Three stars of screen, television and traditional music have been chosen to spearhead Dundee’s bid to become UK City of Culture in 2017.
Brian Cox, Lorraine Kelly and Sheena Wellington will be the public faces of the bid for the prestigious title, which will be announced later this year.
The announcement was made at a meeting of almost 100 delegates of the Dundee Partnership forum, a collection of private and public groups, who will shape the city’s bid.
Singer Sheena Wellington said the bid was a chance for Dundee to “sell ourselves to ourselves”.
She said: “It is the opportunity to give a kind of boost to the self-confidence of the city. Perhaps there will be occasions when I need to get my tiara out of the pawn to go to something posh, but I want to go to things that are happening in Whitfield and Menzieshill and the Ferry. We want to see the people of these communities strutting their stuff.
“The major thing that I’m going to do is to say how great the city is, what it has done, what it is, and what it can be. I think that is important, because this city really does get under your skin.
“We have the most fantastic setting. It is beautiful and we quite often forget that.”
Brian Cox said: “Dundee has an outstanding case to be the UK City of Culture 2017 and to involve everyone in the city, right across the social scale, in something truly special. I am delighted to support the bid.”
Lorraine Kelly said: “Dundee has always been a brilliant city but there has been a real renaissance recently, and that is so exciting for all of us who live here and for visitors.”
A bid development group is currently putting together the city’s case. The bids must be submitted by the end of next month and a shortlist will be announced in June.