Observer column 26 February 2026

Cllr Julia Hilton, deputy leader of Hastings Borough Council and lead councillor for shaping places and local government reorganisation

I have been blown away by the enthusiasm and energy that we’ve already seen around Hastings’ bid to be the UK’s first Town of Culture for 2028. It is a great opportunity for us to tell our story as a town, and our DIY culture that creates all the amazing events we have here all year round. 

The project is very close to my heart – before politics took over my life, I was a landscape architect shaping spaces with communities. I originally trained in ceramics and have taken part in many Coastal Currents Open Studios. 

While Hastings Borough Council is due to be replaced by a new unitary council during the celebration year, we are supporting the process with funding and officer time. Our budget, agreed earlier this month, includes money to help support the bid. 

If we are successful, the winning town will receive £3million to deliver a cultural programme in 2028. The two runners-up will receive £250,000. 

Arts Hastings CIC (Community Interest Company) is going to be co-ordinating the bid for Hastings working with the council and groups and organisations from across the town. We really need your help to put our story together; we want to hear from everyone in all our communities as well as our creative industries. 

We have a history of radical revolutionaries and innovators and a name that is recognised across the world. It’s a huge chance to tell a story of our future building on our fantastic assets as a town and most importantly making sure that everyone feels able to and invited to share and grow their own creativity, contributing to shaping this bid and celebrating all our varied communities  

This first stage has to come together really fast with a deadline of end of March so I am really pleased that Arts Hastings is up for supporting us to write this first expression of interest. Arts Hastings is a cultural network bringing together organisations, practitioners, and partners to strengthen and promote culture across Hastings and St Leonards. 

There were two public engagement sessions at East Sussex College last week where 150 people representing 100 organisations and local businesses along with freelancers from the creative sector attended the two sessions. Their ideas have all been captured and will be used to help shape our bid. We need to hear from more of you though.  

Anyone who couldn’t make one of the public sessions or wants to give more feedback is encouraged to complete the online survey before it closes at 9pm Sunday 1 March.  

We are also working to engage with our young people at the Bright Foundation, Hastings Youth Commons, Fat Tuesday Youth music, Education Futures Trust and fine art students at the college as well as local schools. 

The first submission must be with the government by Tuesday 31 March. If we get through to the next stage we will receive £60,000 to help develop the bid.