I have always believed that Portsmouth is a city fizzing with potential. That is why I, alongside Amanda Martin, recently fired the starting gun on Portsmouth’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2029.
Earlier this month, I was delighted to host a community event in Fratton in collaboration with Portsmouth Creates where local people, artists, community groups and businesses came together to help shape Portsmouth’s bid. I thank all those who came along.
This productive discussion demonstrated just how much passion and pride exists across Portsmouth, and that this pride is well placed. When we talk about culture in our city, we are not starting from scratch. We are standing on centuries of history, innovation, imagination and courage.
Portsmouth is the home of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, one of the greatest engineers the world has ever seen a pioneer whose ideas shaped modern Britain.
We are the proud home of the Royal Navy, whose heritage and service have defined our connection with the sea and our place in the world.
We are the home of giants of literature Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle and Rudyard Kipling writers whose stories have travelled far beyond these shores and helped shape global culture.
As I said in my maiden speech in Parliament way back in 2017, I am proud that we are a city of makers and doers. I know that, regardless of background or where in this city we are from, we will all have our own personal stories that reflect this.
My own mother once ran an art group at Fratton Community Centre for local children, demonstrating that so many in our city are in service of others less fortunate than ourselves. In that very same building I would also attend a youth club where I learnt the importance of community.
As you walk through Portsmouth, you walk through the history, creativity and resilience that makes our city unique.
As proud as Portsmouth is of its past, the most exciting thing about our city is its future. Our festivals, performers, artists and makers; our thriving grassroots groups; our young people bubbling with talent; our diverse communities each bringing their own stories and traditions together they form a cultural landscape that is rich, bold and full of potential.
That is why this bid matters. It’s our chance to take all of that our heritage, our identity, our creativity and share it confidently with the rest of the country. A chance to show the UK what we already know: that Portsmouth is a city with ambition, with character, and with something powerful to say.
The journey that has been started with this bid is just as important as the destination. City of Culture status can transform a place but the process of creating a shared vision can be just as transformative. It brings communities together, sparks new ideas, unlocks opportunities and gives people a bigger stake in their city’s future.
I hope everyone will find a way to take part in the weeks ahead.
