New event planned to celebrate city's identity

A new event is set to take place next year in Hull designed to be a "huge celebration of local identity".

Our City will be held in March and feature two city centre parades which will end in Queen Victoria Square.

The arts organisation Back to Ours has been awarded a contract from Hull City Council to develop the event.

CEO and artistic director of Back to Ours, Louise Yates, said from next week, the group will visit different areas in Hull to "collect responses to three prompts that will help shape the look and feel of the event".

Hull City Council said the event would "form part of a fantastic weekend" alongside Colliderfest, a science and arts festival and Cultural Tides, an annual conference that shapes the culture in the city.

It will bring community groups and organisations together, the organisation said.

Councillor Rob Pritchard, portfolio holder for culture and leisure, said: "Our City will bring culture from communities across Hull, right into the heart of it.

"Back to Ours are renowned for their gift of engaging communities and offering unique and exciting opportunities to experience art in culture across our neighbourhoods, so I can't think of anyone better to deliver this new event."

Ms Yates added: "Our City is a huge celebration of local identity, made with and for the people of Hull.

"It celebrates our location by the water, too – the idea of waves of activity moving from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, connecting communities and building into the large-scale city centre event."

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