Hexham Declares Itself the UK's First Arts Town

Hexham now has a new label to go with its abbey and its market. The Hexham Cultural Forum has declared the town an "Arts Town", and describes it as the first in the UK.

How it was announced

The declaration was made at a Community Arts Fair at the Queen's Hall on Saturday 10 October. The organisers called it a soft launch. A bigger, town-wide celebration is planned for Easter next year.

Who is behind it

The Hexham Cultural Forum brings together the organisations that run most of the town's arts and heritage. Its members include Hexham Town Council, the Forum Cinema, the Queen's Hall, Théâtre Sans Frontières, the library service, North East Museums Service, Hexham Abbey and Hexham Community Centre.

The forum says the idea is modelled on Arts Town schemes in Europe and North America. As far as we can tell, there is no national body in the UK that awards the title, so the "first" claim is the forum's own. It is a declaration by the town about itself rather than an official designation, and no set of criteria has been published.

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"It's incredibly exciting that Hexham has become the first Arts Town in the UK, the benefits could be huge," said deputy mayor Penny Grennan.

Why it matters

Hexham has a strong case for calling itself an arts town, with a working theatre and arts centre, an independent cinema, a touring theatre company and an abbey that hosts concerts and festivals through the year.

It also follows the town's bid to become the UK Town of Culture 2028, which did not progress.

We will report on the Easter celebration once the programme is announced.

As reported by the Hexham Courant and North East Bylines.

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