Hyndburn Town of Culture Bid takes shape

Hyndburn Borough Council has committed £100k of additional funding in its 2026/27 budget to support culture and heritage activity across the borough, as preparations intensify for a bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028.

The investment comes as the Borough’s Culture and Heritage Investment Panel (CHIP) is working on an Expression of Interest for the prestigious UK Town of Culture competition, with a submission deadline of 31st March 2026.

The additional funding will support cultural programming, community engagement, and heritage activity across Hyndburn, building on recent transformational investments including restoring Accrington Market Hall and town centre buildings, and the ongoing DOME heritage development project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Councillor Kimberley Whitehead, Deputy Leader of Hyndburn Council and Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and Sports, said: 

“Culture and heritage are at the heart of Hyndburn’s identity and our future regeneration plans. From the invention of the Spinning Jenny to our world-renowned Tiffany Glass collection, from the Accrington Pals to our vibrant contemporary creative community, we have extraordinary stories to tell. This investment shows our continuing commitment to ensuring culture is accessible to everyone in our borough. Whether or not we’re successful with UK Town of Culture, we’re building a cultural offer that reflects the talent, diversity, and ambition of Hyndburn’s communities.”

The new UK Town of Culture competition, run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, celebrates the role culture can play in towns across the UK. The winning town will receive £3 million to deliver a year-long cultural programme in 2028, with two finalists receiving £250,000 to develop their cultural infrastructure and programming. 

The competition assesses bids on their vision, community empowerment, cultural quality and innovation, accessibility, and deliverability. Expressions of Interest submitted by 31st March 2026 will be assessed, with shortlisted towns invited to submit full applications later in the year.

Hyndburn’s Expression of Interest is being developed with support from the Culture and Heritage Investment Panel.  It will celebrate the borough’s legacy of innovation and making, from industrial heritage to contemporary creativity, and set out how the funding would create opportunities for young people and underserved communities to participate in and lead cultural activity.

The Council will work with key partners including Super Slow Way, Haworth Art Gallery, Lancashire County Council, and community and voluntary sector organisations across the borough to develop the bid.