Contributions to national life outside of big cities will be celebrated through a new UK Town of Culture competition, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced.
To run alongside the UK City of Culture initiative set up in 2013, the new scheme will see towns across the country competing for the 2029 title.
Addressing the Labour party conference, Ms Nandy said: “Today we’re launching a brand new competition to recognise the UK Town of Culture to celebrate the creativity, history and identity that has made us such a vibrant, diverse and incredible country.
“While we know that talent and imagination is everywhere, opportunity is not.
“That’s why, today, I’m proud to announce that we’re backing our regions and handing money and power back to our people, with a £150 million Creative Places Growth Fund.”
The Creative Places Growth Fund is for six regions outside London, empowering local mayors to support creative businesses in their communities with access to finance, mentoring and networking opportunities to help them connect with investors and skills programmes.
Ms Nandy also said £132 million would go to “youth centres, grassroots sports, arts and music programmes in communities that need them most”.
