Regeneration top of agenda for 2017, say City of Culture leaders

REGENERATION is at the top of the agenda for Hull’s year as the UK’s cultural capital, the chief executive of the 2017 City of Culture company has said.

Martin Green, whose impressive track record includes being head of ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, said major events such as the Olympics, Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow were a powerful tool for regenerating cities and communities and transforming their image.

“People are mistaken if they think that London had it all already. We got the Olympics not because we just wanted to put on the Games, but because we wanted to regenerate east London,” he said.

“In the five years I worked for London I was able to see that area physically change in front of me. The change in Stratford is sensational and that is all because we put a cultural event on. I am really glad to say we put that cultural event on really well, so it also had legacy in terms of memories, pride in the country and belief in ourselves that we can deliver.

“I believe we can do the same with Hull. The scale may be different, but the principles are the same – staging cultural events, bringing people into city centres, putting on things that people want to come and see and while they come and see them, they eat and they drink and they stay.

“It also builds the reputation of the place, so you get people saying ‘I want to live in the city now’ or ‘they’ve clearly got a lot of creative people in that place, we should put one of our offices there’.

“It’s all about changing misconceptions – it’s often no deeper than that. If you can build on the pride people have for Hull it really changes how the city feels about itself and how it represents itself to the outside world.”

Green said the legacy impact and regenerative impact is top of the agenda.

“Art for art’s sake won’t cut it,” he said.

“That doesn’t mean you put on loads of boring stuff. What we will put on will be new, exciting, relevant, diverse and of great artistic worth, but we will always be looking at what we’re doing within the agenda of what we’ve got to deliver before and, most importantly, after the year.”

Green will address business leaders at the Freedom Festival Bondholders breakfast next month.

He’s also urging local businesses to “join in” and invest in supporting the cultural programme.

“We want to see a galvanised, proactive business community, which already exists in Hull, saying ‘we don’t need anybody’s help to do what we need to do, we just need a hook to hang our investment on,” Green said.

“The City of Culture company is going to give you 365 days of culture to hang your business strategies and plans upon. Engage and be proactive with us and everyone will benefit.”

The focus on legacy from 2017 has also been underlined by chair, Rosie Millard. She said: “City of Culture needs to improve jobs and futures in Hull; and it needs to change perceptions of Hull. We will be generating work from within the city that is genuinely jaw-dropping and accessible and that can actually change lives and perceptions, just by exposure to it.

“Places can be transformed. There is a reason why City of Culture has come to Hull. City of Culture has regeneration qualities, which Hull needs.”