Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has visited the Museum of Liverpool to see a digital exhibition celebrating the towns bidding to become the UK’s first Town of Culture.
The government said it received 398 applications, representing more than 400 towns across the UK, after launching the competition last year.
As part of the bidding process, towns were asked to submit a digital postcard showcasing its community. The postcards will remain on display at the museum until the end of July, when the shortlist is due to be announced.
Ms Nandy was joined by Sir Phil Redmond, chair of the independent judging panel. He said: ‘The number of towns that have entered the competition is incredible.
‘It is a distinct moment in its own right, when people overwhelmingly wanted to demonstrate the sense of pride they have in their own communities.
‘It is why we invited every one of them to send a postcard, a snapshot, of where they are, who they are, and how taken together, each contributes to our shared national story.’
Liverpool was named European Capital of Culture in 2008, a programme which helped inspire the creation of the UK city of Culture competition.
The winning town will stage a year-long programme of cultural events in 2028. The government said it hopes the initiative will encourage more people to take part in cultural activities, boost civic pride and support economic regeneration.
Previous UK City of Culture hosts include Derry-Londonderry, Hull, Coventry and Bradford.
When Bradford was named the UK City of culture last year, it hosted more than 5,000 events, attracted around three million visitors and involved more than 800 organisations. More than 100,000 residents also took part in community projects.
All entries and postcards can be explored in a new interactive UK Town of Culture map
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