Representatives of the bid to make Hereford the UK City of Culture will be at a public meeting in the Ross Town Council Offices at 5pm on Wednesday, September 27th.

The dynamic consortium of arts, cultural and heritage organisations and business representatives leading the bid for Hereford to be named UK City of Culture 2021 has now formally constituted itself as the Herefordshire Cultural Partnership (HCP).

Throughout the next few months the HCP will be holding open public consultation meetings on the City of Culture bid, alongside its board meetings, in each of the county’s market towns. The series starts in Ross-on -Wye on September 27th and the meeting at the office in the Corn Exchange in High Street, is open to all. At this informal meeting members of the HCP central strategy group will give an update on the progress of the bid to date and invite feedback and further ideas.

Abigail Appleton, Principal of Hereford College of Arts and Vice Chair of the Hereford Cultural Partnership, said: "Winning City of Culture could transform the fortunes of the whole region and not just the city at the heart of the bid. So it’s vitally important that people across the county support and shape the bid so that it can really touch and improve lives in every town, village and hamlet.

"It’s Herefordshire’s different market towns that give this county so much of its distinctive character and culture and the core team is really looking forward to discussing the bid with people in different areas so we can make it as relevant and exciting as possible to the whole of Herefordshire. There’s no need to book ahead, we just hope people will along on the night as this is a unique chance for us do to do something extraordinary together and shape our county’s future."

For more information about the bid visit www.herefordcityofculture.org