Hull to Apply for Unesco City of Music Status

Hull is preparing to submit a bid to be designated a Unesco Creative City of Music. On Monday, the city council’s cabinet endorsed a five-year strategy aimed at enhancing music within the city, which includes the application to this program. Approximately 1,200 individuals were consulted during the development of this strategy, which also aims to encourage participation in cultural activities among people from all backgrounds. Councillor Rob Pritchard, portfolio holder for culture and leisure, characterized the plan as “far-reaching” and stated that it “offers the city a real direction in which to move our cultural scene forward”. The Unesco initiative seeks to foster co-operation “among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development”. Glasgow was the first UK city to be granted this status in 2008, followed by Liverpool in 2015 and Belfast in 2021. The strategy incorporates the publication of Hull’s inaugural music plan, which is slated for release in the new year, coinciding with the Unesco submission. Additional objectives detailed in the plan encompass: Kath Wynne-Hague, the council’s head of culture, remarked that the strategy is intended to “make Hull a global leader and a forward-thinking place to make and experience quality music”. The formal launch of the strategy is scheduled for March 14, as part of the Cultural Tides conference at Hull Truck Theatre.