Croydon’s “strong and credible” bid to become London Borough of Culture will help fuel its regeneration and reputational change.
The borough’s creative director, Paula Murray, told the Develop Croydon Conference 2017 that culture would engage communities with regeneration, as well as being a force for change in its own right.
Croydon Council has submitted a bid to the London Borough of Culture competition which will divide more than £2.8 million of funding for cultural programmes to two winning boroughs, who will be awarded the title in 2019 and 2020.
Ms Murray, speaking at the ‘Croydon, London Borough of Culture’ session, said: “A year ago we knew that the competition was in the pipeline and we were in two minds whether or not to enter. Now, it’s unthinkable that we wouldn’t have done.”
“We are now in a position where we can make a strong and credible bid. And, it would make the most enormous difference.”
A poll conducted at the conference entitled Meanwhile in Croydon revealed 99.4 per cent of delegates believed Croydon should become a borough of culture.
Key issues where culture can and is making a difference includes the support for Croydon’s young people, which at 34 per cent of the total population is the highest youth population in London. Engaging people with the massive regeneration taking place in Croydon can be achieved with culture as can reputational change, both for residents’ civic pride and people who want to invest here.
Challenges facing Croydon include youth employment, deprivation, life chances for some communities and a high number of looked after children.
“We need to shape a cultural programme that addresses this,” Ms Murray said.
And she explained that while “there’s a lot of noise about the town centre and Fairfield Halls”, investment and regeneration had to go to communities in the outer areas too.
Croydon’s cultural strengths include its energy in urban art; more than 10,000 people engaged in Warhol Croydon Month. Also, the revived Croydon Mela attracted 6,000 visitors and 30 local dance companies demonstrating “the strength and depth in Asian music which is also finding a home in Boxpark”.
Forthcoming highlights include the Street Art Festival, the Festival of Air which will people in the air quality debate and the Take Over 19 event where young people will take over Fairfield Halls for three days.
She urged people to vote for Croydon as London Borough of Culture in an ITV poll. Vote for Croydon by clicking here.
The outcome does not affect the eventual decision by the Greater London Authority expected to be announced in February.
