2028 bid puts Redruth culture front and centre
The Ladder is leading a consortium which has entered Redruth for the 2028 Town of Culture award, a brand-new Government initiative promising one UK town a prize of £3.5 million to deliver a six-month cultural programme. Two runners-up will be awarded £250,000.
Launching the scheme, the Town of Culture chair Sir Phil Redmond said: “UK Town of Culture asks: What makes your town special? What makes its people proud to be there? And why should that be celebrated?”
Previously, the City of Culture competition allowed for cities to compete for a similar title. However, Sir Phil believes the new Town of Culture award has what City of Culture lacked: “depth, breadth and diversity”.
He said that the new competition demonstrates “creativity is not confined to the great urban concert halls, theatres or galleries. It is in everything we do together. In every town, village, neighbourhood, street or road.”
The team behind the Redruth bid believe it would be a perfect choice for this extraordinary prize.
The town was a central part of Cornwall’s thriving copper and tin mining industry in the 19th century. The town’s name even reflects this. By the 14th century, a ford from a stream in the town turned red, due to discolouration from tinning activities releasing iron oxide into the water. This led to the town’s Cornish name, rhyd-ruth – comprised of the words for ‘ford’ (rhys) and ‘red’ (ruth).
But times have changed. Since Cornwall’s last mine, South Crofty, shut in 1998, what was once an industrial powerhouse grew quieter. Miners emigrated, searching for new work in countries like New Zealand and South Africa. The town became one of the most deprived in northern Europe, much of its once vibrant high street boarded up.
However, just when hope seemed to fade, the town turned to art. Out of the old grammar school buildings came Krowji, the largest creative hub south-west of Bristol, providing space for an array of creatives to do what they love.
Redruth’s shift from mining to the arts opened doors for a new era for the town. Theatre group Wildworks combines Redruth’s rural roots with acting, staging shows at quarries, cliffs, harbours and more, while The Ladder has turned the former Passmore Edwards library in Clinton Road into a cultural hub.
Creative Kernow, which runs Krowji, said: “Most attention goes to culture in cities, not rural communities like Redruth – which has an amazing creative sector workforce. That’s why I’m really supportive of Redruth for Town of Culture, and I think The Ladder, the Town Council and the Cultural Consortium are leading it brilliantly.”
A strong sense of Cornish identity seems to run through everything that Redruth does. According to the most recent Census, Redruth has the highest number of people describing themselves as Cornish. If the town wins funding, there are plans to create a space for the Cornish identity to be more widely known, enabling Cornish people to connect with other minority identities, such as Māori.
Unlike many parts of Cornwall, and despite its rich history and vibrant community, Redruth has not been transformed by Cornwall’s reputation as a holiday destination. Williams commented: “There’s no great call for second homes or holiday homes, so the population is relatively stable in that sense.”
However, a lack of visitors leaves it isolated. Funding from Town of Culture could grow its global links, with plans in the bid for a cultural exchange programme between Redruth’s young people and its emigrant communities across the globe.
The town remains deprived by many measures, but its creative industry continues to grow and the community are rallying for a better high street, including projects such as Redruth Revival, co-founded by Williams.
That organisation owns the Buttermarket, which reopened as a food hall in 2024 – the first of its kind in Cornwall. It has been a huge success.
He added: “I think what we need to do with the town centre is encourage small independent traders, like galleries, workspaces and hairdressers. Redruth isn’t going to thrive again by getting supermarkets back in. It’s about exploiting that unique flavour of the town. The Buttermarket is part of that process.”
Town of Culture could help pave the way for more projects like the refurbished Buttermarket, to make Redruth a more celebrated place. New activities and attractions have potential to bring more people into one of Cornwall’s hidden gems.
Regardless of whether the bid succeeds, the ideas generated can still be a part of Redruth’s revitalisation and bring more people to this special corner of Cornwall.
ILLUSTRATIONS: MARIANNA ZIECIOWSKA
WRITER: JOCELYN LUCAS
