Calls for residents to shape Town of Culture bid

Corby residents have until the end of November to help shape its bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028.

It is on a shortlist of five in the medium-sized towns category of the competition, being held for the first time.

The winner will get £3m to deliver a six-month programme of cultural events. Two other finalists will each receive £250,000.

"This is very much the people's bid and we want to hear from people about the [parts of Corby] they love. Having everyone involved is brilliant," said Emily Askew, marketing consultant for Corby's bid.

"We want [the bid] to reflect the people who live and work here," she added.

"It's a town that's faced its challenges... but the bid is about how we've adapted and reinvented ourselves.

"We believe that Corby is something really special and we are crossing our fingers that we make it through to the next stage," Askew said.

In the medium-sized towns category, Corby is up against Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, Leith, in Scotland, and Pontypridd and Port Talbot, in Wales.

Shortlisted towns have been given £60,000 to develop full bids, which will be assessed by an independent judging panel.

One finalist will then be selected from each category - small, medium and large towns - with the overall winner announced early next year.

Sir Phil Redmond, the television producer and screenwriter who created Grange Hill and Brookside, is one of the competition's judges. He is due to visit Corby on 16 November.

The government says the UK Town of Culture, which now runs alongside the UK City of Culture competition, is part of its ambition to restore pride in local areas.

One way locals can get involved is by suggesting ideas for the Corby bid at a temporary shop in the Willow Place shopping centre until 7 November.

Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.