by [email protected] | Jun 30, 2026 | Creativity, Heritage, Slough
In March, representatives from across Slough, including politics, business, sport, education and the creative sector, came together to submit the town’s application to become the UK’s first Town of Culture, a new national competition organised by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
On Thursday 2 July, the DCMS will be showcasing the bids from towns across the country by sharing a series of specially designed postcards on Instagram, Facebook and X. Each postcard has been created by one of the competing towns, including Slough.
We would love your support in helping to raise the profile of Slough’s bid. If you would like to help, please share the social media assets below, tag @DCMS on X and @DCMSGovUK on Instagram, and use the hashtag #UKTownofCulture.
Every share, like and comment helps to spread the word and demonstrate the enthusiasm and pride that exists across our community.
If you are interested in seeing who else has entered the competition, the DCMS will also launch an interactive map of the UK on the day, highlighting all of the participating towns. Please check back here on Thursday for the link.
In the meantime, thank you for supporting Slough’s bid. With your help, we can take another step towards becoming the UK’s first Town of Culture.
A postcard from Slough – side one
A postcard from Slough – side two
by [email protected] | Feb 18, 2026 | Cohesion, Creativity, Heritage, Slough
Slough has officially announced its intention to bid for UK Town of Culture 2028, and at Together As One we are incredibly proud to be right at the heart of it.
This is more than a title. It is a bold opportunity to reshape how Slough is seen nationally. For too long, our town has been reduced to tired stereotypes and outdated narratives. This bid is about replacing those with something far more truthful and powerful, a confident, creative, future-facing Slough defined by its people.
A Town Ready to Rewrite Its Story
Slough is one of the youngest and most ethnically diverse towns in the UK. We sit at the centre of the Thames Valley economy, next to Heathrow Airport, shaped by migration, movement and global connections. We are home to major data centres and digital infrastructure that power huge parts of the UK’s internet traffic.
Beyond the statistics is something even more important. Slough is a place where culture is lived, not staged.
It lives in our faith spaces, community choirs and spoken word events. It is expressed through visual arts, contemporary public art transforming everyday spaces, internationally connected music and dance communities, and the creative talent that feeds into Britain’s film and television industry. It is found in the resilience, enterprise and reinvention that define our industrial and migratory heritage.
This bid is not about putting on a show for a year. It is about using culture to drive skills, participation, pride and long-term opportunity.
Together As One’s Role
A new Town of Culture Steering Group is being formed to oversee the bid, bringing together leaders from business, education, culture, the voluntary sector and youth organisations. Our Chief Executive, Rob Deeks MBE, has been asked to chair the group.
Rob, who was recently awarded an MBE for services to young people and the community in Slough, said:
“Our bid for Town of Culture will be rooted in Slough’s everyday stories, its resilience, and its creative ambitions. Culture here is expressed through the arts and events, but also through how people come together, share identity, and shape the place they live. It is about making space for everyone to participate, belong and thrive.”
For us, this is a natural extension of our work. Together As One exists to champion young people, strengthen community participation and build pride in place. This bid aligns directly with those values.
Slough Does Not Need Reinvention. It Needs Recognition.
The bid will be managed by Vineet Vijh, Director of Viva Slough, who has been leading efforts to promote culture, wellbeing and skills development across the town.
As Vineet puts it:
“Slough does not need reinvention but needs recognition. We are digitally connected, globally diverse and full of creative energy. Town of Culture gives us the chance to turn those strengths into pride, opportunity and long-term change.”
Support across the town has already been strong. Leaders from business, arts and education are backing the campaign. Young people are stepping forward to shape it. Arts organisations that have quietly delivered incredible work for years now see an opportunity to tell Slough’s story on its own terms.
Built by Slough, for Slough
Crucially, this bid will be shaped by local voices.
Over the coming weeks there will be intensive community consultation to ensure the final proposal reflects the real Slough. This includes:
- Town Hall meetings to gather “Untold Slough” stories
- Youth summits in schools, colleges and youth centres
- A public webinar on 3 March
- A small business briefing on 24 February in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses
- A developer forum on 23 February
We are especially pleased to see young people being placed at the centre of the process from the very beginning. Decisions about towns are too often made without them. That will not happen here.
Looking Ahead
The UK Town of Culture competition, run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will award £3 million to the winning town, alongside the title for one year. However, bids are judged on long-term impact rather than one-off events.
Slough is competing in the large town category, with the Expression of Interest deadline set for 31 March 2026.
For Together As One, this is about more than a campaign. It is about confidence. It is about pride. It is about ensuring that the creativity, resilience and ambition we see every day in our young people and communities are recognised nationally.
Slough is ready.
And we are ready to help tell its story.
