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Stalybridge is set to take centre stage as Greater Manchester’s next Town of Culture, after a successful bid for the accolade in 2022.
The Tameside town will receive a £50,000 grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Culture Fund to develop a programme of cultural events and activities celebrating the unique heritage of Stalybridge and bring new opportunities for residents and visitors.
The Town of Culture award is an annual award highlighting the distinctive creativity and diversity of towns across Greater Manchester, with a focus on the remarkable art, culture and heritage that exists across the city-region.
Tameside Council led on the submission – selected by an independent panel judging ambition, impact, and additionality – working in partnership with The Bridge Cultural Consortium. The Stalybridge Town of Culture Programme 2022 will complement existing work taking place as part of the Stalybridge Heritage Action Zone and the Town Centre Challenge.
The bid focused on promoting projects that will enable people to slow down, connect with the local environment and celebrate cultural value in activities such as artist-led walks and trails, community growing projects, and outdoor activities including theatre and storytelling. These will tie in with existing cultural highlights in Stalybridge, like the town’s popular monthly Street Feast event.
Stalybridge succeeds Bury, which became Greater Manchester’s inaugural Town of Culture in 2020 and held the title during 2021 throughout the COVID 19 pandemic. The town curated and delivered a hybrid programme of live and virtual events, including the Happy Festival and the two-week Burrs Live festival.
The £50,000 investment from the GMCA was more than tripled by additional funding from Bury Council, Arts Council England and the Victoria Wood Foundation, and the town is now developing a Culture Strategy to build upon the legacy of the award.
📷 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
