UK Culture Secretary announces longlist of UK City of Culture 2025
October 8, 2021, 4:06 am

UK Culture Secretary announces longlist of UK City of Culture 2025

UK-Armagh-church of ireland-Pixabay

Bradford, Stirling, County Durham and Wrexham are among the places in the running for the title of the UK's City of Culture 2025.

The BBC reported, the longlist, unveiled by new Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, also includes Cornwall, Southampton, Derby and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.

The winning city, which will succeed Coventry, will be announced in spring next year.

For the first time, each listee will receive £40,000 worth of investment.

They will all work with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to finalise their bids before the shortlist is announced early next year.

'Levelling up'

Ms Dorries said in a statement on Friday: "Winning the UK City of Culture competition has a hugely positive impact on an area, driving investment, creating jobs, and highlighting that culture is for everyone, regardless of their background."

"This year's focus is on levelling up access to culture across the country and making sure there is a legacy that continues for generations to come."

She added: "I look forward to seeing what this brilliant longlist has in store as they continue in the competition."

More places than ever before put in bids to become the next UK City of Culture. An initial list of 20 places was whittled down to eight potential winners by an independent advisory panel.

All bidders were asked to explain how they would use culture to grow and strengthen their local area, and how they would use it to recover from the impact of Covid.

As well as Coventry, other previous winners have included Hull and Londonderry.

UK City of Culture 2025 longlist

* Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon
* Bradford
* Cornwall
* County Durham
* Derby
* Southampton
* Stirling
* Wrexham County Borough

Source: BBC

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”