Watlington Business Association backs Town of Culture 2028 bid

The Watlington Business Association is pleased to signal its full support for the town’s intention to bid for Town of Culture 2028 in the small town category.

This national competition is designed to recognise towns with a strong sense of identity and a compelling story to tell. The winning town in each category will receive £3 million to deliver a major cultural programme in 2028, with runners up awarded £250,000. Towns that progress beyond the initial Expression of Interest stage receive development funding to help shape a detailed bid over the summer.

For Watlington, this is not about reinvention. It is about recognition.

A town with cultural depth
Watlington’s cultural life is broad, grassroots and community led. It spans:

• Independent businesses that curate experiences, not just transactions
• Artists and makers who shape the visual identity of the town
• Festivals, performances and exhibitions run by volunteers
• Heritage groups safeguarding local history
• Sports clubs, community groups and shared public spaces
• Food, hospitality and retail that bring people together

​Culture, in this context, is not limited to the arts. It is the lived experience of a place. It is how we gather, celebrate, debate, create and support one another.

For a town of our size, the density of activity and participation is significant. The proposed bid aims to bring these strands together into a coherent narrative that reflects who we are and where we are heading.

If you would like to read more about the emerging bid and the thinking behind it, you can view the recent coverage in the Henley Standard here:
https://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/home/704170/town-with-story-to-tell-to-enter-culture-competition.html

Why business engagement matters
From the WBA’s perspective, this opportunity is strategically important. A successful bid would:

• Attract national attention and visitors
• Support local supply chains and independent traders
• Increase footfall and spend
• Strengthen Watlington’s identity as a distinctive place to visit and invest in
• Create new partnerships between businesses, creatives and community organisations
• Even the process of developing a bid can build stronger networks across the town.

Cultural vitality and economic vitality are not separate conversations. They are deeply linked. Independent high streets thrive where there is energy, story and experience.

What happens next
An Expression of Interest must be submitted by the end of March 2026. If Watlington progresses, up to £60,000 will be available to develop a full bid over the summer, with delivery in 2028.

At this stage, the ask is simple: broad engagement. The stronger and more representative the coalition behind the bid, the more credible it becomes.

The Watlington Business Association encourages local businesses, creatives and organisations to get involved, contribute ideas and consider how they might participate if the bid progresses.

This is an opportunity to articulate what makes Watlington distinctive and ambitious, and to do so together.
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We look forward to supporting the next steps and helping ensure the business community is an active partner from the outset.