The Corn Hall in Diss has announced plans to team up with Beccles, Bungay, Eye, Halesworth, and Harleston to submit a joint Waveney Valley bid for the UK Town of Culture competition.

Organisations only have a couple of weeks left to submit an expression of interest to secure their place in the contest.

The Corn Hall in Diss is a Grade II listed building and a former corn exchange (Image: NQ Staff)

Lee Johnson, operations manager at The Corn Hall, said: "A collaborative bid gives us the chance to showcase the Waveney Valley as a connected cultural region rather than a collection of small town working in isolation.

"Each place has its own character, strengths and audiences, and by joining forces we're able to demonstrate a cultural offer that is far bigger and more ambitious than any one town could present alone.

Lee Johnson is the operations manager at Diss Corn Hall and is heading the potential bid (Image: Submitted)

"A joint bid also reflects how people actually live here, audiences, artists and visitors move fluidly between Diss, Harleston, Bungay, Beccles, and the rural communities in between. A shared bid captures that reality."

The Fisher Theatre in Bungay is one of the cultural organisations hoping to join forces (Image: NQ Staff)

The overall winner will receive £3m to deliver a cultural programme in 2028, with two runners-up receiving £250,000 to support cultural activity.

Community leaders and art organisations across the valley have come together behind hopes to make a bid, including The Corn Hall Diss, The Cut at Halesworth, Beccles Public Hall, Wingfield Barns, and The Fisher Theatre at Bungay.

Frances Betts, was the mayor of Bungay 2023/24, and is trustee of the Fisher Theatre and St Mary's Church in Bungay (Image: NQ Staff)

Frances Betts, from The Fisher Theatre, said: "We very much want to support this bid, or this Expression of Interest, although we are a charity we get no outside support or anything,

Harleston is a historic Norfolk town and is set to be included in the proposed bid (Image: Simon Parker)

"We rely on funding from ticket sales and things like that, so we are absolutely thrilled and want to be involved in anything that promotes arts and culture in the region."

Lowestoft has already announced its intention to bid for the 2028 title, with The Seagull Theatre working with partners across the town and holding a series of public meetings.

Elsewhere in Norfolk, Great Yarmouth is interested and Cromer and Sheringham have agreed to put their rivalry aside to make a joint bid for the title.

© Eastern Daily Press