be revealed next spring.
It comes after Liverpool was named the European Capital of Culture in 2008.
A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “It is not yet possible to say in detail what we might do but being Brighton and Hove it would be good as we have vast experience of hosting festivals and events.
“European capital of culture was reckoned to be worth about £130million to the host city so if UK capital of culture is anything like that it could be very well worth hosting.
“It’s a very good fit with our economy. About 20% of our firms are linked to the cultural sector.
"Boosting the economy is one of the council’s top five priorities and this is all part of that thinking.”
Simon Fanshawe, chairman of Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said winning the title would raise the city's reputation in terms of culture.
But he said the city must investigate whether it will be financially viable before entering the next stage of the bidding process.
He said: "We really must be vigorous in making sure we do it on the basis of a good return. We have to be hard-nosed. We are not doing this to have a laugh but to increase the prospects of people's jobs and the prosperity of the city and produce some great art.
"The question is whether or not being awarded the title will provide us with a really good platform we can use to attract money into theatre productions and other cultural organisations."
He said the leading players in the cultural life of the city must all play their part in supporting a bid if it is to be successful.
He said: "We shall have to make sure all the significant players are enthusiastic and see the potential for their businesses and organisations."
Soozie Campbell, Brighton city centre manager, said the bid would be welcomed by businesses.
She said: "It would be a good thing for the city. In Brighton there is always something happening all year round but this would give the people of Brighton and Hove something to feel proud about."
Brighton and Hove lost out when it competed to become the European City of Culture in 2008.
Chichester is among the list of cities and areas which have also registered an interest. Others include Birmingham, Oxford, Manchester, Sheffield and Cornwall.
Would you back the City of Culture bid? Tell us what you think below.
Comments(16)
kayotic
says...
7:10am Thu 10 Sep 09
HoveAlone
says...
7:17am Thu 10 Sep 09
stan bailey
says...
7:27am Thu 10 Sep 09
stickman
says...
8:19am Thu 10 Sep 09
HoveAlone wrote:Oh God, here we go again...
Yet again, the Argus are confused with their geography. The headline should be 'Brighton & Hove considers city of culture bid'. Brighton is a town, Brighton & Hove is a city!
HoveAlone
says...
12:04pm Thu 10 Sep 09
If Brighton wants to have the 'culture' title all to herself, then that is fine, and admirable. However, she would have to apply as the 'town' of culture - as she is not a city without Hove.
For these reasons, I will not be supporting the bid, and I would urge other Hovites to do the same.
Granny
says...
1:32pm Thu 10 Sep 09
Number Six
says...
1:36pm Thu 10 Sep 09
Unless you're talking a bout the culture you grow in a lab
tarik
says...
5:15pm Thu 10 Sep 09
Over on the getreading website the news has been greeted with a mixture of guffaws and cries and disbelief, and I'm told that Slough is the mystery "29th" bidder. So, let's just say the bar ain't too high.
As usual though, the government will make long & protracted deal about the "process" and then give it to a safe New Labour council. That'll be Brighton or Oxford then, so 50-50 chance I reckon.
The ghost of Osama bin there
says...
5:28pm Thu 10 Sep 09
yorkie44
says...
5:58pm Thu 10 Sep 09
HoveAlone
says...
6:28pm Thu 10 Sep 09
First of all, I have nothing against Brighton, but I actually seriously think that the effective abolition of 'Brighton' and 'Hove' as seperate units, the subsequent creation of 'Brighton & Hove' and the bestowment of 'city status' has been damaging to both Hove AND Brighton. I think first of all it is confusing to people (in fact the other day one of my friends said "hang on, how can Brighton & Hove be a city when it refers to two different places?"), and secondly it is used by 'Brighton' to market itself as some 'large, bustling, cosmopolitan, culture-rich' city (which it is not) - but often just calling itself 'Brighton' as oppose to the correct 'Brighton & Hove'.
Brighton has it's problems, but it would have been much better building on the strength of it's reputation as a 'shabby-chic no frills seaside town', without being part of a 'quasi-city' called 'Brighton & Hove', the same is said of Hove. I have never seen the point of the Brighton/Hove merger and subsequent 'city' branding and I really truly believe that both Brighton, and Hove, would have been better if they evolved seperately.
