Sunderland's UK City of Culture bid's 'One Page Vision' re-written into Mackem dialect by the author of The Mackem Dictionary, Paul Swinney:
Sunlun 2021: Ower Best Days
Ower the next decade Sunlun’s ganner gan through a programme of cultural regeneration on a git massive scale. Arl the benk lashed out on investment in infrastructure has been matched by investment in leadership and governance. There’s nee better time fer Sunlun ter bid ter be UK City of Culture, and wer knar wer’ll give ivrybody a locally transformational and nationally inspiren programme in 2021 thar’ill leave a lasting and tangible legacy.
A New Creative Era
Aw man, am tellen yer, Sunlun City of Culture 2021 is ganner be a catalyst for a topper new creative era in the city, an era unique in reach and participation. Ower bid is designed ter reinforce the 3 pillars of any successful city – ower culture, economy and society. Followen a year-long crack-on wir git hods er folk from communities across Sunlun and beyond wer’ve a clear steer about the impact thay want ter see – on bairns and youngens, on ‘ealth, on social cohesion, on ower creative economy and on the profile of the city. Ower natters ‘ave inspired 3 creative themes – Light, Inventiveness and Friendship. These themes connect ower past and future and provide the stimulus for world class cultural activity throughout the year.
A City of Culture for 1400 years
The proudest moments in Sunlun’s ‘istory ‘ave been determined by the city’s culture and creativity; a city of lads and lasses wee dee new things, mack new things and engineer new things. And these lads and lasses ‘ave shaped this city and the world through their inventiveness. Gerrer load er this man – Sunlun was the fust place ter mack glass anywhere in the UK in 674; top Mackem the Venerable Bede told us the craic about English ‘history (wer’ve been a seat er learnen for centuries); that gadgie Joseph Swan pioneered developments in light and photography in 1800s; wer saar the openen of the fust civic museum outside London in 1846; wer ‘ad the openen of the Sunlun Empire in 1907; became the greatest ship building town in the world by the middle of 20th century; and ‘ad the establishment of ower city and university in 1992. Culture and creativity ‘ave given us inspiration, economic opportunity and braart us together as a community ower time.
Re-imagining ower future through UK City of Culture 2021
Bur ower the past thurtty years the city has faced git big challenges. As traditional industries went down the pan, the economy faltered and the city centre was cabbaged. Many folk lost confidence in the very creativity, inventiveness and ingenuity that had enabled the city ter thrive. Wearsiders started ter believe the city was knacked. But tergether, local partners and national agencies ‘ave arl worked ter halt this decline. And looken farward, 1.5 billion pund’s ganner be invested in the city ower the next sivven year.
Wer knar though, yer knar, that regeneration’s not ganner be achieved through investment in bricks and mortar arnly – it’s gorrer also ter be about capturen ‘earts and minds too: the capacity ter imagine a better future and believe ower best days are still ter come. This is why wer tellen yer wer proper need UK City of Culture – alangside economic and social strategies this is a challenge that arnly culture can solve.
For Sunlun, the UK and the World
Guided by ower themes wer’ll create a programme that shines a light on the creativity of ower city and welcomes proper choss artists ter Sunlun. A global UK City of Culture. Ir’ll ‘ighlight the stories of ower past, unlock the cultural, economic and social capital of the cerrent day and enable us all ter envision an exciting, global, digital future. In this sense, it is a programme that will tark nor arnly ter Sunlun but ter cities like owers and ter the nation as a whole.
The North East’s Bid
Sunlun City Council, University of Sunlun and the business-led Sunlun MAC Trust began this process but the ambition has snowbarled beyond the original partnership. ‘Undreds er businesses, charities and community groups reet across the North East, clammen fer this opportunity not arnly ter revitalize ower city but ter spur change across the region, ‘ave declared their support fer Sunlun’s bid.
The Scene is Set
Wer’ve established strong foundations. Wer’ve built wide-rangen partnerships locally, nationally and internationally, levered thurtty million pund investment for ower cultural infrastructure, developed a new city-wide cultural governance structure and braart tergether Team 21, a group er youngens wee’ll act as ower guides in imaginen ower creative future. Wer’ve dun git hods arlriddy. And between 2018 and 2020 wer’ll undertack mare work ter prepare the city and ower communities, ensuren a topper year in 2021 and a lasten economic, social and cultural legacy fer the city, the region and the nation.
So me bonny lads and lasses, wer’ll do a deal. Mack Sunlun UK City of Culture 2021, and we’ll mack schewer yer winnet regret it –it’s ganner be ‘ellish!
Hear Paul Swinney read this aloud here
