Team Wandsworth today announced their bid to become London Mayor of the City of Culture 2025. The team set out its intention to connect people with life-changing experiences, delivering a year of great culture that unlocks potential, inspires joy and supports well-being.
The Wandsworth team includes Council Leader Simon Hogg, Battersea Arts Center Artistic Director and CEO Tarek Iskander, and Group 64 Youth Theater intern Koko Iskander. Mr. Idion was included. The team presented and answered questions from an interview panel comprising staff from the Greater London Authority and independent representatives from across the cultural and creative sector.
The Wandsworth bid showcases an incredible heritage, arts and cultural scene, uniquely positioned to deliver a year of culture with the power to inspire, connect, unite and heal.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will make culture accessible to all Londoners, giving grassroots creativity a chance to shine and how culture can inspire young Londoners and unlock their potential. To demonstrate this, we launched the London Borough of Culture in 2017. This builds on the successful creative programs run by previous winners Waltham Forest, Brent, Lewisham and Croydon, which have seen over 3,000 young people, 2,200 artists and partners, 3,370 volunteers and 315 of schools participated, providing a boost to the boroughs that have participated so far.
Cllr Simon Hogg, leader of Wandsworth Council, said:
“London Borough of Culture aims to bring people together and put culture at the heart of local communities. Wandsworth is a wonderful place to live. Our strong and diverse community is a great place to live, alongside Tooting and Roehampton. From Battersea to Putney, it represents the best of modern Britain.
“Our borough is changing like never before and we have listened to thousands of residents and hundreds of organizations as we aim to become a London Borough of Culture. Not only did they talk about how much they love them, but they also talked about the challenges they face.
“That’s why at Wandsworth, we want everyone to experience the moving power of culture until 2025 and beyond. We want people to have the same access to art and culture whether they worship or worship.”
Tarek Iskander, Artistic Director and CEO of Battersea Arts Center, said:
“Wandsworth has always been home to the pioneers and the under-represented, the visionaries and the mischievous. It is that uncompromising, radical and rebellious spirit that has inspired us to… We are looking forward to another great year as a London Borough of Culture, backed by a rich pool of local creative and voluntary partners who have a shared purpose of transforming the health, prospects and wellbeing of the people of Wandsworth. This is an opportunity to bring together a tapestry. The legacy of this important work and what it does to redress inequality will be felt for decades to come.”
Group 64 Youth Theater Intern Coco Idion said:
“London Borough of Culture 2025 will connect young people with life-changing experiences that unlock potential, spark joy and support wellbeing. I think it’s really important, we have a great tradition, the arts and culture scene in Wandsworth – more people should have the opportunity to experience that.”
If Wandsworth is successful as a London Borough of Culture 2025, there will be even more opportunities for locals and visitors from all walks of life to engage, create and be inspired by the borough’s rich arts and culture.
Bid formation
As the first London borough to publicly announce a cultural campaign in June 2023, Wandsworth City Council has consulted with thousands of local residents and gathered a wide range of views to shape the borough’s bid.
This is the first time Wandsworth has taken part in a London-wide competition.