Plans to make the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft areas the UK’s City of Culture 2025 accelerated on Monday evening, as councillors voted to set aside thousands of pounds in funding.
The towns, which have together submitted a joint bid for the status to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), are one of 20 places to apply - and the only one in the East.
Great Yarmouth borough councillors voted to allocate £40,000 if the towns become one of the six longlisted places at the end of September.
The £40,000 would form part of a £200,000 budget, the rest of which would come from other authorities and groups.
Among other uses, the funds would be used for marketing, research and grants to local arts groups during the shortlisting process.
Conservative councillor Leslie Mogford said the bid’s success would “show to the world that we’re not just beer, sand and candy floss.
“We’re a cultural community and we still have a great deal to show of our old history - and we can share that with the world.”
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