A group of students from Suffolk New College backed the Ipswich city of culture bid during a visit from their local MP.
Jack Abbott came to the campus based on Rope Walk to talk to staff and learners about his delight that Ipswich is in the mix to be chosen as a city of culture in 2029.
The (city of culture) winner will receive a £10million government windfall, and after hearing Mr Abbott’s passionate plea to ‘talk up our town’ because winning the bid will bring ‘hope, pride and ambition’ to Ipswich, students reflected on what this all means to them.
Hannah Page, 19, from Kesgrave, is on a level 3 performing arts course at Suffolk New College. She said, “I think winning (the bid) will make a big difference for us in terms of our careers. We might get bigger shows coming to the town, and that could mean more roles for us. I’m looking at casting at the moment and all of those (casting sessions) are currently taking place in London or up north – so this might change that.”
In terms of a favourite artist that Hannah would like to see if Ipswich win the bid, she added: “I’d love to see Hoozier – my message to him is to come to Ipswich – I think he’d love it.”
Carlos Batista, 23, from Ipswich, is on the same course as Carlos. He said, “I think this will absolutely bring opportunities and investment to the town, and I think it will open more doors for us (as performing artists).”
Alan Pease is the Principal and CEO of Suffolk New College and he was buoyed by the news. Mr Pease said: “We have backed the bid as we think that creativity and culture is important to our learners and all of our lives. We also wanted to be an advocate for our young people who are studying on our creative courses – so it was a no brainer to get involved.”
On hearing the city of culture news, he added: “I’m delighted we are on the long list of nine – hopeful we will get on the short list of four – and then go on and win it early next year. It would be incredible news for the town.”
During the visit, Mr Abbott also announced a new £20million investment pot that will be used to regenerate Stoke Park and the south-west of Ipswich.
On the visit, he generally added: “I was delighted to visit Suffolk New College and talk to students directly about their ambitions and hopes for the future. Their talent, creativity and ambition perfectly reflect why Ipswich’s City of Culture bid matters so much.”
“Being longlisted is a huge milestone for our town and shows the strength of our story. This bid is about unlocking investment, creating real opportunities for young people and giving them the chance to build their careers here in Ipswich.
These opportunities are about building pride in our town, shaping its future and showing the rest of the country exactly what Ipswich is capable of, and the students at Suffolk New College are a vital part of that future.”