Culture cities

Four UK cities have been shortlisted in the race to become the first City of Culture in 2013. Birmingham, Derry/Londonderry, Norwich and Sheffield have been chosen from a long list of 14, with the winner to be announced in the summer. The four cities must submit a final bid by the end of May, and must be able to deliver “a substantial programme of cultural activity which leads to a demonstrable step-change in their area, and a lasting legacy”. No funding is attached to the bid, but the winner will gain the right to use the UK City of Culture brand. Norwich has also made a bid to become a UNESCO City of Literature as part of the Creative Cities Network. The network includes three other UK cities: Edinburgh (literature), Bradford (film) and Glasgow (music).