Folkestone Town of Culture 2028 Bid: Come Together, Tell Our Story, Make It Happen

A £3 million national prize is on the table for the UK’s first Town of Culture in 2028. Folkestone has decided to take a run at it — and, for once, the first step isn’t a closed-door strategy session. It’s three open workshops at Leas Cliff Hall on Tuesday 24 February, inviting residents and organisations to help shape the town’s bid.

The headline offer is simple: win, and you get £3 million to deliver a cultural programme lasting around six months in 2028. Get shortlisted, and there’s support to develop a full application. But the first deadline is close: an Expression of Interest must be in by 31 March. The workshops are free, last about 90 minutes, and run at 2pm, 4pm and 6pm. You only need to attend one session, and booking is recommended.

You can book a free ticket – here

If you’re thinking of going, don’t turn up empty-handed. The government says bids will be judged on three criteria. They’re not buzzwords: they’re the three tests Folkestone will either pass or fail.

First: “Your story.” What is Folkestone’s unique story, and what does “culture” mean here beyond the obvious? The official guidance is blunt that, if there are lots of applications, the initial sift may be on this point alone. So Folkestone’s opening story needs to be sharp, specific and true to the whole town — not just the postcard bits.

Second: “Culture for everyone.” A winning bid has to show how the programme will be designed for all, including people who don’t already feel invited. That means thinking about cost, disability access, sensory needs, transport, family-friendliness, and how you reach neighbourhoods and communities who rarely see themselves reflected in the “culture offer”.

Third: “Making it happen.” This is the difference between a lovely wishlist and an actual year of events. Who delivers? Who partners? Where are the venues? How do you manage budgets, volunteers, safeguarding, safety, and the sheer grind of delivery?

So why should Folkestone back itself?

Because the town already has assets many places would struggle to invent.

There’s proven pull. Folkestone Triennial is reported to have attracted 135,000 visitors in 2014, with an estimated £2.8 million contribution to the local economy. That matters because Town of Culture isn’t just about “nice things”. It’s explicitly framed as pride, participation and legacy — and Folkestone can point to a track record of getting people into public culture and into the town.

Then there’s the Creative Quarter around the Old High Street: not a slogan, but a working cluster of studios and small creative businesses. On Creative Folkestone’s own description, it’s home to hundreds of creatives and built as a place where making, selling and performing overlap. That everyday engine is exactly what a six-month programme needs: local capacity, local networks, and reasons for talent to stay local.

Add the harbour and seafront, where food and music have become part of public life rather than occasional “special events”. If the bid is meant to include food, landscape, sport and social culture alongside the arts, Folkestone is already living that mix: coastline, parks, walkable routes, and spaces where visitors and residents already mingle.

The risk, of course, is that a Town of Culture bid becomes a polished story told at people rather than with them. Tuesday 24 February is the moment to stop that happening.

If you run a sports club, think about what “culture” looks like when you’re trying to keep kids engaged and volunteers motivated. If you make music, think beyond gigs and ask what would genuinely grow local talent: rehearsal space, youth nights, mentoring, low-cost recording, safe all-ages venues. If food is your thing, think beyond “best places to eat” and talk about shared identity: markets, community kitchens, heritage recipes, affordable family events. If you care about access, say what “culture for everyone” requires on the ground — and what would make you, your neighbours, or your children feel properly included.

£3 million is a big number. But the real prize is bigger: a chance to set out Folkestone’s story in its own voice, design culture that people can actually afford and access, and build a programme that leaves something behind in 2029 — not just a nice photo album from 2028.

The Shepway Vox Team

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