If 'Brighton & Hove' is to stay a 'city' and be taken seriously as a city then we all need to make sure that 'Brighton' is never referred to as a 'city' on its own, and that Hove is never confused as being part of Brighton. If you are referring to Hove and Brighton as the individual towns that they are, that is fine, but when talking in the context of 'the city', the correct name 'Brighton & Hove' should ALWAYS be used.
Oh, and for the record, there is no such place as 'Brighton City Centre' (as often listed on the bus timetables) as it is effectively 'Brighton & Hove City Centre'!
Gentleman Jim
says...
11:39pm Thu 10 Sep 09
tarik
says...
11:41pm Thu 10 Sep 09
Anyway, as I said, they'll either choose somewhere very safe, on-message New Labour, or, because we're talking 2013 here, as they know they'll be in opposition then, it'll be somewhere very very Old Labour to be the thorn in the side of the next government. So that'll be Barnsley then.
bug eye
says...
12:00am Fri 11 Sep 09
Gentleman Jim wrote:brighton and hove to put in a bid to become the first "UK" city of culture, although given half a chance they will travel around the world.
Here we go again, another opportunity to send councillers around Europe to make up their minds whether Brighton should enter,save the cost we dont stand a chance.
anyway we are very good at the arty **** festival type things and unusual events, are innovative and we do have interesting historic places with countryside and the sea etc. we need to get our ice rink and i360 or the brighton'o' in place though. the main thing is to get our streets smartened up and get the druggies cleaned up or shipped out. the city centre needs to be a conservation type area with uniform paving and road surfaces/markings and consistency in street furniture and shop design, a range of heritage colours that suit the light of the seaside location should only be allowed to be used as opposed to 1970s council estate colours. if the council want to employ someone to get this city sorted out then we need a great designer who can treat the city as a whole, like a house.
we could do with a business quarter at london road and an arts quarter possibly lewes road area. the king alfred restored to a beautiful art deco 21st century sports centre possibly funded by building a pay to enter hove pavilion or hove tate modern on the site too.
Andre Spooner
says...
7:10pm Fri 11 Sep 09
bug eye wrote:These are all great points Bug Eye! However I think you have only scratched the surface of what we need to do. We need to ensure that a glossy sheen of varnish is daubed on all the pathways in the Lanes to ensure the streets shine. We also need to get the old Horse Dance Arena in front of the AMEX building back in action, as well as the bear baiting square in Preston Park. Steve Ovett needs to be restored to his former glory, and Max Miller needs a voice box. A large bubble-wrap sculpture of Stephen Fry needs to adorn Victoria Gardens.
Gentleman Jim wrote:brighton and hove to put in a bid to become the first "UK" city of culture, although given half a chance they will travel around the world.
Here we go again, another opportunity to send councillers around Europe to make up their minds whether Brighton should enter,save the cost we dont stand a chance.
anyway we are very good at the arty **** festival type things and unusual events, are innovative and we do have interesting historic places with countryside and the sea etc. we need to get our ice rink and i360 or the brighton'o' in place though. the main thing is to get our streets smartened up and get the druggies cleaned up or shipped out. the city centre needs to be a conservation type area with uniform paving and road surfaces/markings and consistency in street furniture and shop design, a range of heritage colours that suit the light of the seaside location should only be allowed to be used as opposed to 1970s council estate colours. if the council want to employ someone to get this city sorted out then we need a great designer who can treat the city as a whole, like a house.
we could do with a business quarter at london road and an arts quarter possibly lewes road area. the king alfred restored to a beautiful art deco 21st century sports centre possibly funded by building a pay to enter hove pavilion or hove tate modern on the site too.
The Station needs a delightful frieze of the horses on a merry-go-round escaping with their horse-pole intact. I believe applying hair-oil to local bees will give their fur a sleek look.
I especially like the idea about the consistency of shop design and street furniture. Why, just the other afternoon, me and my Mighty Horse patrolled the North Laine. I hacked three asymmetrical litter bins off at the root, casting them into the gutter as if they were chops of lamb onto a butcher's slab. Meanwhile my Mighty Horse chewed all the shop signs until they were of regulation typefaces.
Forward! To Brighton and Hove and the future! Spooner rides again!
Wow! My security word was "michael-barrymore". My goodness!
g1mp says...
12:39am Thu 10 Sep 09