The people behind Hull's bid to become the UK City of Culture 2017 said winning would help bring the city "out of the shadows". The city's £11m plans include 1,500 events throughout the year, a literacy programme and 25 different festivals. Details of the bid, which was submitted to the government last month, have been revealed for the first time. Hull is competing against 10 other places, including Leicester, Portsmouth, Chester and Aberdeen. The winner will be the second city to hold the title after Derry-Londonderry. The programme of events would include a festival called Looking Up, highlighting a different building in Hull every week in 2017, and an opportunity for residents to display the city's art collection in their front windows. The bid document said Hull was "finding its place in the UK, a city coming out of the shadows and re-establishing its reputation as a gateway that welcomes the world". 'Moment to shine' It said the city was undergoing a 20-year £190m "cultural capital programme", which included the creation of the Hull History Centre and a new venue for the Hull Truck Theatre. Playwright John Godber, who is supporting the bid, said: "I have seen at first hand the social value of theatre to the people of Hull and as chair of the tourism partnership it is clear that culture can be a major driver of tourism. "This is the moment for Hull to shine and for everyone in Hull to take pride in their city." Virginia Bottomley, who was appointed to the role of Sheriff of Hull on Thursday, said: "Hull's contribution to the UK should be more widely recognised. "Hull has touched the lives of some of the UK's most successful writers, artists and musicians." A shortlist will be announced by the Department for Culture Media and Sport in June.
Out of everywhere that I've traveled to do what I do, people in Hull always seem to appreciate and enjoy things like art, theatre, and music, the most. If they push it with financial support I've always thought Hull could be a one of the best places in the whole country for independent creative people.
Trouble is a lot of people don't appreciate or actually care what is available to see in and around the city, art and culture are not everyone's cup of tea but there has been some interesting stuff on display recently, the most spectacular for me was Leonardo da Vinci's works, truly amazing. Also worth a visit are the replica Egyptology items upstairs in the old Grammar School, even with a genuine mummy, but there is quite a bit on display all within the city centre area, and free.
Shame so many local mouth breathers voted against it being the city of culture. In fact it beggars belief. They'll be the same obese Top4 armchair fan types whoi moan how **** Hull is.
Whatever happens we need Castle Street to be sorted so we can stroll from Prinny Quay to the river.I went to see an art exhibition on Humber Street last Saturday.I was the only person there(I did not see another visitor on that side of the road in the whole time I was there). This could be one of the top city walks in UK. I think spending on Hull in the last few years is dwarfed by that spent on Leeds and Sheffield
That'll be because my beloved home Ciy in minuscule compared to Leeds and Sheffield Putting a bridge over castle street will be helpful, but it won't be a panacea to all ills, just like sticking a roof over whitefriargate (which btw is never going to happen) won't reverse the areas decline. The city needs joined up thinking between the private and public sector. The main issue is that the dickheads at the counci couldn't put together a plan to take a piss in a toilet, never mind a huge scale city centre regeneration project
Fruit is open every third Sunday and there was a plan for every second Sunday during the summer months but I don't know if that came off. And yes Castle St is a bit of a pain but it doesn't take long at the crossing points. It a cross between a market and bazzar with various bric a bak for sale, it is also an attempt by the artist fraterinity to turn a derelict area back into a thriving community. There are workshops and galleries and even a brewery and recording studio, small beginnings really but hopefully it could take off. Green Bricks, Minerva, The Deep, the Pier, totally wasted as I think at least one of the old Humber ferries could have been retained even if only for pleasure trips. Worth a little of your time even if its only for a look. There are the other events on during the year, as you saw, but as with all such efforts investment is needed to help the thing along, and visitors.
its quite easy . . . demolish Prinny Quay , Reinstate a Market at Trinny Sq and follow through with the Castle St proposals . oh not so easy then :/ That said had the KG & Alex Docks been built west of the City Centre then none of this would be an issue and Castle St/Mytongate would be its original Street
People are resistant to crossing main roads/rivers/railway lines.Research has shown people very close to any of these will travel to dentists alot further away on "their side" rather than one a few minutes the other side of the "obstruction". Not many cities have a river frontage as impressive as that at the old ferry terminal and it would be great for tourists to be able to stroll down to it and use the viable cafe bars that would sprout up.culture-tourists-money-jobs-money-jobs etc
That's the key. KGD has some big stuff coming in and out if it.......makes much more sense to have built in the West. How high would the Castle St footbridge have to be to allow the massive stuff to pass underneath it?
A pedestrian tunnel would be far better and probably no more expensive, the problem is what to do with the traffic while the works are being done.
If youve been to Las Vegas they have the answer, Escalators to moving overhead walkways and lifts in the street for the disabled allowing thousands of people to get over a six laned dual carrigeway easily. But that would be to modern for Hull wouldnt it? Some conservation knobhead would complain about the impact on the one old building left intact ( Ask Pizza), whist ignoring Princes Quay, the hotel, the new offices and houses. Nothing of any substance will ever get built in Hull because of the backward thinking dinosors on the council, can you imagine the utter chaos if they go ahead with the cut and shut, it will flood then they will fill it in and build a footbridge for pedestrians, cue years of misery for motorists
Funny you should mention that as I once suggested that same solution in the HDM after yet another person was killed in a traffic accident on the crossing at St Stephens. My idea was a Las Vegas style crossing from St Stephens to the House Of Fraser (Hammonds) store the replies were predictable and scathing but hey ho. Yes the same could apply in this situation but I would assume the cost factor would mitigate against it and also the Las Vegas crossings are more or less in permanent use how long would it take some moron to damage an isolated bridge in this situation.
A well written and good read article on our bid http://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/264/article/city-quirkiness And another decent read http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/may/05/hull-city-of-culture-2017
