Where Has Bish Vegas Gone?

This in-person talk examines how evangelical philanthropy by a high net worth individual is reshaping Bishop Auckland, a post-industrial town in North-East England. Recent philanthropic investment in Bishop Auckland has launched seven cultural attractions that emphasise the image of an outward-looking place: ‘Our heritage is our future’. This talk provides original insight into how place-based philanthropy exploits economic vulnerability for urban cultural transformation. It extends important research on the changing dynamics of religion in society and urban business elites to identify a political space for maverick religiously-motivated high net worth individuals in public–private urban governance. It further advances upon the nature of philanthrocapitalism in post-secular urban restructuring by novel analysis of how religious ideology and capital are attempting to transform the cultural sphere and social practices in a post-industrial small town often depicted as ‘left-behind.’