‘Vibrant’ Welsh market town makes case for Town of Culture bid

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

A vibrant events calendar, strong community spirit and thriving independent shops are helping one town make the case for a prestigious cultural title.

Residents in Abergavenny say these qualities strengthen its bid to become the UK’s Town of Culture for 2028, an initiative launched by the UK Government to boost cultural activity in smaller towns.

The scheme will award the successful town £3 million to deliver an ambitious programme of cultural events, with the aim of celebrating local creativity and leaving a lasting legacy for the community.

Across Gwent, Abergavenny is one of three towns considering a bid for the title, alongside Caerphilly and Blaenavon, ahead of the 31 March deadline for expressions of interest.

The government hopes the programme will mirror the success of the UK City of Culture, most recently awarded to Bradford in 2025, by raising the national profile of smaller towns and supporting long-term cultural investment.

In Abergavenny, the market town sometimes referred to as the “gateway to Wales”, talks among local arts groups have already taken place and the town council is running a survey asking residents to give their views on bidding for title, which carries a £60,000 grant to put a formal application together.

Emma Bevan is the chair of the Abergavenny Arts Festival, a free one day event in June, and has been manning an exhibition inspired by British artist Kirstie Macleod’s red dress project at The Chapel, a 16th century Baptist chapel converted to a gallery and events space, to celebrate International Women’s Day in March.

The exhibition features shawls crafted by Ms Bevan including one that was a collaboration with 120 women from the community.

“My mum wanted to go to art college but was told she had to be a hairdresser,” said the 55-year-old textile artist, who after moving to London, for art college, aged 20 spent six years in the city before returning home.

“Absolutely,” is her response to whether the town deserves the recognition of the cultural title: “The arts has increased so much in the last few years. When I was growing up here artists were sort of hidden away but it is now big, bold and innovative with really brilliant programmes for young people and innovative courses and workshops for retired people, every age group is catered for.”

The town’s Borough Theatre, in the revamped Market Hall building that also houses its library, the Melville Centre which is a community theatre where a group teaching circus skills is also based, and events including the Abergavenny Food Festival, held every September and one of the biggest of its kind in the country, all support Abergavenny’s claim to being the Town of Culture, said Ms Bevan.

Exhibiting

Carol Kay, who works as a counsellor, is exhibiting work at the Chapel intended to highlight the more than 100 women killed by men across the UK, and said the title would reward the way the town supports arts groups.

“I’m in a book group and we get a room at the Abergavenny Hotel, and previously used a room at a pub, we really get support from the hospitality businesses that give rooms for nothing to creative groups to encourage them. It is very supportive.

“The town also has such a beautiful location as well, the area has such inspirational locations.”

Rebekah Fletcher and Naomi Wilson, who both work at the Angel Bakery on Cross Street in the town centre, insist there’s “lot’s of interesting stuff going on in Abergavenny for quite a small place.”

Customer Sam Soam recently attended a talk by an author on Welsh art at The Chapel while bakery assistant Naomi viewed an International Women’s Day art exhibition at the Melville and manager Rebekah has signed up for a dance class.

‘Countryside’

The town’s location “that feels like the countryside but you have access to Cardiff and Bristol, and London is only a train ride away” is also cited by the staff at the bakery as a draw.

“I grew up here, and moved back in 2018, from Bristol when I was 26 and it was quite quiet then but over the last eight years it has really picked up and there are definitely more younger people coming to the area,” said Naomi despite acknowledging it can be expensive, with homes in the town on the eastern edge of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park often cited as unaffordable.

“I have friends who’ve moved here after lockdown after living in London, Cardiff or Bristol who want somewhere a little bit quieter.”

Her father also attends a local art class while Naomi is a member of a weekly Coffee and Cardio running club based at the Dug Out bar where she also went to a jazz night before Christmas: “They do a lot of things like that, live music and events.”

Among those to have moved to the area is Gaz Oakley, who has previously lived in Cardiff and London, and was fitting out the Ty Fferm shop he and fiancé Teigan Davies will open later in March.

Both former chefs they use social media to highlight food and gardening and are opening the shop to sell locally made crafts from a grade II-listed building on Cross Street and have commissioned hand-painted signs “rather than plastic”.

“We want to do something creative and nice for the town and bring people in,” said Mr Oakley who was inspired by photos “from 100 years ago of shopkeepers standing proudly outside their shops”.

Posters

Outside the Borough Theatre Stephen Richards is looking at posters for upcoming shows and notes Dean Friedman, who had a top three hit in 1978 with Lucky Stars, will be performing there in May: “He used to be massive in America in the 70s.”

“I do come to the theatre regularly, an ELO tribute band, in November, was the last show I attended,” said Mr Richards who thought Abergavenny “most definitely” could be town of culture: “It’s a lovely little market town and far better than where I live in Ewyas Harold half way between here and Hereford.”

Friends Shirley Carroll, from Cwmbran, and Nora Cremins were visiting to “look at the market, have a little look round and have lunch.”

But Ms Cremins said she no longer travels from her home, in Pontypool, to the theatre in Abergavenny because “at my age I don’t like driving in the dark.”

Her friend said afternoon matinee shows could be of interest but venues need to advertise events rather than relying on posters outside.

Inside the Market Hall Emma Lewis has run a record stall for four days a week for the past two years at what she thinks is one of the busiest markets in Wales and said: “There is also a night market once a month with world foods and different cover bands.”

Louis Bannon, who has lived in Abergavenny since he was eight has been manning his stall at the Wednesday flea market, for 56 years said: “I left school at 14 and I’ve been here ever since.”

Asked about the potential town of culture bid he said he’d like to see more support for the market but at the opposite end of the hall Colin Wheaton had “just been reading about the bid” that morning before setting out his antiques and collectables stall and said: “It’s got to be good and positive if Abergavenny can have a bit of the limelight and attention, it will be a good thing for the town and the market.”