UK City of Culture for 2025 shortlist announced
March 19, 2022, 12:26 pm

UK City of Culture for 2025 shortlist announced

High Force waterfall in County Durham, England (File photo: Pixabay)

The BBC reported, Bradford, County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham have made the shortlist to be named UK City of Culture for 2025.

A different location is given the title every four years.

The winning place will be announced in May and will be the fourth holder, after Derry-Londonderry, Hull and the current City of Culture, Coventry.

The title has brought £172m to Coventry, according to the government, as well as events like BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend and the Turner Prize.

Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay says: "We have seen a huge positive impact in this year's host city, Coventry, with millions of pounds in investment and thousands of visitors."

Bradford in north Wales, England (File photo; Pixabay)

The government said the finalists would have to show how they would use culture "to transform a place through social, cultural and economic regeneration" and recover from the Covid pandemic.

For the first time, groups of towns, areas and counties have been able to bid, as well as single urban areas.

Cairo prepares for 2022 celebrations as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World

The four locations that missed out on progressing from the longlist were Cornwall, Derby, Stirling and a bid covering Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.

Source: BBC

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge setting off on Caribbean tour to mark Queen's Platinum Jubilee The Guardian report: U.S. denies once again signs of new wave of Coronavirus

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”