It was disappointing to hear that Wells’ bid to be the UK City of Culture has not made the shortlist. This is absolutely no reflection of the work that went into the bid itself nor the enthusiasm of those who were willing to organise or fund the project had we won. Instead, we have lost out because the Government continues to see the City of Culture status as a catalyst for post-industrial regeneration in our larger cities.
However, our bid has started a conversation within Government about the role of the arts, and culture more generally, in tackling some of the challenges that smaller cities and towns face. We don’t have hundreds of acres of post-industrial wasteland needing redevelopment but we do have an ageing community, isolated pockets of deprivation, small local authorities with very limited budgets, and relatively poor connectivity. A few bits of sculpture and interpretive dance performances in the Market Square aren’t going to sort all of that but an engaging programme aimed at all in our community – not just the art buffs – could have been the trigger for all sorts of good things.
It might, for example, have encouraged people to get involved with local community groups, it might have encouraged more volunteering, it could have helped with some of the mental health issues we face here and, of course, it will have driven our visitor economy too. Government sees the value of those things and so I’m glad that the Wells bid team will now be a part of the conversation about what can be done for smaller cities and towns across the country so that a celebration of the arts and culture within those communities can have the positive effects that we envisaged as the consequence of our bid here.