Arts Hastings Announces Bid for UK Town of Culture 2028

Arts Hastings CIC has today announced its formal bid for the UK Town of Culture 2028 title, setting out a bold vision for a town-wide cultural programme rooted in community, creativity and social transformation. Arts Hastings CIC will lead delivery in partnership with Hastings Borough Council as the accountable body, supported by a wide network of cultural organisations, community groups, businesses, and public sector partners.

The bid positions Hastings as a living example of culture-led community renewal - a town with a centuries-long tradition of independence, innovation and grassroots creativity, and a deep belief that culture is not something to be consumed, but something to be created, shared and lived.

The bid reflects the town's distinctive cultural ecology and its commitment to decentralising culture - taking high-quality activity into every neighbourhood and ensuring no community is left behind.

It also directly addresses Hastings' most pressing social challenges, including low social mobility, poor health outcomes, and limited opportunity for young people. By embedding culture within the town's most disadvantaged communities, the programme will create meaningful pathways into skills, education and employment - while strengthening social cohesion and improving public health.

Beyond 2028, the bid sets out a clear legacy: a strengthened cultural infrastructure, sustained cross-sector partnerships, a more resilient creative economy, and - most importantly - creativity embedded in everyday life across the whole town.

Arts Hastings CIC, 2025 - “Hastings is not defined by its past - it is defined by its ongoing reinvention. This bid invites the nation to experience a town where culture is not just celebrated, but lived.”

Pranesh Datta, Economic Development Manager, Regeneration and Culture at Hastings Borough Council, said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for the council to collaborate with local cultural and arts organisations in leading the Expression of Interest and shaping our vision for the 2028 Town of Culture programme.

“The relationships formed, and the shared commitment to invest in, develop, organise, and deliver cultural activities, will we think create significant opportunities and long‑lasting benefits for the town.”

More information about Hastings' bid can be found on the Hastings Town of Culture website and by reading Hastings Borough Council’s Cabinet report.