As Hull celebrates winning the UK City of Culture 2017 title, Ian Midgley runs through the events and economic benefits we can look forward to in four years' time.
The race to become City of Culture 2017 has become so all-consuming for Hull in recent months it's been easy to forget what winning actually means. Perhaps the journey had become a means to an end in itself.
But now we've reached journey's end, maybe it's time to consider the glittering prize that awaits us. So what does winning UK City of Culture 2017 actually mean for Hull – a city so often derided and sneered at by those who've never actually been here?
In terms of cold hard cash it means a lot. Victory means Hull will now welcome a £12m programme of more than 1,500 cultural events, shows, exhibitions, gigs, concerts, festivals, artist residences and outreach activities spanning the whole of 2017. That's four different events each and every day.
It is estimated that winning will deliver a knock-on £60m economic boost to the city, creating jobs and tourism opportunities throughout the East Riding.
And culturally, the sky's the limit too. The year will begin with a spectacular 'Four Rivers' opening ceremony which will see 3,000 lantern-bearing volunteers converging on the city centre, accompanied by dancing white telephone boxes, tributes to lost trawlermen and, believe it or not, elephants – tracing the route they used to walk when several of the plodding pachyderms used to live at Hull's old zoological gardens.
The opening ceremony will be created by Tracey Seaward, who grew up in Hull and went on to produce major Hollywood blockbusters such as Steven Spielberg's Warhorse as well as the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony.
Other major events planned for the year include "an aerial spectacular" set against the backdrop of the River Hull tidal barrier which will feature gravity defying aerial artistes, fireworks and dramatic special effects.
Poet Philip's Larkin's legacy will be celebrated with a retrospective of his work at Hull University. An installation of a giant umbrella will double as stage at the University where performers and school children will stage a daily diet of poetry.
The Larkin Lamp, a huge light, will also shine on the various buildings in Hull that inspired the former librarian's best known works.
You'd best get some sleep in now because there will barely time to catch 40 winks in 2017. There will be 25 major festivals staged during the year – building on the 18 the area already holds – with a city-wide Flag, Wind and Wave Festival and a Routes And Roots Food Festival among the newcomers.
Acclaimed international artists will be visiting Hull throughout the year, as the city hosts 12 artists' residencies. Each residency will involve an iconic Hull location. One is even rumoured to want to use the Humber Bridge as a giant musical instrument. Well, it does look a bit like a harp.
Hull will also use its City of Culture status as an opportunity to reach out to the world. As well as welcoming artists from its existing twin cities, Hull is forging new links with cities such as St Petersburg, Rotterdam and Johannesburg.
The year will climax with a stadium-filling 'Sonic Lumiere' show which will be choreographed by the Hull-based , internationally acclaimed Durham Marenghi. His previous credits include lighting the London Olympics, The Queen's Golden Jubilee and Pink Floyd's The Wall.
The finale will include 500 local dancers, illusionists, a new score by Hull band Fila Brazillia and a "world class superstar DJ".
And if you want to know how hosting UK City of Culture has already improved the fortunes of one city, all you have to do is cast your eyes west to Londonderry, which is coming to the end of its reign as 2013 host. Shona McCarthy, chief executive of The Culture Company 2013, which is driving Derry's programme, said the title had helped transform her city – both economically and by rekindling a sense of civic pride.
She said: "It has undoubtedly had massive economic benefits for us. We're expecting to double the number of visitors to the city this year. There was a 98 per cent occupancy rates in the local hotels in May and June and we're expecting a £5 return for every £1 spent. We are literally seeing the city transform before our eyes.
"But more than that. City of Culture has given the people of Derry-Londonderry back a sense of ownership and of civic pride in their city. It can do the same for Hull."
