Birmingham shortlisted for UK City of Culture (Birmingham Liberal Democrats)

Birmingham Liberal Democrats <info@birminghamlibdems.org.uk>

Birmingham shortlisted for UK City of Culture

February 25, 2010 1:33 PM

Councillor Martin Mullaney has welcomed the news that Birmingham has successfully made the shortlist for the first UK City of Culture title in 2013.

Lib Dem Councillor Martin Mullaney has welcomed the announcement that Birmingham has successfully made the shortlist for the first UK City of Culture title in 2013. Responding to the news, Cllr Mullaney said: "To have got so far against tough opposition from across the UK is a fantastic boost for Birmingham. But this is just the first stage and we're not getting carried away."

"There's a lot of hard work ahead and now we want people across the city to play a part as we put together the final bid that will mean Birmingham is named the UK's first ever City of Culture."

"This is very much a Birmingham bid, not just a City Council bid, and we are keen to involve as many people across the city as possible. As we move into the final decisive stage of the selection process, we still want to hear your ideas on www.canvasbirmingham.com ."

The bid has been developed by the Birmingham Cultural Partnership (BCP) and is designed to reflect Birmingham's status as a global city with a world class programme of cultural activities and a rich and diverse local heart within its communities.

The list of fourteen bidders was whittled down to just 4 by an independent panel, who assessed applications against a set of criteria such as the quality of the programme and its ability to reach a wide range of people, the use of culture to lead to lasting social regeneration, being able to demonstrable an economical impact and the creation of a legacy beyond 2013.

The other shortlisted cities are Sheffield, Norwich and Derry. Final bids now have to be submitted to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport by the end of May 2010. The winning city will be announced during the summer.