We’re just a few days away from the opening of phase one of The Seam Digital Campus, and I can hardly wait.

Monday evening will feature a spectacular display put together by Artin Light to show off the light and sound capabilities of the stunning new Yorkshire Rose sculptures as well as a performance by the Barnsley Youth Theatre collective LIMIT ZERO.

Residents are invited to join us for this special show. Please arrive on County Way from 6.30pm onwards when the public viewing spaces open ahead of the scheduled start time of 7.20pm.

Next week also sees the opening of the newly refurbished car park, bringing 286 spaces back into use in the town centre from Tuesday.

People tell me all the time how proud they are of how much Barnsley has changed in recent years. We’ve seen more positive change in the last few years than I can ever remember, right across the borough.

Most of the funding for The Seam project has come from the government’s Future High Streets Fund, which comes with strict criteria as to what the money can be spent on, including proposals that demonstrate a clear vision for the future of high streets and town centres and demonstrate an ability to attract private sector investment.

Initially, some people were sceptical, but now when I talk to them, and they can see the Roses standing proudly above a beautifully regenerated area, as a new visitor and cultural attraction for everyone to enjoy, they get it.

On Monday night, when we officially open the Seam Digital Campus and unleash the light and sound technology built into the Roses, they’re going to absolutely blow people away.

The Yorkshire Roses aren’t just amazing to look at, and another tool to help us bring even more people to visit our fantastic town centre and connect art with technology. They definitely will do that, but they’re about so much more.

We want the Yorkshire Roses and gardens to be a symbol of our Town of Culture application. We’ve got a great story to tell in Barnsley of our history, our transformation, and our communities. It won’t just be our great facilities, organisations and attractions that will win this for us. It will be our sense of community, where we work together and respect one another and value everyone’s contribution to Barnsley’s future, no matter who they are. That is something we can all be proud of and long may it continue.

The Yorkshire Roses are also a defining symbol of our status as the UK’s first government backed Tech Town, further embedding this important part of our town centre in its role as The Seam Digital Campus. It’s already a flourishing centre for digital and creative businesses to grow here in our town through our two Digital Media Centres.

Now through our Tech Town status, and by investing in the surroundings of these important centres, The Seam Digital Campus is going to accelerate our growth, creating jobs and opportunities for people right across our borough. We want to build a National Centre for Digital Technologies and a high-quality hotel on the campus as part of phase two which will continue to drive our local economy forward on our mission to become the UK’s Leading Digital Town. I have been recently speaking with investors as part of our collaboration with Upstream, a partnership including worldwide innovation districts from Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Milan, Oslo, Poland and London, all of which see genuine opportunity in our trailblazing work of which the Roses are really important part.

Tech Town status will position Barnsley as the UK’s trailblazer, acting as a national blueprint for how AI can improve everyday life. From AI tools that help GPs triage patients quicker, to new digital training for adults, this is the start of a transformation designed to make life easier, fairer and more prosperous in Barnsley. We’re forging a path for the rest of the country to follow.

When we’ve seen major economic change in the past, Barnsley’s been left behind, but this time, we’re going to be ahead of the curve. We’re making sure that communities left behind by the economic changes of the 20th Century can seize the benefits of the 21st.

I’d like to encourage everyone to come down to The Seam on County Way on Monday to join us for this fantastic event to celebrate the beginning of this next phase in Barnsley’s bright future. Everyone’s welcome from 6.30pm onwards, for a 7.20pm start.