Bolton takes centre stage as Greater Manchester Town of Culture

The Town of Culture accolade is an annual award highlighting the distinctive creativity and diversity of one of Greater Manchester’s many towns, putting the spotlight on remarkable arts, culture and heritage that exists across Greater Manchester.

And this year, Bolton is the proud award winner – offering residents many incredible cultural activities.

The council will be running a year-long series of events and activities in celebration that links with its new cultural strategy.

Performances from the theatre’s production of Little Shop of Horrors were among the highlights of the celebration on Friday, May 10, alongside a showcase of local arts and culture.

Each year, towns across Greater Manchester are invited to bid to become Town of Culture, which comes with a £50,000 grant to support local projects.

Bolton’s winning bid focused on emphasising how culture is the heartbeat of the town, building on its new cultural strategy.

Council leader Cllr Nick Peel said: “We have an incredibly rich fabric of culture in this town, whether it is our amazing music service, we are gifted for the number of theatres we have, we have got so many amateur dramatics and people who just get involved in things.

Yasmin Qureshi MP, Cllr Nadeem Ayub and Bolton Council leader Nick Peel (Image: Henry Lisowski)“On top of that we have got a massively amazing events programme as well which the council put on and it's growing.

"And when people talk about the decline of Bolton town centre, they are specifically talking about the retail core but over that same period of time our cultural offer has grown.

“It is very clear where the future of Bolton lies, that’s why culture and events and heritage is slap bang in the centre of our regeneration.

“The Town of Culture is such a boost for us.”

The council’s executive cabinet member for culture, Cllr Nadeem Ayub, said:  “The opportunity to bid for the Greater Manchester Town of Culture came at a perfect time that tied into our new cultural strategy.

“The strategy sets out to further solidify Bolton as a cultural hotspot, where we continue to host and build on our famous events, like the Bolton Food and Drink Festival and the Bolton Film Festival.

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“Bolton has a powerful community and voluntary sector, with excellent cultural partnerships.

“Together, we’ve been able to provide an ambitious vision for developing creativity in the borough to complement our new Bolton brand and visitor economy strategy.

“This has all played a big part in winning this year’s Town of Culture grant, and we’re delighted to use this to help further build up our local arts, heritage, history and film offer.”

Bolton is the fourth place to be named Greater Manchester Town of Culture, following successful programmes in Bury, Stalybridge and Stockport.

The Town of Culture programme was set up by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham in 2019.

Helping to choose the bid winner, the mayor explained why Bolton took the title this year.

"I am absolutely delighted that Bolton has been selected as Greater Manchester's Town of Culture 2024,” he said.

Lee Fallows, Bolton Council leader Cllr Nick Peel, Cllr Nadeem Ayub and the Mayor of Bolton Cllr Mohammed Ayub (Image: Henry Lisowski)“The bid submitted by Bolton is everything we want a Town of Culture bid to be- ambitious and exciting while being firmly rooted and shining a spotlight on the amazing local talent.

"I'm confident that we'll see the very best of Bolton over the next 12 months and that people will come from far and wide to see what this brilliant town has to offer."

Lotte Wakeham, artistic director of the Octagon Theatre, said:  “We’re thrilled and very proud that Bolton is the GM Town of Culture 2024.

“The Octagon has always been part of a thriving cultural landscape in Bolton, and this award will help showcase the rich culture of the town.

“We are delighted to be part of this exciting year for Bolton, celebrating the range and diversity of arts and culture this town has to offer.

“This includes Bolton’s first Comedy Festival this summer, launching our affordable ticket scheme and being part of community projects across the borough.”

Lee Fallows, director of corporate resources at the council, said: “Bolton’s unique cultural offer is one of our greatest strengths, setting us apart from other towns.

“We are known as home to lots of creative people - Peter Kay, Sara Cox, Sophie Willan, Diane Morgan, Hylda Baker and Mark Radcliffe to name a few.

“We have a rich array of cultural and creative assets, from public venues such as libraries, theatres, museums, galleries and music venues. It is also home to unique public art, heritage spaces and many creative businesses.

“In Bolton, culture is not a “nice to have” but an essential part of our town’s identity.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on X @chloewjourno.