Hull: City of culture 2017

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/nov/20/hull-chosen-city-of-culture-2017

http://new.a-n.co.uk/news/single/artist-led-projects-pave-the-way-for-hull-2017/6


I was really pleased to hear the  news that Hull is going to be our city of culture in 2017.  Since moving up to North Yorkshire eight years ago we have not done a lot of exploring around the region and beyond. (This sorry state of affairs is going to change next year; we have some serious exploring planned).  I have only visited Hull 3 times in my life; once as a child, en-route to the highlands of Scotland for a family holiday, this time last year, when I entered a piece of work for the Ferens Open, successfully, I might add, and during the summer when we went to the Freedom Festival, and visited Gallery 11 in the Fruit Market District.

I was really impressed with the vibrant visual arts scene as well as the music being played on that lovely sunny day.  I already know of the Hull Truck Company but am not familiar with their work really, finding a lot of performance art a bit too much to take.  Sorry, performance arts people.  I think the art collection at the Ferens is very good, and enjoyed the time I spent looking at it last February.

I have been enjoying a WEA course at Woodend, Scarborough for the past nine weeks called Ten Twentieth Century Poets, taught by the wondrous Jonathan Brown, it is, sadly our last session next Monday.  Phillip Larkin is one of the poets we studied; he lived in Hull for about thirty years, I think, and he is one of the stars of the city that will be featured in the celebrations, I am sure.  I am looking forward to learning what events Hull will feature in the twelve months; I know that their community involvement was an influential part of their bid and will be a strong part of anything they do.  I heartily approve of this.

I am glad that Hull is not too far away; I shall look forward to visiting many times both before and during their fantastic year of celebrations in 2017.

Images from last year's Freedom Festival in Hull