Our bid to become London Borough of Culture 2023

Dear resident

Sutton is already a great place to live, work and raise a family. I’m certain you’ll agree as you live here too. And I’m sure you know that we are ambitious for Sutton. We are working hard to attract new investment and funding into the borough.

As ambitious as our plans are, we’ve been thinking about what we could do to capture the collective imagination of our residents, partner organisations and businesses. In a time of austerity and budget cuts, how can we celebrate and share our diverse cultures and values?

In the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing, when cutting edge science entered mainstream culture, we had one standout idea.

I'm proposing we bid to become the London Borough of Culture 2023. We’re giving ourselves time to really work up the idea and make sure that we involve everyone; residents, schools, voluntary organisations and all who live and work here.  

This is an exciting opportunity. I believe Sutton is a real contender for this prestigious award. It could bring in up to £1.35 million to invest in the cultural offer across the borough, to inspire our children and build a legacy for the future.

Our bid will focus on The London Cancer Hub. Being built right now, this campus of local and international scientists, researchers and technicians is based in Sutton, working to combat different forms of cancer and improve people’s life chances. It is Sutton’s best kept secret.

We’re already attracting people and businesses from all over the world. There should be a cultural dimension to this, that is accessible for all.

This fantastic, born-of-Sutton development presents us with an opportunity for all communities, groups and ages to come together to spotlight the cultural richness and growing diversity within our borough.

To be successful we need the support of local residents, communities and partners. But this should be easy for us. Working together is the natural way we get things done in Sutton.

Sutton is the safest and greenest borough in London with thriving communities and neighbourhoods. With these foundations I believe the whole community can be enthused by this plan and I’m encouraging everybody to get on board. Becoming the London Borough of Culture would help us become an even better place to live and work.

To succeed we need everyone in Sutton to get involved and back our bid. Please share our ambition and show your support on our website.

Yours
Councillor Ruth Dombey
Leader of Sutton Council