Swanage and Isle of Purbeck bid for UK Town of Culture 2028

Swanage and the wider Isle of Purbeck are aiming for the title, with a campaign led by Cultural Purbeck and backed by a diverse range of community partners.

The bid aims to celebrate the area's cultural identity while creating lasting opportunities for residents and visitors.

Swanage sea front. (Image: Andy Lyons)

Laurel Hart, engagement and communications lead at Cultural Purbeck, said: "This bid is about celebrating what makes Swanage and Purbeck distinctive – our landscape, our heritage and our creative communities.

"UK Town of Culture 2028 is an opportunity to bring that story together in a bold and collaborative way.

"Culture in Purbeck already thrives in so many ways – from grassroots groups to established organisations.

"This bid gives us a chance to connect those energies, strengthen partnerships and ensure more people can take part."

Shaped through community workshops and conversations with creatives, businesses, and residents, the bid centres around the theme From Stone to Sea.

The theme reflects Purbeck’s geology, natural beauty, and artistic heritage, serving as a narrative for events, creative projects and educational work.

A well-attended workshop hosted by Cultural Purbeck on February 27 gathered ideas and feedback that continue to inform the direction of the bid.

Debbie Evans, chair of Cultural Purbeck, said: "This bid is truly a collaboration with the Purbeck community.

"Recent workshops showed just how much passion, creativity, and knowledge exists across the area, and we’re excited to see those ideas at the heart of our plans for UK Town of Culture 2028."

Swanage and Purbeck’s cultural scene includes established festivals such as Purbeck Art Weeks, the Purbeck Valley Folk Festival, the Swanage Jazz Festival and the Swanage Fish and Food Festival.

The region is also home to galleries, theatres, community organisations, and locations that attract international and local talent alike.

Fiona Bruce and the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow discovers hidden treasures in Swanage (Image: Caroline Abbott)

While the area boasts a rich cultural life, the bid also recognises that not all residents currently have equal access to creative opportunities.

It acknowledges that some younger people face barriers to involvement, and that older or more isolated residents can be excluded by health or mobility challenges.

A key goal of the bid is to remove these barriers and expand participation, making culture accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.

If successful, the UK Town of Culture title would help deliver a programme of activity that reaches the entire community, and strengthens Purbeck’s identity as a place of creativity, learning, and shared experience.