LEADERSHIP

YOUNG VOICES IN CATHEDRAL SQUARE

A moment of collective performance that reflects Peterborough’s approach to leadership, grounded in collaboration, inclusion and the ability to bring diverse voices into harmony.

Leadership for UK City of Culture 2029 is rooted in civic accountability.

Peterborough’s Expression of Interest is led by Peterborough City Council as the accountable body, providing democratic legitimacy, transparency and public oversight. This ensures that the UK City of Culture programme is grounded in civic responsibility and aligned with wider priorities for wellbeing, inclusion and place.

Culture in Peterborough is led as a shared civic endeavour.

Leadership of the bid reflects the way culture already operates across the city: as a shared civic endeavour shaped by multiple partners rather than a single organisation or sector. The Council is supported by a partnership bringing together cultural organisations, place and tourism bodies, education and skills partners, business networks and community leadership.

This approach recognises that no single body represents the full cultural life of Peterborough.

Different partners bring different strengths.

Within this partnership, organisations contribute distinct roles and expertise. The Peterborough Tourist Board has played a central role in convening partners, shaping the place narrative and coordinating the development of the Expression of Interest and public-facing materials, including this website. It supports external engagement, visibility and the articulation of a shared civic story for the city.

The Peterborough Cultural Alliance contributes sector knowledge and artistic insight, supporting dialogue across cultural organisations and practitioners. Education partners play a critical role in amplifying youth voice and lived experience, as demonstrated through recent student and staff visioning.

Community and faith organisations ensure that cultural activity reflects everyday life across neighbourhoods. Together, these perspectives form a balanced leadership ecology that supports both quality and inclusion.

Governance has been designed to remain proportionate and adaptable.

Learning from previous UK Cities of Culture has informed a careful and responsible approach to governance at Expression of Interest stage. Rather than fixing delivery structures prematurely, Peterborough has established clear accountability, shared principles and agreed ways of working, while allowing leadership and delivery arrangements to evolve through learning, engagement and scale.

This reflects lessons from earlier programmes, where overly rigid models constrained adaptation and long-term resilience.

Leadership will focus on enabling, not directing.

As the programme develops, governance arrangements will continue to prioritise openness, collaboration and shared ownership. Leadership will focus on convening, enabling and sustaining cultural activity, ensuring that communities, artists and organisations are empowered to shape both the programme and its long-term legacy.