Talk Of The Town
The Brief
Two in five people across the UK live in a town, but it is the unique sense of place, identity and shared history of each town which means that policies aimed at their regeneration cannot be rolled out in a way that discounts how distinctive they are.
The Trust’s international research on case studies of towns that had transformed their fortunes found that a clear narrative was an important part of their success. All of the towns featured in the research had a sense of purpose and understanding of their history, which translated into a clear story about the town that local residents bought into, and was visible to external visitors. The stories of the places were the real, lived experiences of people there, and were built upon until they became an integral part of the local narrative. These stories developed into what the town is ‘known for’, and into how it sells itself to visitors.
To support storytelling in towns, the Trust is now offering to support individuals from towns in England and Wales to tell the story of their town, in their own words. Training will be provided to help plan, articulate and present the story of the town, at an event attended by policymakers, practitioners and political representatives interested in supporting places.
Please click here for the project brief, which provides more information. The application form can be accessed here. The Trust requests that applicants also submit a video of no more than two minutes in length which addresses the question ‘What vision do you have for your town?’
