Deadline for City of Culture bid

The Londonderry bid to become UK City of Culture 2013 is due for submission on Friday and a busy programme of events has been scheduled this week as the city's campaigners seeks to maintain momentum ahead of delivery day.

Belfast City Council hosted a cultural connection event on Monday, May 17, at Belfast City Hall to signal its support for the Londonderry bid.

Back at base, a packed programme continues today, Wednesday, when ILEX and the Strategic Investment Board host a thank-you event at the Millennium Forum Theatre to pay tribute to all those who worked so hard to put the bid together.

This event will see performances from some of the city's most talented young musicians.

On Thursday the bid will leave the city to be delivered ahead of Friday's submission deadline. Once the bid is delivered the campaigners say there is still plenty to be done with all four competing cities set to make their pitches to the judging panel mid-June.

The Londonderry pitch will take place on the morning of Friday, June 17. After that the decision will be in the hands of the judges who are expected to announce the identity of the successful candidate city in July.

And the campaign continues to attract high profile support from high-profile figures from across the cultural spectrum from literary, giants like Seamus Heaney and Seamus Deane, to performers like Gabriel Byrne and Brendan Gleeson and sporting heroes like Manchester United star Darron Gibson.

Meanwhile, the Fountain Primary School has unveiled their very own banner to show their support for the City of Culture at The Playhouse Theatre.

Primary 4 and 5 pupils helped The Playhouse get behind the bid for City of Culture by designed a banner during a workshop at the Theatre.

The Playhouse ran a competition to get the best ideas for a campaign slogan and Kaitlyn McCahon from the Fountain was the winner with "Beat the Blues, Feel the Rhythm, Follow your Soul to the City of Culture."

Kaitlyn won two tickets for a show of her choice at the Playhouse. Kaitlyn's class then helped put the slogan on a banner during the workshop at the Theatre.

Mayor Paul Fleming helped to officially unveil the finished banner on Monday, May 10 outside The Playhouse.

"The award winning Playhouse Theatre is already a key partner in the bid to have the city crowned UK City of Culture in 2013 and this is a great way to get the wheels moving on this exciting bid!"

Pauline Ross from the Playhouse said: "The many, many brilliant competition entries we received were fantastic and this fabulous colourful banner the young people have designed really blew us away! And a special thank you goes to facilitator Kirstin McLaughlin of Kid-Art for running the workshop"

Mayor Paul Fleming said: "It is so important to get the young people of this city involved in the city of culture bid, showcasing the enormous talent and energy that we have right here in this city. A lot of hard work went into this brilliant banner. Well done everyone!"