Folkestone & Hythe District Council is bringing together organisations to work on putting forward Folkestone for this prestigious title.
The competition will select one town nationally to be named UK Town of Culture, receiving £3 million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028.
Two finalists will receive £250,000 to deliver elements of their bid.
Launched by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, the competition is explained as an opportunity for places and communities to use culture and creativity to tell their story and why they are proud of their community.
Should you wish to contact us regarding UK Town of Culture please email: uktoc2028@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk.
Expression of interest (EOI)
Organisations interested in becoming the first Town of Culture were invited to submit an Expression of Interest. Folkestone’s submission is summarised below.
Folkes-Town of Culture
The EOI explains that a full bid would be based on the potential cultural richness of the town and themed to the word Folke(s).
An indicator of this richness was demonstrated in February’s workshops, discussions and one to one consultation with a wide range of organisations, residents, businesses, education providers and young people.
Folke-Group
A representative group would be created to take forward a full bid with its chief aim to create a legacy for the town beyond 2028.
Under an independent chair, the group would bring together representatives from for example: Creative Health Alliance for Folkestone; Creative Folkestone; Folkestone Arts College (The Edge); Folkestone Fringe; Folkestone is a Library; Folkestone Museum; Islamic Cultural Centre; Kollectiv; Leas Cliff; Music Town; Nepalese Community Forum; New Folkestone Society; One Folkestone; Screen South; The Sports Trust and Strange Cargo.
The group would work with residents, community groups, schools, youth organisations, and creatives practitioners.
Generating lasting opportunities for Folkestone’s young people would be one of the key aims. This would be alongside creating sustainability for town-wide cultural provision, allowing the continuity of skills, and enabling communities to continue to make decisions about cultural provision.
Folkes-Town
EOI bidders were asked to outline the story of their town and how a cultural programme would celebrate that story and build a knowledge of the town.
Although full of cultural ideas, arts, sports, digital talent, and creativity, educational attainment remains a significant challenge in Folkestone and the town has a rapidly ageing population, increasing the risk of social isolation and loneliness.
Folke-Tales would support communities to tell the stories that reflect and celebrate the town’s unique identity from the tales of pilgrims passing through to soldiers posting their last letters home.
Folke-Lines would look at enabling the former harbour rail line route, which cuts through the town’s most deprived wards, to be a platform for projects shaped by residents to reconnect communities.
Timeline
April 2026
To support a Folkestone bid, the council wants to make sure the full breadth of cultural activity in the town is reflected.
We already know there is a rich mix of cultural assets, organisations and festivals but we also recognise that there is more happening that we do not know about in the area.
We’re calling on community groups, cultural organisations, event organisers, local creatives and anyone involved in food, music, nature, landscape, sport and leisure alongside arts, heritage, people and social culture to share details of what you do.
Help us to reflect the rich diversity and ambition of the town by providing information about activities you lead or in which you are involved in the area.
Please fill in this form and submit your information. It should only take a few minutes to complete the form and note that any information you provide is retained according to our privacy policy.
At a later stage we hope to extend this invitation to share information to the whole of the district.
Tuesday 31 March 2026
Deadline for submission of expressions of interest (EOI) in becoming the UK Town of Culture
Tuesday 24 February 2026
Residents, businesses and organisations are invited to workshops at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone.
The free workshops on Tuesday 24 March are at 2pm, 4pm and 6pm and each is 90 minutes. They can be booked via Eventbrite. The aim is for the sharing of ideas to help create an expression of interest (EOI) that has to be submitted to government by 31 March 2026.
Shortlisted towns will be announced in Spring 2026. These will be awarded a grant of £60,000 to support them in developing a full application.