From bid, to delivery, to legacy: maintaining vision and cohesion throughout the journey Martin Green Chief Executive, Hull Culture Company
Uniting a great city... telling the world
Starting at the bottom - always the butt of jokes For years, the city of Hull carried a negative reputation. Though sometimes unfounded and based on outdated statistics, (mis)perceptions of the city were reinforced by less-than-favourable national representation
Yet another joke? The announcement that Hull would be bidding for UK City of Culture 2017 was met with some cynicism - not least among its own residents (the announcement followed a failed bid attempt in 2009 to be UK City of Culture 2013). codhead99 Wednesday, March 6 2013, 8:55AM This is a wind up right? You'd find more culture in a pot of yoghurt. In a poll of Hull Daily Mail readers 60% thought that Hull SHOULD NOT be UKCoC
meldrewvic Wednesday, March 6 2013, 3:24PM Must have been asleep for a couple of weeks and woken up on 1 April - could have sworn I saw the words "Hull" and "City of Culture" in the same sentence. Illogical1 Wednesday, March 6 2013, 11:10PM What a waste of money, we're not going to win it, and it'll probably cost a fortune putting a bid in for something that we won't get like we did with the World Cup a few years ago, save your money council and spend it on something more worthwhile!
8 months later... and the story was totally different! UK Prime Minister @Number10gov Congratulations to Hull #CityofCulture2017. I m sure it will be a huge success for Hull & Humberside #PMQs
So how did we do it?
We wanted to Tell the World but first had to give Hull itself the belief that we could succeed Over 250 local artists, musicians, writers, historians, promoters and community members came together to create the bid s central themes. Thousands more joined the conversation on social media. Unlike other meetings of public, private and voluntary sectors we have experienced, there was a real level playing field here, and no sense that decision making and the process of bidding for UK City of Culture was top-down. Dave Windass, playwright and company director, Ensemble 52 Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Submitted to Manchester Hull announced as UKCoC 2017
To succeed we needed people to believe in our vision Local media partnerships played an essential part in making this happen. A constant flow of positive, thought-provoking coverage ensured the bid was always high on the agenda, increasing awareness and positive opinion. Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
We also needed to change the conversation in the national media We specifically targeted outlets the judges were likely to see and promoted our key message: Hull has some serious challenges and needs - but also tremendous potential for positive change. Peter Mandelson pays tribute to Hull s entrepreneurial derring-do: "What I like about it is the confidence: the buoyancy of the place In an article by John Harris, The Guardian, Monday 9 Sept 2013 Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
Making the shortlist, starting to believe Initially viewed as the bookies rank outsider, Hull was announced as one of four candidate cities shortlisted for the title. The bid was buoyed by positive media coverage, a growing social media following and support from across the city Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
Back the Bid Our campaign focused on building support From connecting with the local creative community... Local writers show their talent in the Ten Miles East of England pamphlet Fourteen local bands record a CD Cultur Ull HullBID back the bid Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
over 1,000 people got in the frame...to Inspiring local people to believe we could win... Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
...to winning the support of the local business community 22 Hull 2017 Angels donated 17,000 each towards the bid. Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
We used stand-out events to create press excitement...and social media to engage our community. Support was growing rapidly Total number of supporters (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube) Leicester Swansea Bay Dundee Hull Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
This was something else. It was magical. I d say that for many it was the turning point. Hannah, local resident The festival brought in 2m revenue to the City - and showed the world we were ready to deliver. I felt privileged to be part of a city realising that maybe we had something to offer, it felt like people putting aside a notion of woe is me and thinking wow is us! David Burns, BBC Broadcaster Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
Freedom Festival gave us a platform to talk to local supporters of Hull's cultural scene. The Back the Bid camper van invited people to hop on board and share their thoughts. Watch the video here. Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
