A new ambitious plan for culture has been approved by Hull City Council. The Culture & Heritage Strategy (2025-30) was heard by the council’s cabinet and also confirms the city will bid to become a UNESCO Creative City of Music, with a full application to be submitted in the new year, alongside the publication of the city’s first five-year Music Plan for Hull.
The strategy, that gained cross-party support at a council scrutiny, aims continue to build on Hull’s reputation as a leading UK city in community-led culture and heritage. It is designed to be a living document that provides the flexibility to respond to the changing needs and landscape of the community and sector over the next five years.
It will drive Hull’s reputation as one of the world’s most progressive cities in community-led culture and heritage. With partner collaboration, the city will become a global leader, recognised as a forward-thinking destination and place to make and experience quality work.
The strategy was developed following extensive consultation and engagement during the summer, with over 1,200 people involved. The findings shaped ambitions for the city’s cultural sector including:
- become a leader for community-led culture by working together to activate the city, empower communities, assets and enable citizens to create, contribute to and enjoy their city’s culture and heritage
- become a community-led, globally focused city, using culture and heritage to accelerate competitiveness, amplify our distinctiveness and create the conditions for sustained growth.
- harness national and international partnerships to raise the city’s profile and make great work together
- develop city-wide strategic programming and networks with partners to co-design, co-ordinate and maximise opportunities, delivery and impact
- develop an active leadership across culture, with a structured approach including partnerships, citizen panels, and an annual Cultural Tides and Visit Hull and East Yorkshire conferences bringing organisations and networks together
Councillor Rob Pritchard, portfolio holder for culture and leisure, said:
“I’m pleased the culture and heritage strategy has been approved by the council’s cabinet. The plan is far-reaching and offers the city a real direction in which to move our cultural scene forward, taking the community with us.”
Kath Wynne-Hague, Head of Culture, said:
“Now the strategy has the green light, we can move forward with our plans to make Hull a global leader and a forward-thinking place to make and experience quality music.
“I look forward to sharing the strategy in full during our conference in the spring.”
The strategy will be formally launched in March (2025) as part of the Cultural Tides cultural conference.
