Press release
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Newark unites behind landmark bid to become UK’s first Town of Culture
Newark has launched an ambitious community-wide bid to become the UK’s first Town of Culture, bringing together cultural organisations, community groups, youth leaders, businesses, creatives and artists to celebrate the town’s creativity and place culture at the heart of its future.
If successful, the new national UK Town of Culture competition will award £3 million to deliver a transformative programme of cultural activity in 2028.
With its rich heritage, beautiful riverside setting and proud history as a thriving centre of trade, Newark offers a unique blend of tradition and energy. Its welcoming spirit and vibrant creativity continue to shape a town full of character and opportunity.
Newark is brimming with creative thinkers and makers, offering everything from vintage treasures and antiques to books, finely crafted musical instruments, sports, food and drink. From its famous markets to its independent businesses and thriving community organisations, creativity runs through every part of the town.
But Newark’s cultural strength lies not just in what is visible on the surface. It is, in the words of the bid team, “a place of deep glow not just surface shine.”
The bid will tell the stories of the town’s world-class creativity and connect people across communities. It’s bringing together cultural organisations, community groups, youth leaders, creatives and artists, to create waves that will extend far beyond Newark’s boundary. The bid will propose a cultural programme to welcome audiences from across the East Midlands and beyond, while developing models of best practice that can be shared with other towns across the UK.
At its heart, the bid campaign ‘Made in Newark‘ will build on the creativity already flourishing across the town, by collaborating with communities to understand what is happening locally and support those groups already doing great things to thrive. This work has already begun with the formation of a Youth Advisory Group and open consultation sessions which took place last week at Newark College.
Creativity brings people together and everyone has a role to play. Through Made in Newark, residents will be invited to make, talk, share stories and celebrate the creativity of their communities. By connecting people, celebrating talent, increasing participation and building cultural capacity, the initiative aims to inspire lasting change.
The ambition is simple but powerful: to make Newark the best market town in the UK to live in — where culture is part of everyone’s everyday lives, where everyone has access to cultural experiences, and where creativity informs how the town grows and thrives.
Residents, organisations and businesses are invited to support the bid by signing up on the campaign website and by promoting Newark in the media using the hashtag #madeinnewark.
Sophie Dickinson representing the Youth Advisory Board, said:
“Young people are a huge part of Newark’s creativity and its future. The Town of Culture bid gives us the chance to make sure our voices, ideas and energy help shape what happens next.
There are so many talented young people in Newark – in music, sport, art, writing and digital creativity – and this bid gives us the opportunity to share that with the rest of the UK.
We want young people across the town to get involved, take pride in where they live and help show what Newark can do.”
Rebecca Blackwood, on behalf of the Newark Town of Culture Bid, said:
“Newark has creativity running through its streets, its communities and its people. From our historic markets and independent businesses to our artists, musicians, writers and makers, this is a town full of talent and stories waiting to be shared.
The Made in Newark bid is about unlocking that creativity and bringing people together. By connecting communities, celebrating talent and building new opportunities for participation, we can show the country what makes Newark such a special place.
Our ambition is simple – to make Newark the best market town to live in, where culture is part of everyday life and everyone has the chance to take part.”
Penny Taylor MBE, Newark College, said:
“Newark is a place of deep creativity – a town with a rich history with a huge amount of energy and innovation. The Town of Culture bid gives us all an opportunity to celebrate what already exists here while creating new opportunities for people to take part in culture and creativity. It’s time for us to come together!”
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