Guest article – Wrecsam2029
Thousands of local people come together with a vision of culture transforming Wrexham for all who call it home.
With an invitation to come and play, Wrexham is putting culture – and playfulness – at the heart of its plans to establish itself as a thriving creative industries hub, a significant cultural destination, and a place where every child gets the best possible start in life.
Having been longlisted earlier this year, it has submitted its citizen-led formal bid in the competition to become the next UK City of Culture in 2029.
Led by Wrexham Community & Culture Trust, the independent charity established with the support of Wrexham County Borough Council, the Wrecsam2029 bid draws on the city’s international reputation for radical playwork, on its centuries-long history as a place of enterprise and innovation, and on its borderland identity.
Wrecsam2029 turns that spirit of generosity, inventiveness and being open to everyone into a practical vision for the future – one that brings people together, strengthens pride and belonging, and helps build healthier, happier and more sustainable communities.
Amanda Evans, Director of Wrexham’s UK City of Culture 2029 Bid, says:
“Here in Wrexham, we like to play. We play games, we play sport, we play music, we play characters at the theatre. We’re playful, as we sing in bands and choirs, make art or simply get together, in families, as friends, and in our communities. In Wrexham, we take play seriously, as a radical exchange that is critical to creativity, collaboration, participation, social cohesion and well-being.
“Our vision is for Wrexham to be the world’s most playful place, where playfulness informs every aspect of daily life and frames our emergence as a hotbed of creative enterprise and innovation, a globally significant visitor destination and a place where every young person gets the best possible start.”
The Wrecsam2029 bid goes further than ever before in the way it is involving local people and communities across the county. From the outset, it has been community-led, with thousands of people helping to shape its development over the past four years, including over 1,000 schoolchildren, as well as residents, artists, performers, schools, businesses, and groups such as Wrexham’s County Voluntary Council, Youth Parliament, North East Wales Multicultural Hub, and Adventure Playgrounds.
The process has included funding for local creatives to experiment with new ideas they would love to develop and turn into reality by 2029, whilst dozens of cultural leaders have helped co-produce a new 10-year cultural strategy covering 2027-2037 to support the bid.
Joanna Knight OBE, Chair of Wrexham Community & Culture Trust, says:
“At the heart of the Wrecsam2029 bid are the hopes and dreams of the people of Wrexham. It’s a bid for local people by local people, building capacity in our communities to ensure every group and organisation feels invested and involved.
Thousands of people have already collaborated in the development of our bid to secure this once in a generation opportunity to transform the lives of everyone in our county. Together, we will showcase and protect our cultural assets, heritage and landscapes, improve infrastructure for future generations and help our creative people and businesses thrive.
The economic benefits of being named UK City of Culture will undoubtedly make a real difference to people’s health, wellbeing and life chances and all the Trustees are incredibly grateful for the support and best wishes from the community.”
Wrexham is not unique in the challenges it has faced over many years, from high street decline to significant heath inequalities across its communities, but with its unique global spotlight it is uniquely placed to overcome these challenges through bold and ambitious investment in culture. Becoming UK City of Culture would help to leverage and accelerate further investments too, through improvements to buildings, transport connections, digital connectivity and more.
Alwyn Jones, Chief Executive, Wrexham County Borough Council, comments:
“The UK City of Culture competition is unique in its ability to generate the change we want to see for Wrexham and the wider region. If we win, as well as the immediate £10 million award from HM Government, we anticipate it generating over £200 million for our economy. This would support our coordination of development activity, and our long-term culture-focused placemaking plan for Wrexham, which seeks to bring communities together, gives people a sense of ownership in shared spaces, and leaves no-one behind.
“Our Wrecsam2029 programme will be locally relevant, whilst also strengthening Wrexham’s status as a destination for visitors from around the world.”
Being UK City of Culture would boost Wrexham’s ambitions to build on its status as one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in Wales. It is estimated that the year would attract over two million visitors, who would have the opportunity to enjoy thousands of additional events alongside the existing cultural offer. This, in turn, is expected to significantly boost tourism, visitor economy and creative sector jobs.
Wrexham’s location near the border of England means it has always been an important gateway, to North Wales in particular. Being the first Welsh UK City of Culture would enable it to be a shop window for the whole country, showcasing the rich and diverse culture of Wales, including the Welsh language.
Following its previous bid (won by the 2025 hosts Bradford), Wrexham has continued its firm commitment to culture with ongoing investment. This includes hosting the National Eisteddfod 2025 and participating in in this year’s festival in Llantwd, north Pembrokeshire; the development of the Wrexham Public Art Trail, featuring work by local artists; the Stori Brymbo fossil forest at former Brymbo Steelworks (as featured on BBC News); a Cultural Commissions grants programme that has already resulted in 13 new events; ongoing support for Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham’s award winning, cultural space bringing together arts and markets. In September this year, the Stiwt theatre, whose roots are part of the area’s mining heritage, celebrates its centenary; and Chirk Aqueduct marks 225 years in October.
These, and other new developments add to established cultural and historical sites, including Chirk Castle, Erddig Hall, St Giles’ Church, the Minera Lead Mines, and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.
Naturally, sport has an important part to play in the Wrecsam2029 bid, not least because of Wrexham AFC, whose owners Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds have helped bring international attention and millions of viewers through the FX series ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, now in its fifth series. The capacity of the world’s oldest football stadium, the STōK Cae Ras, is being increased to 18,000 by 2027, enabling it to stage international games again, whilst the new highly anticipated Football Museum of Wales and Wrexham Museum is opening this year. The Wrexham Sports Partnership has also been set up, connecting the region’s major sports clubs, association and governing bodies, to deliver a 10-year plan to enhance facilities, strengthen partnerships, increase participation, and ensure long-term sustainability for sport and physical activity across the county.
With Wrexham’s official bid now submitted, the next milestone will come in mid-October, when the UK Government announces the shortlisted places. If Wrexham is selected, the county will welcome judges for a visit in November or December 2026, before the successful UK City of Culture 2029 is announced in early January 2027.
Over the coming months, the Wrecsam2029 team will continue to build momentum for the campaign to raise awareness of the bid and the transformative opportunities it could bring to Wrexham and the wider region, working alongside partners, advisors and more than 100 Ambassadors – including the likes of Matthew Rhys; Carol Vorderman; Siân Lloyd; Liam Stokes-Massey; Lili Mai Jones; Colin Jackson; Dean Fagan; and Mark Lewis Jones . Through an ambitious programme of marketing, communications and community engagement, the team will share Wrexham’s remarkable story, rich heritage, vibrant culture and unique identity, while preparing to welcome the judging panel and demonstrate why Wrexham is ready – and deserves – to be crowned UK City of Culture 2029.
