Creative leaders in Ipswich have said that the City of Culture bid is a "fantastic opportunity" for the town after the bid was launched last month.
Leaders from the town's arts, music and culture sector believe a successful bid for the 2029 City of Culture bid could transform Ipswich which has long "punched above its weight".
The starting gun for a City of Culture bid was fired by Ipswich MP Jack Abbott at the end of last month, which he called "a once-in-a-generation opportunity".
The City of Culture scheme is designed to recognise and celebrate the culture of communities but an applicant does not have to be officially listed as a city, meaning that Ipswich would be eligible for a bid in 2029.
More than 20 creative leaders in Ipswich met with Mr Abbott in August ahead of an official bid with them providing their overwhelming support.
James Kindred of Ipswich.Love said: “On our platform, we highlight hundreds of local events each week, and this bid would truly spotlight our town’s vibrant creativity and cultural spirit.”
Cherry Beasley of Simply C Photography, a photography business, said: “If the town won this bid a small creative business such as mine would likely experience increased opportunities for growth and visibility. It would have a positive impact on not just mine but all the local businesses I support; a domino effect, as it were.”
Read more: Community leaders have their say on City of Culture bid
Helen Oldfield, director of Affinity PR, who work with creative leaders said: “Previous winners of the UK City of Culture bid have seen parts of their cities transformed by many new arts initiatives, and extra funding to underpin it.
"It enabled much wider community involvement in all kinds of cultural experiences. For that reason, I’m glad that the Government has expanded it so that towns can also apply. It’s terrific news.
"Ipswich has always punched well above its weight when it comes to the arts, and it often exceeds many much bigger places in the breadth and quality of its festivals, arts organisations, and its local cultural talent. This town deserves its place on the map of Great British Places to Visit (or Invest in, Study or Work) for Culture and Cultural Tourism.”
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What is the City of Culture?
The City of Culture scheme is designed to recognise and celebrate the culture of communities while contributing to regeneration and cultural participation through a year-long programme.
An applicant does not have to be officially listed as a city, meaning that Ipswich would be eligible for a bid in 2029.
Ipswich Borough Council and the MP Jack Abbott have been supporters of the project, and Suffolk County Council said that they would back the project if their One Suffolk project was accepted by the Government as the successor to the Local Authorities.
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