Having been longlisted earlier this year, Wrexham has submitted its citizen-led formal bid in the competition to become the next UK City of Culture in 2029.
Led by Wrexham Community & Culture Trust, the independent charity established with the support of Wrexham County Borough Council, the Wrecsam2029 bid draws on the city’s international reputation for radical playwork, on its centuries-long history as a place of enterprise and innovation, and on its borderland identity.
The Wrecsam2029 bid goes further than ever before in the way it is involving local people and communities across the county.
From the outset, it has been community-led, with thousands of people helping to shape its development over the past four years, including over 1,000 schoolchildren, as well as residents, artists, performers, schools, businesses, and groups such as Wrexham's County Voluntary Council, Youth Parliament, North East Wales Multicultural Hub, and Adventure Playgrounds.
The process has included funding for local creatives to experiment with new ideas they would love to develop and turn into reality by 2029, whilst dozens of cultural leaders have helped co-produce a new 10-year cultural strategy covering 2027-2037 to support the bid.
Amanda Evans, Director of Wrexham’s UK City of Culture 2029 Bid, said: "Our vision is for Wrexham to be the world's most playful place, where playfulness informs every aspect of daily life and frames our emergence as a hotbed of creative enterprise and innovation, a globally significant visitor destination and a place where every young person gets the best possible start."
