UK Town of Culture 2028
Perth and Kinross Council · 25 March 2026
Back to Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee — 25 March 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Our vision is a Perth and Kinross where everyone can live life well, free from poverty and inequality ___________________________________________________________________ Committee: Housing & Social Wellbeing Committee Date of Meeting: 25 March 2026 Report Title: UK Town of Culture 2028 Report Number: 26/74 Report Author: Julie Barnsley, Economic Development Officer Organisational Lead: Serge Merone, Strategic Lead – Economy, Development & Planning ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this Report is to provide an update on the UK Town of Culture 2028 competition which is being run by the UK Department of Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). The Report seeks Committee’s approval to support the expressions of interest to the competition from Crieff (via Creative Crieff) and Pitlochry (via Pitlochry Community Action Trust). 1.2 Sections 1. Purpose 2. Recommendation(s) 3. Background 4. Links with Culture Strategy and wider cultural ambitions 5. Expressions of Interest 6. Shortlisting 7. Timescale 8. Conclusion 9. Impact Value Assessment 10. Appendices 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Housing & Social Wellbeing Committee: 2.1 Note that Officers have been informed by Creative Crieff and the Pitlochry Community Action Trust of their intention to submit Expressions of Interest to the UK Town of Culture 2028 competition for Crieff and Pitlochry respectively,
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and that Officers are working collaboratively with both organisations to support the development of their submissions. 2.2 Agree that Perth and Kinross Council will support the submission of both Expressions of interest and provide Officers’ assistance as required. 2.3 Ask Strategic Lead – Economy, Development and Planning to report back to a future meeting of the Committee or the Council. 3. Background 3.1 The UK Town of Culture 2028 is a new competition which was announced by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on 14 January 2026. It is a UK-wide programme, developed in collaboration with the devolved governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The UK Town of Culture is intended to complement and build on the success of the UK City of Culture. 3.2 The competition states that its aims are to celebrate the significant contributions of towns to the UK’s national story, with a focus on building social cohesiveness where communities feel proud of their place and empowered to celebrate it. Furthermore, the UK Town of Culture provides an opportunity for towns and communities to use culture and creativity to tell their story. 3.3 The competition is intended to drive local economic growth and opportunity, bring local investment, create a lasting sense of pride, and open doors to the arts for everyone. 3.4 The competition is open to small, medium and large towns, with the winner delivering a vibrant cultural programme in 2028 which showcases the town’s story and visions. Bids can also be made by groups of places where these places share a common story and common geography. 3.5 Three finalists - one small, one medium, one large town - will be chosen. The winning town will be awarded £3 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028 with a duration of around six months. Additionally, the two finalists from their category will receive £250,000 each to deliver elements of their bid. Category Population size Small Town Under 20,000 Medium Town 20,000-75,000 Large Town Over 75,000 The DCMS is using the Office of National Statistics definitions for towns based on population size. 3.6 The judging panel, led by the television producer Sir Phil Redmond, will decide which category bids fall within. The names of the full judging panel will be announced in due course.
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4. Links with Culture Strategy and wider cultural ambitions 4.1 Supporting local towns to bid for UK Town of Culture 2028 aligns directly with the Perth and Kinross Culture Strategy 2023–2028 approved by this Committee, which prioritises widening access to culture, strengthening placemaking, and supporting creative communities across all localities. The UK Town of Culture’s focus on local storytelling, inclusive participation, and partnership-led cultural delivery reflects the Culture Strategy’s strategic pledges and offers an opportunity to enhance cultural engagement and visibility across the region. 4.2 This activity complements Perth’s status as the UK’s first and only UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art, reinforcing commitments to nurturing local makers, expanding creative networks, and embedding craft and creativity within sustainable community development. 4.3 Collectively, these UK Town of Culture bids will strengthen the cultural identity of Perth and Kinross and support our ambition to grow a vibrant, inclusive and internationally recognised cultural offer. 5. Expressions of Interest (deadline: 31 March 2026) 5.1 The invitation to submit Expressions of Interest was opened by the DCMS on 14 January 2026 (Appendix 1). This part of the process will close on 31 March 2026. 5.2 Bids must be made by a partnership representing the relevant town - this partnership must include the local authority. The partnership can be newly formed or well-established. 5.3 To help manage partnerships at a local level, Perth and Kinross Council launched an Interest Form for towns to indicate their intentions to apply. The deadline for making intentions known was 13 February 2026. 5.4 Creative Crieff and Pitlochry Community Action Trust both responded to the Perth and Kinross Council Interest Form and are both developing their UK Town of Culture Expressions of Interest. Officers are supporting both organisations with their submissions. 5.5 At the time of writing this report, the bidding towns are developing the content of their submissions. We will be able to share further information once these have been finalised, with the deadline for submissions to the DCMS being 31 March 2026. 5.6 A single organisation within the partnership must be nominated as ‘Lead’ and as such must be a formal, constituted and accountable organisation. This can be the local authority, or it can be another organisation within the partnership. 5.7 The partnership should demonstrate a commitment to work collaboratively and could include a range of community and cross-sector partners.
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5.8 The partnership should demonstrate commitment to actively including local communities in decision-making and supporting them to directly shape what happens in their area. It is highlighted that a commitment to community collaboration should be demonstrated at all stages of the competition. 5.9 Bids will be judged on three main criteria: Story – the unique story of the town. Culture for everyone – how the town will design a cultural programme for all. Making it happen - how the town will then deliver a successful programme. 6. Shortlisting 6.1 Shortlisted towns will be announced in Spring 2026. 6.2 DCMS has advised that in the event of a high number of applications, an initial sift will take place on the first criterion only i.e. ‘Story – the unique story of the town’. 6.3 Shortlisted towns will each receive £60,000 to support them with developing and strengthening their full application. 6.4 The panel will visit the shortlisted towns, who will be invited to present to the panel and engage in detailed discussions about their plans. 6.5 The panel will assess the full applications and presentations against the competition criteria, including any outcomes of public engagement and communications. 6.6 The panel will submit their recommendations for the finalists and overall winner of UK Town of Culture 2028 to the Secretary of State for DCMS, who will make the final decision. DCMS aims to announce the UK Town of Culture 2028 winners in early 2027 7. Timescale Milestones Dates Expressions of Interest (EOI) Opened: 14 January 2026 Deadline: 31 March 2026 Shortlisted places announced Spring 2026 Full application period Spring 2026 – Autumn 2026 Finalists and winners announced Early 2027 Delivery period 2028
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8. Conclusion 8.1 Applying for the UK Town of Culture 2028 title gives our towns a powerful opportunity to articulate their vision and work collaboratively with partners and communities to shape and celebrate their story. 8.2 Through the development of a cultural programme, these partnerships will be strengthened as they co-create activities that address local challenges and make culture accessible to everyone. 8.3 This process encourages communities to express pride in their town, using creativity to showcase what makes their place unique. By putting forward a strong, inclusive programme of cultural events, towns can demonstrate meaningful collaboration and place themselves firmly on the map as centres of culture. 9. Impact and Value Assessment 9.1 This report has been classified as being an operational report and as such does not require a full Impact and Value Assessment. 10. Appendices 10.1 Appendix 1 - Expression of Interest Form