BriefTea
Every story in sixty words
Get the free app no ads · no paywallExplained in plain English
How did City of Culture start?
The UK City of Culture programme was launched in 2009, following the success of the European Capital of Culture initiative. It aims to use culture as a catalyst for regeneration and to highlight the diverse cultural landscape across the UK. Derry-Londonderry was the first UK winner in 2013.
Stories that explain this
Four cities just made 2029 Culture shortlist.Related explainers
What does City of Culture actually do? Is £10 million a lot for a city? Who picks the winning city? Who pays for the cultural events? Why boost start-ups globally? Can City appeal the verdict? What is a City Hall audit? Can City lose their titles?The full catalogue
Browse every card filed under C →We would like to count visits and see which links bring readers here. That means storing a random ID in your browser. No cookies, no ads, no profile. How it works.