A year of cultural passion is promised if plan is the winner
Merton Council has signed, sealed and delivered its bid for the borough to be London Borough of Culture 2019, which is worth more than £1 million to make its plans happen.
The bid brings together Merton’s creative industries, its sporting heritage and its multifaceted artistic talent from all four corners of the borough.
TV favourite, Strictly Come Dancing, techy geeks, mascots, the Mercury prize, pop-up opera, theatre, art and Wimbledon tennis all have Merton in common. With that in mind, the bid has been called ‘Common Ground’
The Common Ground programme promises to set Merton alight with a spark that will ignite a cultural passion for 52 weeks of the year. Organisers say it will involve residents and businesses from across the borough, giving all people the opportunity to write their chapter in Merton’s story.
Should Merton win London Borough of Culture status, it stands to benefit from more than £1 million from the Mayor of London to make the events and spectaculars in the bid become a reality.
Committing to the London Borough of Culture bid, political group leaders, Councillors Stephen Alambritis, Oonagh Moulton and Peter Southgate, came together to confirm their long-term commitment to the exciting programme of events proposed for 2019 and beyond.
Chief Executive Ged Curran and Director of Corporate Services Caroline Holland also signed the document before sending it to the Mayor of London.
Leader of Merton Council, Councillor Stephen Alambritis said: “We are all very excited about our bid. A huge amount of work from people in all parts of the borough has gone into make it a stand-out piece of work. It is a demonstration of how amazing our borough and its people are and of the huge potential that is here waiting to be discovered.”
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December 4, 2017