Derby has been knocked out of the running to gain 2025 City of Culture status – which could have opened it up to hundreds of millions of pounds of investment.
The city was one of eight places trying to get on the final shortlist for the title, with Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham County Borough making it through to the last four.
An advisory panel, chaired by Sir Phil Redmond – the producer and screenwriter behind Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks – will visit the four shortlisted places before making its recommendation in May.
Adam Buss, the man responsible for spearheading Derby's campaign, had previously said benefits of gaining City of Culture status could be worth as much as £3.4 billion – the estimated value of public and private investment when Hull gained the title – and create maybe 800 new jobs.
Sir Phil said: “Culture can act as a catalyst for community engagement, civic cohesion and a driver for economic and social change as previously seen not just in Derry-Londonderry in 2013, Hull in 2017 and Coventry in 2021, but all those other places who went on a journey to develop their own cultural strategy. Simply taking part has proved a catalyst in itself.
“We have had a great longlist to select from, which made the shortlisting difficult, but I am now looking forward to visiting each of the shortlisted places with the panel to witness culture’s catalytic effect in action.”
DerbyshireLive said the city team was not downhearted and was setting its sights on applying again for 2029.
According to Mr Buss, what began as an expression of interest put together in just a few weeks quickly gathered momentum, uniting the arts and business sector, councils, environmental organisations, politicians and even Derby’s twin city of Toyota in Japan to get behind the bid.
He said using culture as the starting point to improve citizens’ wellbeing, opportunities and social mobility had been vital to the bid, and that ambition was “set to continue".
He said: "This process has never been just about winning a competition. It’s been about recognising the role of culture in making our city a vibrant place to live and work.
"Congratulations to those cities moving forward, and those like us who did not make the final four.
“Everyone has worked so hard and the diverse group of places represented is testament to the competition and its potential to transform not only those places but the whole of the UK.
"For Derby, it’s now time to reflect on how far we’ve come in such a short space of time, having won the support of the city’s sectors. Industry, the arts, education, sport, politics and the environment – all of Team Derby - will continue to be behind us as we move forward.
"There is more understanding now of how important culture is to the city, not only in terms of regenerating buildings and public space, but also to the wellbeing and prospects of our citizens, and this work will continue.
“Being UK City of Culture 2025 would have opened up opportunities to make this happen more quickly, but our ambition remains as we set our sights on winning the status for 2029.”
