Croydon has been invited to City Hall in the new year to present their bid to become London’s Borough of Culture in 2023.
This is Croydon is one of seven bids from across the capital that have made it through to the next round of the competition to hold the title in the years 2021 and 2023. Croydon is bidding for 2023.
Boroughs will be presenting their bids in January 2020 with a decision expected in February.
“Culture has been at the forefront of our work to regenerate Croydon. As our borough continues to change and grow, we are now known for our creativity and pride as well as our ever-changing skyline.
“Our bid to become Borough of Culture in 2023 builds on these successes and also addresses the challenges we still face. This is Croydon will show the rest of London and the world how the arts can lead system-change and empower people to write their own futures and to tell their own stories.”
Councillor Oliver Lewis, cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport
Councillor Lewis announced Croydon would be bidding for the title in September, at the official reopening of Fairfield Halls. The venue has been restored to its former glory, with a transformed cultural programme – a key milestone in the borough’s cultural renaissance.
Other cultural achievements include developing as one of the Mayor of London’s Creative Enterprise Zones and as Croydon Music City. Croydon is also one of only five Youth Performance Partnerships in England, creating thousands of new opportunities in theatre, particularly for young people from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.