Wimborne Minster officially launches Town of Culture

Artists, musicians, creatives, civic leaders and business owners were invited to the official launch event for Wimborne Minster as Dorset’s Town of Culture 2026.

Organised by Wimborne Minster Town Council at Allendale House, the launch party featured exhibitions of artworks by local creatives including Nic Rawling of The Paper Cinema and Adrian Newton of Wimborne Contemporary Arts. Puppets created by Wimborne Community Theatre were on display, and one room was converted into a cinema for screenings of a short film called ‘Woodland Cathedral’. Created by Emerald Art, the animated film featured artwork by local schoolchildren.

Alongside the displays, there were performances by musician Pete Ferret, members of Millstream Theatre, and teenage band Kolumbia.

After an introduction by town crier Chris Brown and Mayor of Wimborne Minster Cllr Jeff Hart, there were speeches by David Smith, chair of East Dorset Heritage Trust; David Lockwood, CEO of The Arts Development Company (which created the Dorset Town of Culture programme); and Emma Kerr, the Wimborne Town of Culture project manager.

Commenting on Wimborne Minster’s application for Town of Culture 2026, Lockwood said: “What stood out in Wimborne was the sense of shared endeavour, of a town working in harmony, that understood its collective strengths but also its challenges, and crucially, the role culture can play in meeting these challenges.

“The vision which drives this Town of Culture is one of unity, of bringing people together, of inclusion, of harmony.”