Hull named as City of Culture 2017
Maritime city chose the theme "coming out of the shadows"
Hull has been named as the City of Culture 2017, seeing off shortlisted bids from Dundee, Swansea and Leicester.
The maritime city won for a compelling bid based on the theme of “a city coming out of the shadows”, said Phil Redmond, chair of the independent expert panel that advised on the selection.
Hull is planning to stage 25 festivals, 12 artists’ residencies and eight major community participation projects as part of its programme.
Highlights include an opening ceremony involving “rivers of light, people and sound flowing into the city”, an aerial show by the director of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, and a plan to plant thousands of trees to form gateways into the city.
The UK-wide City of Culture competition was launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in 2010 in order to promote and develop the cultural offering of each winning city. The accolade brings social and economic benefits including a rise in visitors and increased investment.
Hull will be the second City of Culture after Derry-Londonderry, which has held the title this year and estimates that 600,000 extra people have visited during that time.
England’s culture secretary Maria Miller said the title would bring “a wonderful mix of inward investment and civic pride” to the city. Hull City Council hopes the accolade could generate an extra £60m.
Council leader Stephen Brady said the city was thrilled to win the accolade. “Winning the title today is a real game-changer for Hull. It will give Hull a platform to tell the world what this great city has to offer, transform perceptions and accelerate our journey to make Hull a prime visitor destination.”
The maritime city won for a compelling bid based on the theme of “a city coming out of the shadows”, said Phil Redmond, chair of the independent expert panel that advised on the selection.
Hull is planning to stage 25 festivals, 12 artists’ residencies and eight major community participation projects as part of its programme.
Highlights include an opening ceremony involving “rivers of light, people and sound flowing into the city”, an aerial show by the director of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, and a plan to plant thousands of trees to form gateways into the city.
The UK-wide City of Culture competition was launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in 2010 in order to promote and develop the cultural offering of each winning city. The accolade brings social and economic benefits including a rise in visitors and increased investment.
Hull will be the second City of Culture after Derry-Londonderry, which has held the title this year and estimates that 600,000 extra people have visited during that time.
England’s culture secretary Maria Miller said the title would bring “a wonderful mix of inward investment and civic pride” to the city. Hull City Council hopes the accolade could generate an extra £60m.
Council leader Stephen Brady said the city was thrilled to win the accolade. “Winning the title today is a real game-changer for Hull. It will give Hull a platform to tell the world what this great city has to offer, transform perceptions and accelerate our journey to make Hull a prime visitor destination.”