Community Forum22nd April 2013

• Meet those involved in the initial bid stage• Hear more about the process• Join discussions that inform the next stage• Consider key questions and success criteria

• Sam Cox – Poet Laureate since March 2012• Sarah Cheverton – Freelance writer and researcher –

earlier bid writer – Coordinator of Portsmouth Writers Hub

• A poem for our cities…

• National competition, launched in 2009, to run every four years

• “An opportunity to create & innovate, to build local pride, to show the world who you are & what you can do.”

• Culture is a mechanism to achieve wider economic & social goals – ambition to “use culture as a catalyst for change”.

• Expression of Interest for 2017 submitted. Total of eleven areas entered.

• Initial bid needed for 30th April 2013.

• Shortlist decision in June, with full bids for shortlisted submitted by 30th September 2013.

• What do you think are the best things about culture in Portsmouth and Southampton?

• What are the main weaknesses and under-developed areas of the cultural offer in Portsmouth and Southampton?

• Would you like to be part of a UK City of Culture 2017 programme in Portsmouth and Southampton? What benefits would you expect it to bring to you and your organisation?

• What artistic programme or activity would you like to deliver in 2017, were we awarded City of Culture?

• If the bid is successful, which major event, group or organisation would you like to see happen in 2017?

• If the bid is successful, what one legacy would you like to see in Portsmouth and Southampton after 2017 has passed?

Or respond to

Sam.Cox@PortsmouthCC.Gov.UK