Dundee’s UK City of Culture 2017 campaign will take to the streets in a new poster push urging people to “back the bid”.
The posters, revealed here for the first time, highlight the wedundee.com website, which is looking for 2,017 “Dundee secrets” to impress the culture competition judges.
The posters, which feature a range of cultural Dundee landmarks, will start appearing around the city in the next few days to spread the word of the bid.
The WeDundee site, which was visited by more than 4,500 people from 46 countries in its first week, has already gained more than 850 posts.
Leisure and Culture Dundee managing director Stewart Murdoch said the poster campaign’s main focus was getting a “strong base” of public endorsement for the bid.
He said: “The practical reason is to hit the target of 2,017 people endorsing our bid, in a thoughtful and creative way, highlighting things that they think are the cultural assets of the city.
“I hope it is a way of sending a message around the city that we already are a city of culture. When you look at the range of the cultural activity in the city, it is very affirming and very positive.”
Dundee is up against 10 competitors for the UK City of Culture 2017 title, including Aberdeen, Hull and a joint bid by Portsmouth and Southampton.
“Secrets” on wedundee.com, which was launched by arts and design group Fleet Collective, range from the city’s Northern Soul scene to beachcombing at the Grassy Beach.
Mr Murdoch said the development group putting the bid together was currently at the “technical bit” of the submission process.
He said: “That has to be submitted by the end of April and the initial bid is very tightly specified. It’s a technical document to set out your stall.”
Mr Murdoch said a recent meeting of almost 90 delegates of the Dundee Partnership forum, a collection of private and public groups shaping the city’s bid, showed the “range and appetite” for the campaign.
He said: “The city council has looked at the economic impact this designation has brought to (current UK City of Culture) Derry/Londonderry and has previously brought to Glasgow and Liverpool.
“It massively outweighs the investment you have to make. There is a cost, but the benefit to the city is way in excess.
“The bidding process has been incredibly cheap. The core group who are putting the bid together are doing it as part of their day job.
“They are giving their time to that bid that is, both universities, Leisure and Culture Dundee, the Rep and others.
“Other cities have put significant resource into a consultancy-led team or officers, but that was never on the cards for Dundee.”
Last month, Brian Cox, Lorraine Kelly and Sheena Wellington were unveiled as the public faces of the bid for the title, which will be announced later this year.
The bids must be submitted by the end of next month and a shortlist will be announced in June.