Plymouth awaits announcement of 2017 City of Culture shortlist

The shortlist of four regional centres hoping to host the 2017 City of Culture will be announced today (Wednesday 19 June 2013).

Plymouth is one of eleven entrants into the competition which will be whittled down to four with the announcement expected at around 11am.

The four shortlisted locations will then be asked to submit fuller, detailed bids for consideration before the winner is announced in November.

The other areas due to submit bids are Aberdeen, Chester, Dundee, East Kent (covering Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Thanet), Hastings and Bexhill on Sea, Hull, Leicester, Portsmouth and Southampton, Southend on Sea and finally Swansea Bay (covering Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Neath, and Port Talbot).

Plymouth's bid team led by its Chair (and Chief Executive of the Theatre Royal), Adrian Vinken OBE, began work on the initial 30-page vision document in January. The bid, supported by Plymouth City Council, sparked a vibrant campaign across the city and via social media to encourage Plymouth people, organisations, businesses and celebrities such as home grown Olympian, Tom Daley to 'back the bid'.

The eventual winner will be helped by the organisations supporting the UK City of Culture programme to develop, attract and host high-profile events and initiatives in 2017. These might include award ceremonies such as the Brits, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year or the Turner Prize, conferences, radio and television programmes and other specific cultural events and activities.

The bid was submitted for review by the judging panel on 30 April. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport runs the competition and bidding process.

Follow the Plymouth City of Culture 2017 bid on Twitter @Plymouth2017.

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