UK City of Culture: Why 2017 will change Hull for the better

When I was in Londonderry last week, returning nearly three years after it had completed its year as UK City of Culture, there was near universal agreement among local people that it had been a worthwhile investment. Not only because it gave the city a confidence boost and helped shift negative perceptions – both significant outcomes in their own ways – but it was the catalyst for material change: for a physical overhaul of a rundown town.

Neutral public spaces were created that could be shared by all, a new bridge was built spanning the River Foyle to connect two sides of a divided city, the old barracks – once a no-go area – were handed back to the people of Derry.

All of which might have happened anyway, but not at the speed it occurred, or with the accompanying public investment.

That’s not to say being a City of Culture is a panacea. There is a sense among some in Derry that it was a missed opportunity. The year itself was great, they say, but the legacy is disappointing. The promise of more jobs and further major public investment didn’t materialise as they had hoped, and some of the new spaces created for the arts programme ended up in the commercial sector.

The team behind Hull’s programme know all this. They say they have learnt from the past and will deliver the best City of Culture the UK has seen, not only in terms of events, but also with a tangible legacy. They promise more jobs will be created, venues will be refurbished and money will be set aside to keep the arts programme going well into 2018 and 2019.