Ipswich’s journey toward becoming UK City of Culture 2029 takes another step forward today, as four leading Ipswich and Suffolk creative producers are appointed to help shape the full programme ahead of the final submission to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport this August.
The producers will work closely with Bid Director Amy Vaughan appointed by Ipswich Borough Council, embedding local creative leadership at the heart of the bid. Three will lead the bid’s core creative strands—first introduced in the successful Expression of Interest—while a fourth will coordinate engagement across all themes and support the central development of the bid.
Their appointment is supported here by the Ipswich.love team, the town’s grassroots movement for civic pride, creativity and community connection. The Ipswich.love team welcomed the announcement, calling it “a powerful signal that Ipswich is backing its own talent and building a bid shaped by the people who live and create here.”
The appointed producers are:
- Marcus Harris‑Noble — leading Future Pioneers (youth and the next generation)
- Kirsty Tallent — leading Ordinary Streets, Extraordinary People (communities)
- Kath Cockshaw — leading River Flows Both Ways (heritage and international exchange)
- Hannah Houghton — cross‑strand engagement and central bid support
Bid Director Amy Vaughan said:
“We want local creative leadership right at the centre of the bid. Hannah, Marcus, Kath and Kirsty know Ipswich, they know its communities and they know how to make ambitious work happen. They will help us make sure this bid is built with the town, not just about it.”
The Ipswich.love team added: “As a movement dedicated to celebrating the people, places and stories that make Ipswich special, we are thrilled to see these four exceptional producers take on such pivotal roles. Their experience, integrity and deep roots in the town reflect exactly the kind of leadership Ipswich deserves.”
About the Producers
Marcus Harris‑Noble
Marcus brings nearly thirty years of experience across arts, culture and regeneration—from early youth work in Ipswich and Fulham to delivering Croydon’s Creative Enterprise Zone programme, which helped secure London Borough of Culture 2023. His work champions community storytelling and opportunity in the creative industries. He is currently a Senior Relationship Manager at Arts Council England and a Director of Brighten The Corners.
Marcus said: “I feel really honoured to be given the opportunity to support young people from Ipswich and the surrounding areas to have their voices heard loud and clear in the bid… Our area has always punched above its weight culturally—the bid finally gives us the chance to place this untold story centre stage and enable our young people to write the next chapter.”
Kirsty Tallent
A theatre director, deviser and community facilitator, Kirsty creates bold, contemporary work rooted in access, collaboration and authenticity. She is Communities Coordinator at Eastern Angles Theatre Arts Centre and has previously worked with Red Rose Chain and Suffolk Libraries. Her directing spans major theatres, site‑specific work, community settings and the West End.
Kirsty said: “I’m born and bred in Ipswich Town, so it’s a privilege to be part of the City of Culture 2029 bid team… Us Ipswichian’s are humble folk but the time is now to come together and show the country and beyond why we really are the City of Culture 2029.”
Kath Cockshaw
Kath is a heritage and placemaking leader and Project Director for Wolsey 550, overseeing its capital phase and public access to Wolsey’s Gate. In 2026 she led public consultation and governance development for Ipswich’s ten‑year Culture and Heritage Strategy. Formerly Head of Museums and Arts for Waltham Forest, she became a Visiting Fellow at the University of Suffolk in 2025.
Kath said: “I’m so excited—working on a City of Culture programme is a long‑held ambition of mine… The City of Culture award will be like rocket fuel for Ipswich’s brilliant creatives, placemakers and social change organisations.”
Hannah Houghton
Hannah is an education, arts and heritage specialist. After sixteen years as a secondary school history teacher, she moved into the cultural sector and now leads the Education and Opportunities strand of the Thomas Wolsey 550 programme. She works across the sector as a creative producer, consultant and facilitator.
Hannah said: “I love this town and I love its people… City of Culture is a chance to change that, and to put young people and communities in the driving seat of something genuinely exciting.”
Additional Support
The team is also advised by Sud Basu, an international creative advisor with over twenty years’ experience supporting artists and organisations to develop major cultural programmes, including City of Culture bids, Place Partnership Projects and large‑scale socially engaged artworks.
The Ipswich.love team stands fully behind the Ipswich 2029 bid. “We believe in this town, its creativity, its resilience and its people. This bid is more than a competition—it’s a declaration of who we are and who we want to become.”
Who wrote this about Ipswich?
Sam Sherman
Sam is a Co-Founder of Ipswich.love. Passionate about Ipswich, Sam looks to see how we might jointly reverse some of the recent negativity and bring some deserved positivity back to our beloved Town.
No Comments
If comments are open, feel free to leave a comment below. You need to register to comment on posts. We're all about the love & whilst we welcome your comments, we will not tolerate any abusive language or hate speech. Play nicely, people.