Sandown’s ambitious bid to become the UK’s first Town of Culture has taken a major step forward after the seaside town was selected as 1 of just 15 places to progress to the next stage of the national competition.
The Isle of Wight town was chosen from almost 400 entries by an independent judging panel led by television producer Sir Phil Redmond and will now receive a £60,000 development grant to strengthen its bid ahead of the next round. The overall winner will receive £3 million to deliver a year-long cultural programme in 2028, while 2 runners-up will each receive £250,000.
As previously reported by Island Echo, Sandown launched its bid earlier this year with a vision of transforming the town’s fortunes by embracing both its rich heritage and its well-documented challenges. Under the theme of ‘Tide Turners’, the bid aims to inspire the local community to play a leading role in Sandown’s regeneration.
Mayor of Sandown, Alex Lightfoot, has said:
“This is a huge moment for Sandown and we are overjoyed. Our bid evolves from the community up and we aim to show how together we can be Tide Turners.”
The town now has until the autumn to develop and submit its full bid, with judges assessing how culture can help shape Sandown’s future and bring lasting benefits to the community.
Bid leader Tracy Mikich has thanked the judging panel for backing Sandown’s vision.
She said:
“In the spirit of the Sandown Clown, this is a giant high-stepping leap for Sandown. We had great fun as a community formulating an entry based on our incredible story, one that embraces glitz and decay, ebb and flow, and all the wonder we can envisage.
“Thank you for selecting us, watch this space.”
The bid celebrates Sandown’s unique identity, acknowledging its reputation as a traditional seaside resort that has experienced decades of decline while highlighting its ambition to become a thriving cultural destination once again.
The successful towns will be invited to submit detailed proposals over the coming months before finalists are selected. The winner of the inaugural UK Town of Culture title is expected to be announced next year.
Another April fools joke in July.
Lol
Crime culture more like, full of burnt out derelict hotels
etc etc
And the icing on the cake is that tourists pay to park
whilst local numpties compliments of SANDOWN TOWN COUNCIL
are allowed to evade paying parking charges by parking on the
pavement outside the old tourist information centre opposite
Sandown Pier in a “” WAIT FOR IT”” (A PEDESTRIANISED ZONE)
where families with young children run around.
WHAT A COMPLETE JOKE, SUMS UP THE ISLAND
Should re-name the island to ISLE OF JOKE
Do IW Council Civil Enforcement Officers not know where
Sandown esplanade is!, it makes one wonder.
there are a lot of cultures being grown in Sandown
Vehicles parked on Pavements for one
Lol
UK TOWN OF CULTURE TITLE
Sadly, all that went when a slot-machine arcade replaced the Pavilion Theatre.
What is Sandown renowned for?
The historical ‘Pluto’ cafe is now shut. The beautiful Art-Deco hotel in Yaverland is an appalling sight. The lovely hotels facing the seafront have been allowed to be sold to people and organisations with no intention of restoring them to their heyday. Those Hotels used to attract culture, with a desire to return, year on year.
There is one thing in common with many seaside locations in the United Kingdom: criminality, drugs, anti-social behaviour and vulgarity. It’s bad enough trying to travel to the Island with the exorbitant ferry costs, but there must be something to attract visitors to Sandown in the first place; there isn’t anymore.
I was fortunate in the ’70s to perform on stage at Sandown Pier Theatre alongside many big names in the comedy and entertainment industry. I remember the ‘Sold Out’ board at the entrance to Sandown Pier often. There wasn’t 24/7 TV back then. There wasn’t the internet, social media, or mobile phones back then. People used to ‘go out’ for entertainment. Nowadays, it appears that many people are only interested in platforms like OnlyFans.
Sandown doesn’t need a ‘Culture of…’ What it needs is a committee of people who can legally bring the town’s eyesores back into use, with the purpose of using the venues for both locals and visitors.
Oh, and neither does the town, nor does any other town need a ‘hub’.
Well said. It still has a lovely beach and good swimming. Can we save the rest?
If you look straight out to sea or towards
Shanklin, Sandown is beautiful.
“Just don’t look behind you”
Ah, glad that I am not the only one not happy with all these “pop up” “hubs” everywhere.
You are spot on.
Sandown was once a great place.
I miss Browns Boating Lake and the famous Browns
doughnuts.
You are right about the Pier the numpties who bought it
for a few quid got rid of the wonderful theatre and free deckchairs
along the Pier and replaced them with clapped out old slot machines.
Not to mention the same family sold off the Wight City Complex
what was once home to a Glorious Cafeteria, Gift shop, Bingo, Arcade,
Ice Cream kiosk selling all flavours, a pub, a nightclub and a great twice a week market, not to mention holiday apartments.
All that tourism was killed off when the owner cashed in to build
flats that look ugly and look like a prison block that many are still
UNSOLD – THEY ARE UGLY!
The Pier is full of druggies and p*ssheads, not a nice place
anymore and to top all that the nice gift shop / ice cream kiosk
that replaced the tourist information centre is a FREE CAR PARK
Unbelievable!
From an original longish short list to find the “Town of Culture” which included places like Lymington and Henley, the “judges” have decided that the last fifteen will be: Ilfracombe, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Birkenhead, Grimsby, Rotherham, Corby, GreatYarmouth, Leith, Strabane, Stockton, Pontypridd, Port Talbot, Basildon, and Sandown.
Even with such a number of proven illustrious opponents, I am sure Fort Street will “tip” the tide in favour of Sandown!
Lymington pisses all over them.
Lymington is a beautiful Port and Market Town in the
beautiful New Forest, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Great Saturday market and great Independent shops, not to
mention a great community.
don’t make me laugh, the town is a tip, it stinks most of the time. Sandown has NO culture left.
The only culture in Sandown is the ethnic shops that have
recently opened in Sandown.
I must say Mr Patel etc offers a much better service than Mr Smith
Shops are better stocked, better prices and better opening hours
and friendlier staff.
Just like most of the island thesedays it stinks of
Cannabis.
Gone is the fresh smell of sea weed, all you can smell thesedays
is weed.
You have got to be fucking joking its a cesspit of scum drugs filth everywhere worn out shithole.
It’s fresh ideas that are needed. For all island towns. Sandown has a wonderful beach. Give it free parking and people will come. People bring money to spend in cafes and shops. More shops bring more people. Invite street markets over. Spend money on painting the place up, not on murals. Free toilets. A High Street in bloom competition.
Town of culture? Don’t they mean town of culprits
Sandown should be renamed Rundown