UK City of Culture Bid Management
We were invited to drive the development and coordination of the ABC25 UK City of Culture Bid - a major collaborative effort exploring cultural identity, placemaking, social impact, economic benefit, and environmental sustainability.
ABC25 Bid Book cover page.
In our pivotal project management role, we coordinated, managed, and drove the development and drafting of the Bid. This involved close collaboration with senior staff at Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, and its partners. We built meaningful relationships with the arts, cultural, and heritage sectors within the Borough, and connected with similar sectors regionally, nationally, and internationally. The resulting ABC25 Bid Book encapsulated the vision and impact of cultural investment across the borough of Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon.
A key aspect of our approach was engaging and consulting with local artists, the culture and heritage sector, communities, businesses, and other key stakeholders. This ensured that the Bid had genuine ownership by the community.
We co-developed a rich programme of creative responses that would create opportunities to engage with the borough’s natural and built landscape, from Georgian architecture, to 1960s planning, to the 4000 acres of apple orchards. These elements were integrated into the programme to highlight the unique cultural, environmental, and historical assets of the area.
In partnership with Ulster University, we provided a thorough analysis of the needs and potential impact of such a cultural programme. This research underpinned the Bid, offering a robust evidence base for the proposed initiatives.
The Bid was well received by the judging panel and The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport:
“The bid was seen as one of the strongest in terms of its creative approach to programming and the vision was articulated passionately. The detail provided was extremely thorough, and the ideas drew on the heritage and assets unique to the area. The need was also very clear; creating and understanding the relationship between city, market town and new town were also seen as important messages for place-making. The suggested partnerships with local organisations, including grassroots, were positive, as were the cross-sectoral partnerships. A wide range of artforms was included, showing the ABC's strength of cultural diversity to share with the world.”
ABC25 event at Parliament Buildings Belfast. Image ©ARMAGHi.
ABC25 event at The House of Commons, London.
The Bid was a wonderfully collaborative and challenging project, pushing all involved to create something truly special. The process not only delivered a compelling bid but also fostered a lasting legacy for the borough, ensuring continued investment in the cultural sector. It represents a significant milestone in the cultural development of Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon, promising long-term benefits for the community and beyond.
“I worked with Amberlea Neely on a UK City of Culture 2025 bid and a Shared Island funding bid. Amberlea played a lead role in both cases and brought a creative energy and inventive approach to the process that was hugely beneficial. Amberlea demonstrated a wide range of skills including community consultation and engagement, evidence based research, project planning, partnership building and bid writing. Amberlea’s knowledge of and experience in placemaking and the role of culture in social and economic development along with her network connections in these areas were extremely valuable to our process. In terms of project management Amberlea was efficient, an excellent communicator, worked to tight deadlines and under pressure and was a trustworthy member of the team.”
Jill McEneaney
– Arts, Culture and Heritage Manager
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
Client: Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
Team: Amberlea Neely, Dr Jane Morrow