County culture boost

Lancashire is preparing a county-wide bid to be the UK’s City of Culture in 2025

- Paul Mackenzie

Andrew Dixon thinks Lancashire has a good chance of being named the UK’s City of Culture - and he should know, he’s been behind the last two successful bids.

Hull in 2017 and Coventry who will hold the title next year both benefitted from Andrew’s input and he helped shape Lancashire’s vision for their bid for the title in 2025. But despite his Lancashire roots, Salford-born Andrew has also given advice this time to Luton, Medway and Bradford.

Although the title is ‘City’ of Culture, county-wide bids are permitted, but none has been submitted before.

‘There’s nowhere big enough or strong enough culturally here to bid individually, but there’s an excitement for rediscovering what makes Lancashire Lancashire,’ Andrew said. ‘Sometimes when people have tried to do bids beyond a single city, they have watered down their story,’ Andrew said. ‘We are starting from the premise that we are bidding together and I think that puts Lancashire in a strong position.’

‘‘I think we have a really good chance. This is a real opportunity for Lancashire’’