Marketing Derby has given the city’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2025 a major boost after pledging £20,000 of support.
Derby is one of eight long-listed locations for such status – and next week the city will be submitting its formal bid. In the meantime, the team behind the bid has been working hard to generate support.
Marketing Derby’s pledge, which will be spread over four years, is a mixture of financial and in-kind support.
John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, said: “Marketing Derby is fully behind the bid to become City of Culture in 2025.
“We are delighted to make this pledge to help build the business support for the application for what we believe will be the best bid submitted.
“We’re confident that culture will become increasingly important for our economy and offer and will play a key role in the post-pandemic recovery.”
The UK City of Culture competition uses culture as a catalyst for levelling up areas outside London and putting new parts of the UK on the cultural map internationally.
Bidding for the title in its own right has been shown to have a hugely positive impact on a place, using the bidding process to bring together lasting local, national and international partners, to share a vision for their area and attract investment.
A measure of the support Derby’s bid has from the city was shown at a conference organised by Visit Derby, part of Derby City Council, which was held earlier this month at Derby Museums’ Museum of Making.
Around 130 people attended the hybrid event called Culture Derby – Transforming the City Through Culture and the Visitor Economy.
It featured contributions from Mo Suleman, of Derby, Marketing Derby’s marketing and communications manager Andrew Lowe, Councillor Ross McCristal, the city council’s cabinet member for leisure, culture, tourism and wellbeing and Adam Buss, director Culture Derby, who is leading the city’s bid.
Following the presentation, delegates were asked to complete a ‘Pledge Card’, to get behind the bid.
The pledges are made based on the bid being successful – and so far, businesses and organisations have pledged tens of thousands of pounds worth of support.
Derby’s formal bid will be submitted on Wednesday, February 2 – and while it waits to see if it has been successful, supporters are being urged to keep the bid visible to judges through social media by following Culture Derby on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and using the hashtag #CultureDerby2025.
Companies and organisations can also continue to pledge their support after the city submits its formal bid.
