DUNDEE will benefit from a boost of £80 million to its economy if its bid to be the UK City Of Culture is successful, a report says.

 

The team behind Dundee's bid to win the title, after making the shortlist with Leicester, Hull and Swansea Bay, yesterday completed its official bid document, which will be sent to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport by the end of the month.

The bid for the 2017 title would bring substantial economic, as well as cultural, benefits to the city, said Stewart Murdoch, leader of the bid team.

A study by Ekos, an independent consultancy, said winning the bid - which will be heard in a formal presentation in November in front of a panel headed by Brookside creator Phil Redmond - will bring a series of financial benefits to the city.

It estimated the number of visitors would increase 15%, to more than one million over the year of culture, as well as creating a 1000 jobs in the city, said Mr Murdoch.

Dundee's bid is based around its already strong cultural bodies, including the DCA contemporary arts centre, Dundee Rep Theatre, the new V&A museum being built on its waterfront, Dundee University, and Duncan Of Jordanstone College Of Art And Design.

Its bid has also received more high-profile support from actor Brian Cox and broadcaster Lorraine Kelly.

Mr Murdoch said: "The bid document is done and it says a lot of things, but really this is the culmination of a decade of development in Dundee.

"The figures in the report show these are big stakes, but there has been so much work done over the years and culture is our best card.

"The work of Scottish Dance Theatre, Dundee Rep, the DCA, and other organisations has led to this, and that is why our document is called Tipping Point, because we would see winning this as a coronation of all the work that has been done."

The schedule for what the Dundee Partnership is planning for its City Of Culture year is being kept largely under wraps, but will include several ideas taken from the public and posted on its successful WeDundee website, as well as four major themes.

"We wanted to know people's ideas and have had nearly 1000 on the website, " said Mr Murdoch.

If Dundee wins, the main focus of the celebrations, which will include three major events as well as an opening and closing show, will be 2017, but public preparations will begin next year, and continue with events in 2015 and 2016.

The four themes include a celebration of the river and the Tay Estuary, the city's green spaces and the hills in and around it, a celebration of Dundonians and those who have travelled to live and work in the city, and a celebration of light, "appreciating the quality of light and bright minds."

The programme overall will contain more than 80 events and mini-festivals or "four day weekends" within the celebrations.

Mr Murdoch, who is also director of leisure and communities for Dundee City Council, said every area would be connected to the celebrations should it win, with events planned across all districts.

The success of the WeDundee site, he said, had also been reflected in the number of hits from the competing cities, who may have been looking for ideas from their competitors.

"We want people to know it is not just happening in the city centre, and that there will be things happening in your locality as well," he said. "I think our bid is very good, and if we are successful, that would be a huge challenge, also.

"Of course it is a competition, but we also wish Hull, Leicester and Swansea well, too - we know what they are going through right now."

Andrew Dixon, former chief executive of Creative Scotland, is bid adviser for Hull's campaign.