East Grinstead Town Council is delighted to announce that it is preparing an Expression of Interest for East Grinstead to enter the mix to become UK Town of Culture 2028 — an exciting new national competition celebrating the creativity, character, and cultural life of towns across the country.

East Grinstead Town Council is inviting residents, businesses, artists, community groups, and local organisations to take part in an open, interactive ideas session to help shape East Grinstead’s bid to become 2028’s Town of Culture.

This workshop will bring the community together to explore the town’s story and generate creative ideas for a cultural programme that reflects East Grinstead’s unique identity. With the bid built around the theme “Roots and Routes”, the session will invite participants to share ideas inspired by the town’s medieval High Street, its coaching‑route and railway heritage, its diverse communities, the legacy of McIndoe and the Guinea Pig Club, its sporting achievements, and the landscapes that define local life.

A key focus of the session will be how art can be developed and embedded across the town. Participants will be encouraged to explore opportunities for public art, creative trails, temporary installations, community‑led artworks, and projects that bring culture into everyday spaces. The aim is to use art not only to celebrate East Grinstead’s heritage but also to raise the town’s cultural profile and create new ways for residents and visitors to experience its stories.

The event will also look at how East Grinstead’s vibrant annual programme — including Vintage Bus Day, the Classic Car Show, the summer music events, May Fair, Sussex Marathon, the Bonfire procession, and the Big Reveal at Christmas — can be expanded and reimagined as part of a Town of Culture.  Ideas will be gathered on how these events can incorporate arts, performance, heritage interpretation, and community participation.

Attendees will take part in hands‑on activities and discussion tables designed to uncover the stories, places, people, and traditions that matter most to the community. The session aims to gather ideas that celebrate the town’s heritage, highlight its cultural strengths, building ideas to improve understanding of East Grinstead’s history while raising its profile regionally and nationally.

Event details: Date: Monday 16th March, Time: 6 – 8pm, Venue: East Court, Format: Drop‑in workshop with facilitated activities, open to all ages

Please share this with your organisations, friends and neighbours. Everyone is welcome, whether you have a fully formed idea or simply want to listen and contribute. Your voice will help shape a bid that reflects the creativity, pride, and ambition of the whole community.