06 June 2003
Liverpool plans to spend more than £45m to make a success of its status as the 2008 European Capital of Culture, after it secured the UK nomination on June 4.
It defeated bids from five other hopefuls out of an original group of 13 UK cities.
Council leader Mike Storey said: 'This is a proud day for the new Liverpool. The people of Liverpool defined our bid. They backed the city to the hilt, talking us up and telling everyone that we meant business and that we would deliver.'
The city's plans include: Europe's biggest lighting, laser and firework festival; a museum of comedy; a programme of public squares, open spaces, water features, public art and sculpture throughout the city centre; and an American/Irish festival.
Liverpool described itself in its bid as 'not a chocolate-box city. It is unconventional, pioneering, unruly, unpredictable'.
The council said it plans to increase its spending on culture by £4m a year, to a total of £22.5m by 2008.
In addition, the Liverpool Culture Company, the co-ordinating body for the festival, has a budget of £22.6m for 2007 and 2008.
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said: 'Liverpool is a worthy winner of this honour. Their vision, passion and enthusiasm – coupled with a really spectacular year-long programme – impressed the judges, who chose them from a very strong field.'
She said she would encourage a cultural programme to take forward ideas from the 12 losing bids.
The European Union nominates a different member state each year to choose a city of culture. The last UK holder was Glasgow in 1990.
In the final short list, Liverpool won out over Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle-Gateshead and Oxford.
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