Despite not progressing to the final stages of the UK City of Culture competition, Swindon's longlist achievement has been hailed as a significant success, uniting residents, cultural organisations, businesses, and community partners around a shared vision for the borough.
The Swindon Borough Council and its partners are committed to building upon this foundation, enhancing Swindon’s cultural offerings and ensuring the campaign's ideas and collaborations leave a lasting legacy. The bid, developed in collaboration with the Swindon Culture Collective, aimed to showcase Swindon’s growing confidence and creativity nationally, challenging outdated perceptions and fostering a new narrative for the town's future.
This initiative coincides with the council's work on a business case for a new theatre, part of broader plans to revitalise the town centre's cultural appeal. Councillor Matthew Vallender, Cabinet Member for Culture, Planning and Regeneration, expressed disappointment at not advancing further but emphasised the pride in making the longlist. He stated, "This isn’t the end of our ambition. Far from it. Swindon was one of just nine places across the country to make the longlist and we should be incredibly proud of that."
Councillor Vallender added, "We entered this competition because we wanted to challenge some of the negative perceptions of Swindon and tell a different story about our town, one built on its creativity, diversity, heritage, innovation and huge potential. This process has shown just how much we have to celebrate and how much more we can achieve."
He urged for continued ambition, stating, "Now we need to be unapologetically ambitious. The Council, cultural organisations, businesses, communities and residents all have a part to play in building on what we’ve started, strengthening our cultural offer and turning that shared ambition into something lasting."
The campaign involved over 60 engagement events across the borough, gathering input from thousands of residents. Nick Capstick, Chair, and Lucy Oliver-Harrison, Interim CEO of Prime Theatre, highlighted the integral role of young people's voices in the bid, stating, "The process has provided a unique opportunity for young people across Swindon to help shape the future of culture in their communities, working alongside artists, cultural organisations and the Council to share their aspirations."
Support from the business community, including Zurich, DoubleTree by Hilton Swindon, and Gel Studios, demonstrated cross-sector enthusiasm. Amy Brettell, Head of Zurich Municipal, commented, "We are incredibly proud to have supported Swindon’s City of Culture bid and the ambition it showcased on a national stage. The process has demonstrated the creativity, pride and community spirit that make Swindon such a special place."
Councillor Vallender concluded, "One of the biggest achievements of this campaign is the coalition it has created. I want to thank every resident, artist, school, community organisation, business and partner that got behind Swindon and believed in what we could achieve together."
Dr Roderick Hebden, CEO of Swindon Culture Collective CIC, emphasised that the competition result does not define the town, stating, "What matters is that we have sparked new conversations, created new connections and shown the confidence to think big about Swindon's future. That's something worth holding on to and building from."
