GUEST COLUMN:
Emlyn Davies
Director
Cynefin Caerffili CIC
When people think about Caerphilly, culture is not always the first thing that comes to mind.
That perception, however, overlooks something important about the town. While Caerphilly might not have the same number of cultural venues as larger towns and cities, it has something just as valuable: a growing creative community, a strong sense of identity and the potential to use culture as a driver for economic growth.
That’s why at Cynefin Caerffili, we’re working in partnership with Caerphilly Council to develop a bid for Caerphilly to become the UK’s first ever Town of Culture.
As part of a new national competition launched this year by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, one town will be selected as UK Town of Culture for 2028 and receive £3 million to deliver a year-long programme of cultural events and activities. The initiative has been designed to replicate the success of the UK City of Culture programme while shining a spotlight on the unique role that towns play in the UK’s cultural and economic landscape.
For Caerphilly, this opportunity goes beyond arts programming. A successful bid could help reposition the town, attract new visitors and investment, and create opportunities for local businesses across multiple sectors.
Evidence from previous cultural programmes shows just how powerful that impact can be. A recent study found that the first three UK Cities of Culture – Derry/Londonderry 2013, Hull 2017 and Coventry 2021 – attracted more than £1 billion in additional investment into their local economies, alongside media coverage valued at nearly £600 million.
Those cities also saw significant increases in visitor numbers, with tourism rising by an average of 22 per cent. More than 500,000 residents participated directly in cultural activities, while around 2 million visitors travelled to attend events.
The most recent City of Culture, Bradford, had a bold vision for its celebrations last year, promising thousands of events throughout 2025 and estimating they would attract an extra 3.3 million visitors to the city, who would bring £140 million to the local economy.
Organisers also said this could deliver 6,000 training opportunities and create 6,500 new jobs, with a legacy of cultural regeneration that would bring £700 million of growth for the city by 2030. Whether or not this turns out to be the case remains to be seen, but if even a half of this is achieved, it will be an incredible legacy.
While Caerphilly is obviously a lot smaller than any of these cities, the boost for the economy could still be significant, and for local businesses it could bring huge opportunities. Increased footfall will benefit the town’s hospitality, retail and tourism sectors, while a stronger cultural identity could make Caerphilly more attractive to investors, entrepreneurs and skilled workers.
Caerphilly is well positioned to take advantage of this kind of momentum, with economic activity in the region outperforming national trends. The most recent figures, for October 2024 – September 2025, show that economic activity among residents aged 16–64 in Caerphilly county has increased from 74.3% to 77.5% since 2022, meaning around 3,550 more working-age residents are now participating in the labour market. The county’s economic activity rate of 77.5% now sits above the Wales average of 75.9%.
The town itself already benefits from strong transport links and proximity to Cardiff, Newport and the wider South Wales economy. But it also has its own distinctive assets, from its internationally recognised castle to venues such as the Workmen’s Hall, where new efforts are underway to transform the space for the future.
The Town of Culture bid provides an opportunity to connect those assets with the town’s growing creative sector and business community, helping to build an even more vibrant local economy.
Central to the bid is Calon Caerffili, our initiative to involve the people who know the town best, its residents, organisations and businesses. Through a series of free events, workshops and digital engagement this month, we’re inviting the community to share ideas about what culture in Caerphilly should look like and how it can contribute to the town’s future prosperity.
Businesses are being actively encouraged to participate. Their insights, partnerships and support will be essential in shaping a cultural programme that not only celebrates the town’s heritage but also supports sustainable economic growth.
In practical terms, that could mean new festivals and events that bring visitors into the town centre, collaborations between creative organisations and local enterprises, or initiatives that support local talent and skills development.
But perhaps just as importantly, the bid offers Caerphilly an opportunity to redefine how it is seen beyond its borders.
The town sits in a region rich with cultural destinations. Cardiff naturally attracts much of the spotlight as the capital of Wales, while neighbouring towns such as Pontypridd and Newport have also developed strong identities. For Caerphilly, the Town of Culture competition represents a chance to step forward with its own story.
And that story is already taking shape, with artists, community groups, businesses, educators and policymakers working together to develop a long-term cultural strategy that reflects the town’s ambitions. The aim is not simply to win this competition, but to build a lasting legacy that supports creativity and entrepreneurship.
Expressions of interest for the Town of Culture programme must be submitted by the end of March, with shortlisted towns receiving funding to develop their final bids.
If Caerphilly is successful, the benefits could extend well beyond 2028. Because while the town might be known for its castle and its cheese, its greatest asset could be the creativity and ambition of its people and businesses. With the right investment in its culture, that potential could become one of Caerphilly’s strongest economic advantages.
Emlyn Davies is a director of Cynefin Caerffili CIC, a visionary cultural social enterprise dedicated to transforming Caerphilly. For more information and to contribute to the bid, visit: https://www.caloncaerffili.com/
