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Patch shortlisted for City of Culture title after daily campaign

A regional daily campaigning for its patch to be named UK City of Culture is celebrating after it made the shortlist.

The Sentinel lent its support to Stoke-on-Trent’s bid for the title in 2021 by launching a new magazine called The Place 2 Be, and a new channel on its website dedicated to promoting the city.

Organisers announced last month that Stoke would join Coventry, Paisley, Sunderland and Swansea on the shortlist.

The winner of the award, which comes with a £3m Heritage Lottery Fund grant, will be chosen in December.

Stoke culture

Writing for The Sentinel, Stoke bid organiser Paul Williams said: “We set out to show how, as UK City of Culture, Stoke-on-Trent will be seeking to rediscover, in a new century and in new ways, the lessons and experiences of its past. And this will be reflected in our cultural programme which will be ambitious, exciting, entertaining, innovative, diverse and full of surprises.

“The cultural journey has already paid dividends. Over the course of the last two years, the process of bidding has galvanised people from all communities.

“We have forged strong and sustainable creative partnerships, bringing together the local authority, businesses, education and voluntary sectors, to collaborate with established and emerging cultural organisations.

“As The Sentinel commented recently: ‘Event by event, season by season, Stoke-on-Trent is starting to demonstrate a wider, richer, more engaging cultural offer.’ The road to 2021 has only just started. Our incredible journey continues.”