Wandsworth is the first borough to publicly declare its intention to become London Borough of Culture 2025.
The south London borough launched its campaign to become London’s fifth Borough of Culture at the end of last week with a call to local communities to help develop a proposal for the competition.
According to a statement released by the council, if named Borough of Culture, Wandsworth will “showcase this rich cultural heritage, diversity, and creative spirit of the borough through an exciting array of artistic events, community engagements, and innovative projects”.
“We’re delighted to be going for Borough of Culture 2025 - it signals real confidence in a changing, modern Wandsworth. We can’t wait to show London and the world what our wonderful borough has to offer,” Council leader Simon Hogg said.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who launched the competition in 2017, recently announced a further two iteriations of the cultural programme in 2025 and 2027.
Each host is provided funding towards a year-long programme which celebrates local culture and heritage. Current hosts Croydon launched their programme of events in March.
Boroughs applying for the 2025 edition must submit their final bid in December this year, with a winner set to be chosen in early 2024.