HULL is set to celebrate winning the UK City of Culture 2017 title with a special event in the new year. Members of the public will be invited to join the free event, which will commemorate Hull scooping victory in the national culture competition.
As the hard work begins to deliver an impressive Hull 2017 programme, organisers say the event will mark this "extraordinary time" in the city's history and also thank the people of Hull whose "support, energy and enthusiasm helped Hull claim the title".
The event – which was initially being arranged to take place before Christmas but will now take place in 2014 – will be themed around the idea of "a city coming out of the shadows" highlighting Hull's rich cultural past and future potential.
Councillor Steven Bayes, portfolio holder for Hull UK City of Culture 2017, said: "The event is being organised as a thank you to the people of Hull for all their support with Hull's culture bid.
"Though originally planned to take place before Christmas, we feel it would be more appropriate, given current circumstances, that the city celebrates our achievement next year.
"The event will also be the first of many that the city can look forward to up to and including 2017 when Hull will deliver a spectacular programme that will entice people from all around the UK and beyond. Watch this space for further details."
It is estimated that being the UK City of Culture will deliver a £60m boost to the local economy in 2017 alone.
The title is also anticipated to leave a lasting legacy creating a more vibrant, sustainable cultural sector; improved quality of life for local people and increased access to tourism and cultural sector jobs.
Inspired by Larkin's poem Days, Cllr Bayes said the ambition is for each day of Hull 2017 to make a difference to a life in the city, the UK and the world.
The programme will follow a number of themes to celebrate the city including Roots and Routes, Made in Hull, Freedom and Quirky.
Plans include programming activity to stretch across 365 days with an estimated 1,500 special events including 15 national and international commissions, 12 artists' residencies, 25 festivals, eight major community participation projects and a programme of conferences and major broadcasting events.
