Hain adds Support to Swansea Bay’s City of Culture 2017 bid

MP for Neath Peter Hain has joined fellow Labour MP Geraint Davies in voicing his support for Swansea Bay’s bid to be named City of Culture 2017. The region, which includes Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthen, is competing against a number of other cities in the UK for the honour.

According to Mr Hain, ‘This is an exciting opportunity for the Swansea Bay area to receive the recognition it deserves as a world-class innovator in the creative arts and other industries.’

UK City of Culture is a designation given to a city in Britain for one year and is awarded every four years. The initiative is administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and aims to recreate the significant social and economic benefits that Liverpool experienced during its year as European Capital of Culture in 2008. The inaugural holder of the award in 2013 is Derry.

Mr Hain continues, ‘Swansea uniquely harnesses the power of its cultural heritage in order to nurture future generations of talent. In addition to those who work in the creative industries, Swansea University and Swansea Metropolitan University also empowers our future doctors, teachers, engineers and sportsmen and women to the benefit of both the Swansea Bay area and the wider community.’

Concluding, Mr Hain says, ‘City of Culture 2017 status would be a great asset to the region as it looks forward to a future of growth and stability and evolves from an economy of traditional industry towards one of creative innovation.’