Capital culture
I'm ashamed to say that I've not before visited one of the 'Capitals of Culture' that the UK has hosted in recent years (whether European or UK specific). So, last Saturday, I set off to remedy that by checking out as much as I could of what is going on in Hull this year. Of, course, just over 6 hours was only enough to get a taste of the rich programme on offer, but I left really impressed both with the city and with its culture.
I thought the best way to capture this for you in a blog, would be to include my tweets, conversations and photos as I explored the city, so you can read them in full here. I started at the Ferens Art Gallery - with its impressive range of temporary exhibitions - ‘Offshore’, ‘Skin’ and ‘Masterpieces from the Royal Collection’. I've loved volunteering for the participatory art projects of which I've been part, so I'm jealous of those who took part in Spencer Tunick's special commission for Hull.
I also really enjoyed how the Offshore exhibition spread contemporary artists' responses to the sea between the Ferens and the Maritime Museum, making you look differently at both the art and maritime objects. There were some really compelling film and audio pieces in both parts, which I wish I'd had time to enjoy in full.
After this intense museum time, I headed out to catch some art around the city, and see a bit of the beautiful old town and huge docks. What views! After some searching, I enjoyed Tania Kovats' commission at The Deep, and pieces in the Princes Quay shopping centre and the station.
As I walked around, the dock area was buzzing with people for the Humber Street Sesh on that day, and I saw many other groups clearly exploring the city through this summer's cultural activities. I could tell that I only scratched the surface of an extraordinary year of events that certainly brought me to Hull much sooner than I would probably otherwise have visited. I'll be interested to see how the year progresses, and how 2017's successes embed into life in Hull in the year's to come.