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Young people set to shape and benefit from Medway 2025 UK’s City of Culture bid

Medway’s 2025 City of Culture bid will see young people programming and promoting the bid an Invicta News exclusive reveals.

The bid, which was launched last year, has an aim to get Medway recognised in the national competition to be named UK’s City of Culture.

Imogen Robertson, Bid Director says: “Giving young people a voice in the local area is really important to what we’re doing.”

The bid is also attempting to forge new partnerships and links that Medway had not seen before as well changing the perceptions people have of Medway’s young people.

Although Medway is not a city, Ms Robertson said the competition is not about “city status”. “It’s more about culture city of the UK,” she says. Lancashire, classified as a county, is also running in the 2025 bid.

Ms Robertson said there had previously been misconceptions in Medway about the culture aspect of the bid saying that people often think of theatre and opera. “We are taking a really broad view of culture and including video games, cooking and fashion”

The impact of winning the bid is said to be “enormous” according to Ms Robertson. “It will change what people think about Medway closer to home and also around the country.” The bid has an aim to give Medway its moment on the national stage.

University of Kent alumni Emmanuel Enemokwu (aka Emay) speaking at the launch of Medway’s City of Culture bid. 

As well as seeing inward investment, the bid team expect to see more jobs and a change in perceptions for how young people will be viewed.

Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council (KECC) told Invicta News a “long-time legacy” will also be created for young people if Medway wins the 2025 UK City of Culture bid says

He told Invicta News on behalf of the KECC: “I feel that we should maximise the opportunities available for young people be it in school, college, university or community settings, providing them with new opportunities and broadening their horizons.”

Mr Sandher adds that the bid was a “great opportunity” to showcase the array of talent that exists in Medway. “By investing in young people, I feel that we can create a long-term legacy which will benefit Medway well beyond 2025,” Gurvinder said. 

The bid is backed by Back Medway – a community group that promotes the area as a good place to live, work and visit. If Medway were to win it would prove a “lasting legacy of increased visitor number”, according to the Medway 2025 website. It goes on to say that the bid, if won, would leave a more vibrant, ambitious and sustainable cultural sector.  

Mr Sandher added that community involvement is imperative to the success of the bid.

Medway 2025 are calling for students to get involved in the bid and get their voices heard.

Winner of the 2017 bid Hull saw 800 new jobs created and businesses thrive.

The city’s cultural transformation report, which took a look at the city after it won the bid, says: “The cultural programme attracted millions, from local people to visitors from across the UK and beyond.”

You can find out more about Medway’s 2025 UK City of Culture bid here.

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