Bridport 2024
Bridport 24 was Dorset’s inaugural Town of Culture (ToC) between July and December 2024.
A celebration of the rich artistic ecology of the town, bringing together communities, artists, festivals, arts organisations, and promoting collaboration and co-production. ToC was a celebration of the idiosyncratic character of Bridport and the unique cultural contribution Bridport brings to the county of Dorset.
The bid from Bridport to pilot the Town of Culture initiative emerged out of the Bridport Investment Plan – which identified the importance of arts and culture to the town’s economy and recognised the need to support collaborative approaches to culture and give focus to the next generation of creatives.
Bridport 24 has significantly enhanced the reputation of Bridport as a creative hub – An opportunity to celebrate what happens in and around the town and to push the envelope of what culture means. New collaborations and commissioned events explored what was collectively understood as being ‘culture’ – Reggae events, visuals and performing arts, sound and light installations, outdoor cinema, quilts and clay all featured as activities in Bridport 24. Most events worked, some didn’t or need to be configured differently in the future. Some events will become new additions to the ‘eventful town’ programme, others will be fond memories.
Culture is both a pretext and a means for bringing communities together to share and explore who they are. Bridport 24 has underlined the value and importance of the town’s investment in arts and culture – offering opportunities for skills development as well as the sharing of experiences and engaging positively with a rich diversity of voices.
A final evaluation report has been produced to document the delivery of Bridport 24 and highlight key learning as well as the legacy of Bridport 24.
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