Hollyoaks Creator Sir Phil Redmond Heads to Stockton for £3 Million Culture Contest

Hollyoaks creator Sir Phil Redmond is visiting Stockton-on-Tees today, Friday 30 October, as the town competes for a £3 million prize and the chance to become the UK's first Town of Culture in 2028.

The television producer, who also created Brookside and Grange Hill, is leading the expert panel assessing bids from 15 shortlisted towns across the country. His visit to Stockton comes as local organisers prepare to demonstrate why the Teesside town deserves national recognition for its cultural heritage, creative industries and community projects.

Redmond is being accompanied by his wife, Lady Redmond, with representatives from Stockton's cultural and business communities hoping to impress the man responsible for some of British television's most influential dramas

Hollyoaks creator puts Stockton's cultural ambitions in the spotlight

Stockton Town Centre Ward was selected from 398 applications submitted for the inaugural UK Town of Culture competition, becoming the only Teesside entry to reach the final 15.

The town is competing against Ilfracombe, the Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown and Strabane in the small town category, with other shortlisted locations including Leith, Birkenhead, Grimsby and Rotherham.

Each shortlisted town has received £60,000 to develop its proposal, with the eventual winner receiving £3 million to deliver a programme of cultural activities throughout 2028. Two runners-up will each receive £250,000 to support elements of their own plans.

Stockton's bid is being developed by the Stockton Community Collective, bringing together more than 40 organisations and representatives from the arts, education, business and community sectors.

The town hopes to demonstrate its cultural strengths through venues including the Stockton Globe, ARC and Georgian Theatre, alongside its established festivals, live music and creative organisations.

Its bid also highlights the Stockton and Darlington Railway's historic contribution to transport, the development of the town's waterfront and the importance of making arts and culture accessible to local communities.

Why Sir Phil Redmond is leading the competition

Redmond's involvement reflects a television career built around giving regional communities and ordinary people a prominent place in British drama.

He created Grange Hill in 1978, bringing the everyday experiences of schoolchildren to BBC television, before launching Brookside on Channel 4 in 1982 and exploring difficult social issues through the lives of families on a Liverpool housing estate.

His third major television creation, Hollyoaks, arrived in 1995 and established another long-running drama with a strong emphasis on younger characters, relationships and contemporary issues.

The soap has continued to explore subjects including sexuality, identity, mental health and abuse, building a reputation for tackling stories that other television dramas have sometimes avoided.

Redmond has also played an important role in regional cultural development, previously chairing the advisory panel for the UK City of Culture competition that saw Bradford selected for the 2025 title.

His latest appointment extends that work to smaller communities, with the government hoping the new competition will encourage towns to celebrate their individual identities and attract further investment.

Stockton prepares to make its case

Ahead of Redmond's visit, Councillor Nigel Cooke, Stockton Borough Council's cabinet member for environment, leisure and culture, welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate the town's creative strengths.

He explained that local organisers had been speaking to residents about what makes Stockton special and what they would like to see included in its cultural programme.

The visit follows Redmond's appearance in Leith on Thursday 29 October, where he praised the Scottish port district as it presented its own ambitions for the competition.

Although Stockton faces strong competition from towns across the UK, reaching the shortlist has already provided an opportunity to bring local organisations together and raise the profile of its cultural activities.

The 15 shortlisted towns must submit their completed applications by 30 November, before the judging panel considers the proposals and recommends three finalists, one from each size category.

The overall winner is expected to be announced by March 2027, with the successful town receiving funding to deliver its programme during 2028.

For Redmond, whose television career helped establish Liverpool and Chester as familiar settings for millions of viewers, the competition provides another opportunity to celebrate the places and communities that shape British culture.

Hollyoaks continues on E4, with episodes available to stream on Channel 4.

Find out more about Stockton's UK Town of Culture 2028 bid.

Images: Channel 4.