Swansea’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2021 has been hand delivered to judges at the UK Government’s Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in London by one of Wales’ most renowned actors.
Hollywood actor and Twin Town star, Rhys Ifans, appeared live on screen from London as part of a send-off event held at Swansea’s National Waterfront Museum on Thursday, 28th September.
With digital being at the heart of Swansea’s bid and cultural strategy, the gathering, which included a wide cross section of the Swansea community, saw the bid delivered on a memory stick by two of the leading lights of Swansea’s young creative talent; musician, Ify Iwobi and dancer, Richard Nkhata. Both youngsters then had the honour of pressing ‘send’, after which a giant screen showed an animation of the bid’s digital journey to London where Rhys Ifans was waiting outside the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in Parliament Street.
As he received the bid on his iPad, Rhys said: “Got it! I just want to send my heartfelt congratulations to all of you gathered there tonight in Swansea for all your incredible hard work and diligence over the months and years leading up to this moment. I’m feeling lucky. I’m feeling very lucky!“ He then joked about popping to the bookies before returning on camera and entering the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport muttering “ambition is critical”. The official deadline for the bid is tomorrow (Friday 29th September). It will now be judged with the winner being announced in early December.
Leader of Swansea Council, Cllr Rob Stewart, said: “Swansea has really come together to get behind the bid for UK City of Culture 2021. It’s been great to see people of all ages and backgrounds turning out to send it on its way to London. We are Wales’ cultural capital and the whole of Swansea really wants this. It’s good to see the leaders of all political parties come to the event to give their backing too. This really is a bid about Swansea, its people, its ambitions and its place in the UK and world. Having everyone’s support like this – from the public, from key local organisations, from businesses and from the media – is incredible. Of course, having Rhys Ifans helping us deliver the bid is the icing on the cake.
“Winning cities hold a year-long cultural celebration backed by significant investment from a range of UK bodies including Welsh Government, will enable us to get the infrastructure in place to be an outstanding host city. We are now the Welsh bid, we are representing Wales in the UK and all of our efforts are focused upon winning the UK City of Culture 2021 title so we can deliver very real investment that could transform our city and will deliver a lasting legacy for the people of Swansea. People talk about Swansea needing more investment, more jobs, more opportunities, more people, more tourists – being City of Culture will help do that.”
Local legend and Swansea Sound presenter, Kevin Johns MBE, who compered the event, added: “It’s very easy to get caught up in the hoopla surrounding a bid like this and lose sight of a huge part of what it’s really about; exposing young, inquisitive minds to the limitless possibilities of creativity, not just in the arts but in all aspects of life, so it is great to have bright young talent such as Ify and Richard join older talent like Rhys Ifans in sending the bid on its way.”
The bid document sets out a programme of events in Swansea for 2021 and a rationale that the Swansea 2021 team hopes will wow the judges and set them ahead of rivals Coventry, Paisley, Sunderland and Stoke-on-Trent.
There’s a lot riding on the decision – which will be made by a panel of judges headed by TV producer and screenwriter Phil Redmond – with the current holders, Hull, already having seen a £1billion boost in investment since winning the title.
Tracey McNulty, Head of Culture for Swansea Council, said: “A lot of hard work has gone into this bid. We have to convince the Panel that we can deliver real opportunities for our residents, improving skills, jobs and health – but also that we can host the best of the UK’s cultural offer here in Swansea, in our own unique way. In the first bid we described the kinds of community programmes we would develop, and in this stage, the higher profile headline events. All of them together make for hundreds of activities and there will be something for everyone. If we win, the real work begins the day after the December announcement, until then we must keep showing the judges that we want it, we need it and can deliver it! Please back our bid by following ‘Swansea2021’ on Facebook and being part of our conversation.”
Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Infrastructure, Ken Skates, said: “I’d like to congratulate the team at Swansea for all their hard work in putting this bid together – submitting the bid today is another step forward in realising Swansea’s ambition to become UK City Culture for 2021. This is a key opportunity to accelerate the city’s regeneration and it will give a tremendous boost to local pride, and to the people of Swansea’s sense of community and identity. I wish Swansea every success in becoming the first Welsh city to secure this important accolade and encourage everyone across Wales to back the bid.”