BEVERLEY – Beverley Town Council has given further detail on its bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028, describing it as a town-wide effort shaped by residents, community groups, schools, cultural organisations and local businesses.
The council has already submitted its expression of interest and says the bid has been informed by months of engagement across the town. More than 450 people took part in a community survey, while the Beverley Cultural Network helped develop the creative programme at the centre of the submission.
At the heart of the bid is Beverley’s long history as a place of craft, music, learning and sanctuary. The council says the town’s medieval churches, markets, festivals, performances and surrounding landscape all form part of the story it wants to tell on a bigger stage.
The bid argues that Beverley is already a cultural hub for the East Riding, but says Town of Culture status would give the town the chance to present that identity more strongly at local, regional and national level.
The proposed programme is built around three main themes.
The first, Craftsmanship and Creativity, draws on Beverley’s tradition of makers, artisans and performers. The council says this could be reflected through festivals, large-scale commissions and hands-on creative projects involving different age groups.
The second, Sanctuary and Community, is intended to reflect Beverley’s roots as a place of welcome. Under this theme, the bid points to shared cultural experiences, intergenerational activity and projects designed to bring people together.
The third, Landscape and Rural Life, would use Beverley’s open spaces and rural setting as a backdrop for outdoor arts, performance and storytelling, both in the town itself and in surrounding villages.
A major emphasis in the bid is on young people. The council says feedback from residents made clear that younger people want more opportunities and want a stronger role in shaping Beverley’s cultural future.
Plans outlined in the submission include a Youth Creativity Panel with decision-making power, a new Young People’s Cultural Festival starting in 2026, paid internships, creative apprenticeships and more cultural activity delivered directly in neighbourhoods and community spaces.
The wider aim, according to the council, is for the programme to benefit the whole town rather than focusing only on the centre or on existing cultural audiences. That includes projects aimed at older residents, families and low-income households, rural communities and people who face barriers such as mobility, confidence or transport.
The council says free and low-cost events would be part of that approach, alongside efforts to make sure activity is spread beyond the traditional venues and reaches people who might not normally take part.
If Beverley is shortlisted later this spring, the town would receive £60,000 to help develop the next stage of the programme. The council says part of that funding would be used to begin work on the Young People’s Cultural Festival in 2026, while the full Town of Culture plan would then be developed further with residents, partners and community groups.
If the bid is ultimately successful, the council says the title could bring major cultural events, a higher national profile, new opportunities for residents, more visitors and wider economic benefits for the town. It also points to what it describes as a longer-term legacy, particularly for young people and community life.
Town leaders say the current expression of interest is intended as the first step in that process and have thanked residents for contributing ideas, feedback and support.
Shortlisting results are expected later this spring.