Pedal power The custom-painted bikes used to deliver the bid were created by local artist Mark Wigan. They were ridden to Manchester by a team of community and cultural ambassadors with the local media in tow. People followed their progress on social media, generating huge backing for the bid. SEPTEMBER 30TH 2013 Meanwhile, Hull s Twittersphere exploded as #HULLYES launches, tweeted once every 3 seconds at its peak. The hashtag was tweeted 12,545 times and trended UK-wide. 14,607 Likes and counting Gary Verity @GaryVerity Sep 30 All eyes to the East today #HullYes...all of #Yorkshire is right with you Initial bid Submitted Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
Going for Gold To celebrate the bid submission, Hull s Gold Man Andy Train took to the East Coast mainline to hand out copies of the Hull Culture Map. Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
A noticeable shift in attitudes Back in March a whopping 60% of HDM readers thought that Hull should not be City of Culture. A new poll in September showed a positive and significant shift. Sam Campbell@CamSampbell Nov 19 @2017Hull Even if Hull doesn t win tomorrow, it takes nothing away from this fantastic city. I feel proud to live in Hull. #HullYes People s Q: Are you aware that Hull has been shortlisted for UK City of Culture 2017? panel Q: Do you think Hull will benefit by being UK City of Culture 2017? Hull City Council deserves immense credit for not only leading and co-ordinating the City of Culture bid, but also for embracing and promoting the support and input of so many organisations across the public, private and third sectors. Jon Witts@jonwitts Nov 19 Finders crosses for @2017Hull for the City of Culture tomorrow. We deserve it! Arts scene is what made me stay in Hull! #HullYes John Meehan, owner, Meehan Media & Comms Ltd Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
Ahead of the pack? Our success at engaging our community captured the interest of the national press. Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
This City Belongs to Everyone On YouTube, our video quickly racked up over 100k views and nearly 700 shares. over 100,000 views Click here to watch Initial bid Submitted Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
We did it! Hull is announced winner In the words of the judges a strong united bid from Hull. Evidence of strong organisational involvement across the city and significant efforts to enthuse and engage the city s people, including strong local media coverage. There is strong awareness of the bid in the city and strong momentum generated. Promising private sector involvement and support A clear articulation of why Hull needs UK City of Culture and how it would benefit the city. Strong focus on PR and engagement. Evidence of engagement at grassroots level. Strong commitment from the Council. Strong press coverage and momentum. Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Submitted to Manchester Hull announced as UKCoC 2017
The legacy begins The national media spotlight was firmly on Hull, shifting perception further and showcasing the positives to future visitors. 1,684 appearances in media Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
Initial bid Shortlisted Full bid delivered Hull announced Submitted to Manchester as UKCoC 2017
Success at a glance 14,607 Likes and counting 485 print articles including FT, Guardian, Independent, i, HDM supplement 141+ Online articles including Guardian film, BBC online, Daily Mirror, Global Post, New York Times and many more 1,058 Broadcast pieces 942,085,014 audience reach through broadcast / print / online Followers 10,080 and counting Our most tweeted post: 764 retweets! TripAdvisor reports an increase in interest in Hull from UK travellers Source: Hull Daily Mail website November 27, 2013 "If you want something in life, you need to grab it with both hands. The City of Culture bid campaign provided a simple 29% increase in number of UK travellers researching trips to Hull after it landed the title of City of Culture 2017 30% of UK travellers say they are more likely to visit Hull as a result of the City of Culture title. One in ten said they were already planning to visit the city. platform for everyone to add their voice to Hull's Bid to be UK City of Culture 2017. No matter what your preferred media from Instagram to Twitter we were able to demonstrate to the judges that the people of Hull were truly behind the project. Vicky White, 2017 Hull Instagram Volunteer Initial bid Submitted Shortlisted Full bid delivered to Manchester Hull announced as UKCoC 2017
Hull City AFC fans chant You re only here for the culture
The past is ours, the future is ours. It s our time again. We are Hull. Hull2017 HullCityofCulture Hull City of Culture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxjkdgbur9c Hull2017 HullCityofCulture Hull City of Culture