Perth is poised to launch an ambitious bid to become the UK’s City of Culture.
Councillors are being asked to support a £250,000 effort to secure the prestigious status in 2021.
If successful, it could attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city and lead to an estimated £60 million boost for the economy.
Next week, Perth and Kinross Council will consider taking the first step of a lengthy campaign.
Elected members will be told the authority is in a strong position to start preparing its bid.
The proposal ties in with a wider strategy for the Perth’s future, including a major overhaul of the city centre and massive housing developments at Bertha Park and Inveralmond.
The bid comes hot on the heels of Dundee’s own valiant attempt for City of Culture status.
The race for the 2017 title was eventually won by Hull.
However, the team leading Dundee’s campaign said while many were left heartbroken, their efforts had not been wasted because it had raised the city’s profile and aspirations.
Council leader Ian Miller is urging others to throw their weight behind the campaign.
“When we regained our city status we set ourselves ambitious targets to establish Perth as a destination city,” he said.
“This bid provides us with the perfect opportunity to further these ambitions.
“It is an opportunity that fits well within our wider strategy as part of the council’s City Plan to develop the cultural offering in the area.”
He added: “Achieving the title would also bring enormous financial benefit to the wider Perth and Kinross economy and I hope that everyone can get behind the bid.”
In her report to councillors, Perth and Kinross Council’s head of cultural and community services Fiona Robertson said: “Whilst a significant project in its own right, the bid for UK City of Culture 2021 would form a discrete project within the wider programme of activity to position Perth as a major cultural city destination.”
She said a programme board could be set-up to oversee the bid, as well as other city activities such as the redevelopment of Mill Street.
The board could include input from key partners including Horsecross Arts, Pitlochry Festival Theatre and the new Cultural Trust.
If councillors agreed to go ahead with the bid, the city will need to submit its application by the end of April 2017.
A final announcement will be made later that year.
The council’s enterprise and infrastructure committee convener John Kellas welcomed the move.
“I wholeheartedly support what is being done to establish Perth as cultural destination,” he said.
“It is with a long-term vision in mind that success will be achieved.”
DUNDEE TEAM BACKING PERTH
The team which led Dundee’s battle for City of Culture status is giving its backing to the Perth 2021 campaign.
The City of Discovery made it on to the shortlist for the 2017 event, but lost out to Hull at the final hurdle.
The taskforce which spearheaded the campaign said a bid for Perth could have lasting benefits for the city, whether it wins or not.
Stewart Murdoch, who chaired the Dundee City of Culture Bid Group, said: “Dundee has benefited greatly from its bid and the campaign which backed the bid.
“Dundee’s commitment to culture-led regeneration and the building of the V&A Museum of Design can only strengthen Perth’s bid.
“If successful, Perth as UK City of Culture would have economic as well as cultural benefits for Dundee.”
The group’s director, Bryan Beattie, added: “I’m sure Perth will find the process of bidding a hugely rewarding one it’s a great way of letting people across the UK know about the tremendous qualities and assets the city has, none more so than its people.
“The personality of Perth should really come to the fore during the bidding process and by involving as many people as possible in contributing ideas, it will demonstrate the astonishing quality of imagination and creativity there is in the city.
“The City of Culture is a great way of releasing that creative energy and certainly worth bidding for.”
Dundee’s bid was the culmination of years of work to put culture at the heart of the regeneration of the city.
The UK City of Culture programme was launched by the British Government after Liverpool’s success as European Capital of Culture in 2008.
The bidding process is managed by the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the contest is aimed at boosting cultural activities in UK cities.
The first UK City of Culture was Londonderry in 2013, attracting an extra one-million visitors throughout the year.
Hull is expected to see around £60 million of extra economic benefits in 2017.