Cllr Danny Thorpe, Leader of the Council, said:

“Congratulations to all the winners of the London Borough of Culture announcements today. While we are disappointed not to have been awarded any funding, culture is and will remain at the heart of Royal Greenwich.

Our bid has brought us closer to our cultural communities and made us proud of the great cultural destination we have already fostered. We designed a bid to stimulate change, promote community cohesion and generate moments of joy in arts and culture across the borough and we will do everything possible to continue on this path.

There’s much to celebrate in the coming weeks and months for what is bound to be a tremendous year for Royal Greenwich.

Royal Greenwich Festivals will be back with another jam-packed programme of events and Woolwich Works, our new creative district, will open later this year. Our £41 million investment will see performance and creativity rolling out across our whole borough, with the benefits and advantages it brings felt by residents and businesses alike.

Grassroots performing arts and community activities will be more accessible than ever in Plumstead with the opening of the new Plumstead Centre this month. We have a grand opening of the centre, on Saturday 29 February which will include demonstrations, a tour of the facility and opportunities to try out free taster activities – please do come along and check it out.

Once again, thank you to all our residents, partners and communities for all your hard work in getting us to this point. You have been incredible.”