- Journallive.co.uk

AN EMPTY record shop was the low key setting for Durham’s public launch of its UK City of Culture bid yesterday.

Officials from the city’s culture bid officially unveiled the logo and branding to be used in its drive to bring the new government prize – and an estimated hundreds of millions of pounds in revenue from visitors – to the region.

The culture bid exhibition is hanging in Empty Shop next to the taxi rank in North Road, a former record shop transformed into a not-for-profit community interest art gallery by Durham artists Carlo Viglianisi and Nick Maylan, all week until Saturday between 11am and 5pm.

Durham is likely to go head to head with larger conurbations including Birmingham, Hull, Leicester and Plymouth, while Carlisle has also stated an intention to throw its hat in the ring.

Melanie Sensicle, marketing and creative lead for Durham’s bid, said: "This is the first time that the public has been able to see how Durham’s bid will look and it’s so fitting that the official logo for the bid will be on view in a community art gallery set up by North East artists for North East people."

She added: "We want as many people as possible to get behind Durham and back the bid.

"Culture means something completely different to every individual but everyone in Durham and North East England can share in a sense of belonging to a place and a region and support us in our bid to celebrate our culture on the national stage."