Why our vibrant Ipswich should win City of Culture 2029

Terry Hunt, former editor of the EADT and Ipswich Star, and resident of the town, gives his views.

Ipswich - City of Culture 2029.

It has a certain ring, doesn’t it?

Lots of people want it to happen, and believe our historic county town deserves the prestigious title.

I’m one of them.

I’m delighted that Ipswich is finally breaking through the negative comments and is happy to shout from the rooftops about all the amazing assets it’s kept quiet for far too long.

The truth is that Ipswich has an incredibly rich, vibrant, and exciting cultural scene which gathers strength year after year.

In terms of heritage, the town also has an unrivalled history.

Ipswich dates back to the seventh century and really should call itself “The Oldest English Town.”

Suffolk’s county town has a really powerful story to tell, and I’m absolutely thrilled to say it now also has the all-important extra ingredients of self-belief and momentum, which have led to an exciting bid to become City of Culture 2029.

Some people are simply unaware of Ipswich’s cultural credentials because the town has, in the past, shied away from putting itself in the spotlight.

I am convinced that Ipswich would be a proud city now if it had been bold enough to bid for the honour as part of the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

So it is very pleasing to see that the stars have aligned and Ipswich wants to become City of Culture.

At last, we have belief in our town - and quite right too!

As far as culture and creativity go, Ipswich has a fantastic story.

Believe it or not, it has more Arts Council funded organisations than - wait for it - Norwich and Cambridge.

Ipswich, arts capital of the East.

Who would have believed it?

The town has such an impressive array of art and creativity.

Of course, there are high-profile venues such as the New Wolsey Theatre, the Regent and the brilliant Dance East, plus incredibly popular events like Music In The Park.

There are also a multitude of smaller organisations and events which showcase amazing levels of energy, ideas and creativity, usually without the benefit of large audiences and major funding.

But Ipswich’s credentials to become City of Culture cannot be summed up simply as a list, however compelling and impressive that might be.

What’s just as important - perhaps even more so - is the level of energy, talent, ideas and ambition which is to be found in the town’s cultural sector.

It is so incredibly impressive.

I’ll give you one example.

As part of the Wolsey 550 project, we worked with the Gecko theatre group who went into primary schools to deliver workshops to increase young people’s self-confidence and pride in their home town.

I took part in one of the workshops, at a primary school in a challenged part of town.

It was amazing - the level of energy and positivity created in less than an hour had to be seen to be believed.

It’s that kind of ingenuity, often away from the spotlight, which makes Ipswich such a strong and deserving contender for the City of Culture title.

This is not for the likes of Oxford and Cambridge.

It’s for grittier communities who combine two vital factors - huge potential and soaring ambition.

Ipswich has always had the former and now, thank goodness, it is showing that it also has the latter.

Just look at previous holders of the title.

Places like Hull and Bradford might have appeared unlikely candidates but they had the right credentials - potential and ambition - and duly won the accolade.

Believe me, Ipswich can do the same.

And it’s certainly a prize worth winning.

It comes with a £10 million pot to develop a year-long cultural programme and brings significant economic, tourism and regeneration benefits.

Just ask Bradford and Hull.

Transformational is the word.

The great news is that Ipswich has made a long list of nine, and has to submit its final application next month.

The final four will be shortlisted in the autumn with the winner being announced before the end of the year.

The bid team is working incredibly hard, and they want to involve as many people as possible.

They are inviting ideas and comments from everyone, from all communities across the town.

This is not a “good and great” thing.

It’s an “everybody” thing.

There are also a series of public events taking place in the town.

So... please get involved.

Have your say.

This is a huge opportunity.

Find out how to contribute by going to the website, ipswich2029.com.

Earlier, I mentioned the stars aligning.

It hasn’t escaped my notice that our bid to become City of Culture will be submitted while we host the iconic John Constable landscape The Hay Wain for the first time, and as we welcome the return of Premier League football to Portman Road.

I mentioned momentum, and we’ve certainly got it.

Come on, Ipswich!

How can I get involved in Ipswich's bid for City of Culture 2029?

There are two main ways for locals to get stuck in.

You can visit the ‘Get Involved’ section of the campaign website ipswich2029.com and send your ideas directly to the bid team in just a few minutes.

You can also attend in-person creative roadshows at community venues throughout the town.

These roadshows will be open to all ages and designed to gather ideas, stories, and feedback in a creative and accessible way.

Why is Ipswich bidding for City of Culture instead of Town?

Although Ipswich is a town, it is bidding on the City of Culture title.

The Ipswich Bid team explains, saying: "With a population over 150,000, Ipswich is well beyond the 75,000 threshold for a large town and clearly meets the scale the programme is designed for.

"We have been advised to apply for City of Culture and believe it will deliver the greatest impact, investment and long-term benefit for Ipswich’s communities and cultural sector."