With the final bid submission to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) coming up fast this August, the bid team is calling on everyone in our wonderful town to get involved, share their ideas, and tell the world what makes our community so extraordinary.
This summer is all about community conversations. Through a vibrant programme of free creative workshops, pop-up consultations, and engaging events, every resident has the chance to help shape the bid. Amy Vaughan, Ipswich 2029 Bid Director, sums it up perfectly: “This bid belongs to the whole town, and these events are about getting out into our communities and listening to everyone’s ideas. What people tell us at these pop-ups will help shape the bid we put forward to the Government. So come along, big up the bid, love your postcode and help us show what makes Ipswich so extraordinary.”
Get Moving to the Official Anthem
Have you heard the amazing official campaign anthem yet? Big Up The Bid, created by Ipswich-based father and daughter duo Voodoo Browne and Praise B (aged just 13!), is not only getting local radio airplay—it has just been picked up by a US record company for global streaming! What started as some wholesome family fun is now gaining international industry recognition.
To celebrate, you can learn the official dance routine! Dancers Rosy May and Praise B will be teaching the moves at DanceEast during their Afrobahn Summer Session on Friday 17 July, from 6.30pm to 7.30pm. If you can’t make it down, you can also learn the routine via Voodoo’s Instagram (@voodoobrowne). Keep your eyes peeled, as we might just be seeing a few flashmobs popping up in schools and community spaces across town very soon.
Get Creative with Local Artists
Working alongside talented local facilitators, illustrators, and podcasters, a series of creative pop-up consultations will be heading to local neighbourhoods. These free, family-friendly events are designed to build a picture of what communities beyond the town centre want from a successful City of Culture bid.
Bring the whole family along to these fantastic weekend events:
- Gainsborough Library: Saturday 18 July, 11am – 1pm. Have a go at podcasting, illustrate your local culture with map-maker Emily Brooks, and learn the Big Up The Bid dance routine.
- Whitton Football Club: Sunday 26 July, 10am – 1pm. Join ‘The BID Breakfast’, illustrate your local cultural heroes with artist Lily Hammond from Uwu Studio, and enjoy a special live performance from Voodoo and Praise B.
Join the IP-LOVE Roadshow
We are so proud to announce that Ipswich.Love is the official Community Engagement Partner for the bid! We are hitting the road to host a series of free, creative consultation pop-ups in libraries across the town, asking you to share exactly what you love about your postcode. There’s no need to book—just turn up, join in, and have your say!
- Rose Hill Library: Friday 17 July, 10am – 12.30pm
- Ipswich County Library: Friday 17 July, 1.30pm – 4pm
- Ipswich County Library: Friday 24 July, 10am – 12.30pm
- Broomhill Library: Friday 24 July, 1.30pm – 4pm
Our very own co-founder, Miranda Acres, is incredibly passionate about this project: “We started Ipswich.Love because we wanted to connect communities. That’s why we’re so pleased to be working with the Ipswich City of Culture bid team as their Community Engagement Partner. We’re encouraging people from all corners of Ipswich to get involved as it’s about everyone having their say. We’re glad to be involved and pleased that so many grassroots organisations are part of this bid.”
Can’t Make It in Person?
Don’t worry if you can’t attend one of the pop-ups. You can still play a massive part in shaping the future of our town by completing the community questionnaire online at ipswich2029.com. As a special thank-you for taking part in the consultation, everyone who completes the survey online will be entered into a fantastic prize draw to win theatre tickets!
Let’s come together, celebrate our local culture, and show the judges exactly why Ipswich deserves to be crowned the UK City of Culture 2029!
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