The Dorset seaside town of Swanage and the surrounding Isle of Purbeck villages, are putting the final touches to an application to become UK Town of Culture 2028.
Grasping a surprise opportunity, the recently formed community organisation Cultural Purbeck is coordinating the bid, supported by Dorset Council, Swanage Town Council, and all the nearby rural parishes.
Even on ‘hoods up’ days there’s plenty to admire in Swanage and across to the Purbeck hills
Winner gets £3 million
The UK Government’s secretary of state for culture, media and sport Lisa Nandy launched the competition for the UK’s first Town of Culture in January 2026, following the success of the established UK City of Culture competition.
The deadline to submit an expression of interest is Tuesday 31st March 2026 and towns from across the UK have been enthused by the prospect of winning a life-changing £3 million. Two runners up will each win £250,000.
There are three categories: small, medium and large-size towns. Shortlisted towns will receive £60,000 to develop a full bid later in 2026.
From each category a winner will be chosen and from these three finalists, an overall UK Town of Culture winner for 2028 will be selected.
Swanage and The Isle of Purbeck fall into the small town category and will compete against other UK towns with a population of under 20,000 people.
A determination to deliver
Everyone had a lot to discuss during one of the workshops to gather ideas and inspiration for the town’s application
Cultural Purbeck poised to deliver
In 2025, Swanage narrowly missed out on becoming Dorset Town of Culture 2026, but not to be defeated, all the arts and community organisations that had worked together to put together the submission, decided to form Cultural Purbeck, to ensure that all their extraordinary effort and enthusiasm would continue.
Believing that another chance to apply for Dorset Town of Culture or creating a new arts festival would be its first challenge, the team was happily surprised when the UK Town of Culture competition was announced.
Eager to participate in such an amazing opportunity, there’s been lots of conversations and collaborative workshops to collect everyone’s ideas and input.
Purbeck stone is part of a strong local identity in villages like Langton Matravers
“Strong, cohesive cultural drive”
Chair of Cultural Purbeck Debbie Evans said:
“We live in the most incredible landscape that is so old, dating back millions of years to the Jurassic era. We have a deep history through time and an amazing story to tell.
“There is so much on offer in and around Swanage and many live a full life exploiting all the arts and culture that the area provides.
“But the truth is that not everyone benefits. Our challenge is to break down the barriers and open up the avenues to opportunity, especially for young people.
“There’s many who are isolated in our rural community due to old age, ill health, or just the practicality of the lack of public transport. How can we turn the dial?
“We need a strong cohesive cultural drive to create a more resilient community and deliver greater wellbeing to all. This is strong stuff and it’s why we are putting in a bid.”
More to discover in Swanage than most realise beneath the traditional veneer
Widespread support
Swanage, with a population of just under 10,000 people, will be one of the smallest towns to apply but this means that getting through to the shortlist and receiving £60,000 would make a massive difference to the area and deliver real change.
In larger towns, this money is much less likely to have a discernible impact.
Unsurprisingly, there was immediate and widespread support from all the arts and community organisations across Purbeck, along with enthusiastic backing by the local authorities from Dorset Council to all the parishes.
Swanage Town Hall flying the flag for cultural renewal
Councils backing the bid include:
- Dorset Council
- Swanage Town Council
- Studland Parish Council
- Langton Matravers Parish Council
- Corfe Castle Parish Council
- Worth Matravers Parish Council
Swanage’s cultural hub The Mowlem lit up in purple for International Women’s Day 2026
Arts and community organisations backing the bid include:
- Cultural Purbeck
- The Mowlem
- Diverse City
- Swanage Railway
- Swanage Carnival
- Purbeck Art Weeks
- Swanage Fish and Food Festival
- Isle of Purbeck Art Club
- Swanage Drama Company
- Swanage News
- Purbeck Sounds
- Allsort’d
- Castle Voices
- Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust
- Purbeck Youth Music
- Swanage Museum
- Swanage Jazz Festival
- Swanage Folk Festival
- Sandy Hill Arts
- The Blue Pool
- The National Trust Purbeck
If there was a category for most dramatic castle, the iconic and world reknown Corfe Castle would be a top contender!
“Put Swanage and Purbeck on a national stage”
Central to the bid is The Mowlem – Swanage’s arts hub offering theatre, cinema, exhibitions and creative activity space. Its new executive director Kate McGregor said:
“It’s clear that we are home to so much art, creativity, and festivals but we need to celebrate that and put Swanage and Purbeck on a national stage. We can be more than just the sum of our many parts. Who knows outside of Purbeck what we do?
“There is so much potential to attract more visitors to our rural area and for them to discover what a hotbed of creativity there is here!
“And we need to engage our young people so that despite our lack of large town or city infrastructure, Swanage can become a place, not only to grow up in but also to stay.
“If some want to move away and travel the world that’s great, but it should be a choice with plenty of opportunity if they stay, regardless of background or experience.”
Pop up art on Swanage Downs by local sculptor Robert Marshall to mark the fourth anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war
“Make culture our new industry”
While the beautiful countryside and stunning beaches suggest a tropical paradise there are plenty of challenges for those living and working in Purbeck, not least the economic dependence on the variable tourism industry and hospitality sector.
Hit hard by the Covid pandemic, the cost of living crisis, and soaring wage and energy bills, employment in hospitality can be insecure and seasonal.
Deputy Swanage town mayor and chair of the council’s tourism committee Chris Tomes said:
“We’re totally backing the bid to become Town of Culture 2028.
“Back in history our main industry was stone quarrying and although we still do that, from Victorian times, tourism became our main source of income, but with the hospitality sector in dire need of regeneration, we need to look at new opportunities.
“Our ambition is to make culture our new industry – a hub for culture where you can learn a new trade, upskill, and start a new business.
“For Swanage and Purbeck to be recognised in any way by the UK Town of Culture judging panel would be a major milestone on that path!”
Pop up art from Swanage’s Victorian era – The Prince Albert Memorial
Lots of competition
It’s expected that around 200 UK towns will enter the competition, with many already having stated their intention to apply including Grimsby in Lincolnshire, Ross-on Wye in Herefordshire, Chatham in Kent, Pontypridd in Wales, Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, and Isle of Bute in Scotland.
In Dorset, as well as Swanage and the Isle of Purbeck, Weymouth and Portland are jointly expected to enter the competition, in addition to a combined bid from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. In Hampshire, bids are expected from Lymington and Basingstoke.
The shortlist of places that will proceed to the next stage of the competition is expected to be announced in spring 2026.
Swanage aspires to become a Blue Space with accessibility for all
Further information
- Follow Cultural Purbeck on Facebook
- More about the UK Town of Culture competition
