European culture bid can be the catalyst for city’s acceleration

Cities can use culture as the catalyst to increase their international profile and driving their economies.

Culture can be used to break down barriers, but the re-creation of the border between the UK and Europe following Brexit is not expected to affect Leeds’ ambitions to become the European City of Culture in 2023.

“Whatever the governance, we are still a proud European city,” said Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake.

“It’s not just what Europe can do for the city of Leeds, but how Leeds and our experience can be shared with Europe.”

As the West Yorkshire city prepares to ramp up momentum for its 2023 bid it drew on the experiences of other northern cities in using culture as an economic driver as it presented its message to an audience at MIPIM 2017.

Lessons from Liverpool and Newcastle – the former being the most recent UK city to hold the European City of Culture title, in 2008, and the latter the city that had to deal with not being selected when it thought had won – were shared in front of a business audience at the international property exhibition.

Liverpool was transformed by the focus – and unmovable deadline – of winning the title, with research valuing the economic impact at £800m, and receiving £200m of media coverage. 

Ged Fitzgerald, chief executive of Liverpool City Council, said: “Those numbers are impressive but the ripples went further and was a launchpad for things that have continued since then, and not just culture.”

He highlighted the ongoing sense of partnership that was forged during the years of preparing for, and the year of delivering, the cultural carnival.

And he said Leeds must begin planning for 2024 as it develops its plans.

“Getting the plans for the legacy right from day zero is imperative,” he added.

For Newcastle, the legacy of its bid began much more quickly than it had expected, as it had to deal with no being chosen.

“Our cultural venues across the city had started working together, and afterwards came together and said ‘what can we do now?’,” said Michelle Percy, assistant director at Newcastle City Council.

“We were clear that we hadn’t established a really strong brand.”

It has sought to address that with its Great Newcastle theme, which ties in with the Great Exhibition of the North that it will host and the annual Great North Run.

The experience of being rejected did not make it change its opinion on the importance of culture in building a vibrant city.

“Great cities are built on two pillars – economy and culture,” she added.

Leeds Chamber of Commerce president Gerald Jennings, whose role with Land Securities meant he saw first-hand the impact on Liverpool of the successful bid, is clear on the benefits.

He said: “The lesson for Leeds, if we do lose, is to make the most of the journey.

“Why is the business community behind it? We have been behind a bid ever since it was mooted.

“Business understands the benefits of the journey we are about to go on.”