Culture bid for town with rich industrial heritage
HandoutA town with a rich industrial heritage is the latest to throw its hat in the ring to become the UK's first town of culture.
Stanley, in County Durham, announced its bid hours before the deadline for submissions to the competition.
Led by Stanley Town Council and in collaboration with community groups, the campaign will aim to shine a light on "hidden Stanley" and celebrate the town's mining heritage, industrial history and ties to the film industry.
Tanfield Railway's general manager David Watchman said: "We have the world's oldest railway, the very birthplace of the industrial age, on our doorstep - a place that literally influenced the world through nothing but grit and determination."
He added the bid was not "just about looking back at what used to be, it's about looking forward".
Stanley is the birthplace of David and William Horsley, the brothers who founded the first Hollywood film studio in 1911. Actor Alun Armstrong, who starred in Get Carter and The Mummy, was also born in the town.
Town council chairman Joan Nicholson said partners working together to drive the bid were "ready to show the UK what Stanley can achieve".
"Becoming UK Town of Culture would shine a national spotlight on everything that makes Stanley special, from our industrial story to our creativity, talent and spirit."
The competition is being run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the winning town will receive £3m for a cultural programme in 2028.
The finalists and overall winners are due to be announced in early 2027.