The Isle of Wight Council will support Southampton in its bid to become the UK City of Culture 2025.
Described as ‘an opportunity not to be missed, the Isle of Wight will now act as a supporting regional partner, providing political, practical and financial aid for the bid linked to the Island’s key transport, tourism and maritime associations with the city.
Jones-Evans: Will give the Island a sense of identity, pride and belonging
Cllr Julie Jones-Evans, cabinet member for regeneration and business development, said cultural regeneration is a key cornerstone of the regeneration strategy, which will give the Island a sense of identity, pride and belonging.
Speaking at the council’s cabinet meeting last week, Cllr Jones-Evans said it was exciting for the Island to be a part of the bid and it will, much like Coventry with its successful culture bid, see lots of investment and job creation.
She said,
“This is a good news story as far as I am concerned.
“Regeneration is not just about building things and creating jobs, it is about bringing the whole of our community up.”
Winner announced next May
The bid from Southampton was being sent to government today (Monday) with a decision made in September as to whether it is shortlisted.
The final winner will be announced next May.
The Isle of Wight Council will make a £10,000 contribution, from the regeneration budget.
A further £50,000 could be spent on supporting projects on the IW over the next five years.
Benefits to the Island
It is hoped by supporting Southampton’s bid, the Island will benefit from an increased number of visitors, enhanced profile as a cultural destination and more funding.
The success of Hull as the UK’s City of Culture in 2017 was said to grow the value of tourism in the city to £300m, with over six million visits to the city and more than 800 jobs created.
Cultural heritage
The council says the Island would be a significant partner to Southampton because of its cultural heritage with landmark events such as Ventnor Fringe Festival, Hullabaloo and the UNESCO Biosphere designation.
Cllr Jones-Evans said after meeting with the bid director for Southampton, they were overwhelmed with what the Island could bring to the bid.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
