Towns in the North Northants Council area are being assessed to see which ones will be picked for a shortlist to put forward for a new Town of Culture programme application.

Building on the success of the City of Culture programme, the new Town of Culture competition will shine a spotlight on the cultural contribution of small and medium-sized towns.

The winning town will receive £3.5m to deliver a cultural programme during the summer of 2028, harnessing what makes their town special.

Shortlisted towns will receive £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition.

Kettering could be on the shortlist of towns chosen by North Northants Council to put forward for Town of Culture /National World

placeholder image — Kettering could be on the shortlist of towns chosen by North Northants Council to put forward for Town of Culture /National World

A spokesman for North Northants Council said: “We know North Northamptonshire is an area rich in culture which deserves to be showcased at a national level.

“With this in mind, we are currently working through the Expression of Interest process for the Town of Culture programme.

"This involves working closely with local town and parish councils and cultural partners from across North Northamptonshire to assess the feasibility of an application for one or a number of our towns.”

Applications for the competition will be judged on three main criteria:

– Your story - the unique story of the town

– Culture for everyone - how the town will design a cultural programme for all

– Making it happen - how the town will then deliver a successful programme

Both the City of Culture and the Town of Culture competitions support the government’s Plan for Change mission to ‘break down barriers to opportunity, driving local economic growth and creating jobs across the UK’.

At the launch, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “For far too long, too many people have felt left out of our national story. These competitions are our chance to change that by shining a light on the places that have shaped our cultural life, but haven’t always had the recognition they deserve.

“We already know from UK City of Culture that winning, and even bidding for, these titles brings real benefits - jobs, investment, and opportunities for people to get creative and learn new skills.

"Now I want towns to be able to get these benefits too and that is why I am proud to launch the UK Town of Culture competition.

“Every place has a story worth telling so I want to encourage towns across the UK to step forward and show us what makes them special.”