Hull City of Culture

In November 2013, the UK city of Kingston upon Hull, more commonly known as Hull, was bestowed the title of 2017 UK City of Culture. Some nominees, as well as the public at large, were surprised by the news. Yet this hasn’t stopped the north eastern city from pulling out all the stops in ensuring it provides a year of world-class events and entertainment to truly show that Hull is worthy of the accolade.

Around £32mn has been put into the City of Culture project, which will see Hull’s many streets and venues transformed into something of a cultural wonderland.

Attractions will include an outdoor attraction named ‘Made in Hull.’ This involves a seven-day event, running from 1-7 January, to kick off the year. With nods to Hull's industrial past and its vibrant arts heritage, Made in Hull will highlight, to the rest of the UK, the importance of the city's maritime, industrial and civic history.

And, as is the norm for cities recognised as cultural hubs, a place brand is needed to truly put Hull on the map. Reinforcing Hull’s credentials as next year’s UK City of Culture, UK-based branding consultancy Jaywing leads the place branding strategy. Green, yellow, purple, pink and blue comprise the colour palette of the Hull City of Culture visual identity; its emblem is composed of a series of geometric lines, creating a large and vibrant H.

This bold messaging carries on throughout the portfolio created by Jaywing for the Hull City of Culture brand. Its digital communications and printed marketing materials aim to deter the notion that Hull is a grey northern town – the planned four seasons of cultural entertainment over 2017 are reflected in the design diversity of its completed marketing materials

Speaking to Jaywing, Phil Batty, director of marketing, communities and legacy at Hull UK City of Culture, says, “Hull is often overlooked, but there is more to it than meets the eye, and we want the UK and wider world to take notice. Hull City of Culture 2017 presents us with the perfect opportunity to celebrate the cultural delights of the city. Bringing Jaywing on board to devise and execute the creative has enabled us to communicate our overall ambition for the year, to get people enthused about what will be a fantastic 365 days of cultural events."

The involvement and participation of women also features heavily in the overall Hull branding, with its female cultural heritage being acknowledged more than ever. Speaking to the BBC, Hull 2017 director Martin Green, says, "Women's stories come through. It has traditionally been a male-dominated city, quite patriarchal. But we have found at every turn new stories about women."

The Ferens gallery, located in Hull’s centre, will also be the site of many attractions including hosting the 2017 Turner Prize exhibition and ceremony.

This is as well as the artwork which emerged as a result of thousands of naked people, painted an array of teal and silver shades, taking to Hull’s streets during July 2016. The exhibition, composed of photographs taken by US photographer Spencer Tunick, will be a staple of the arts side of Hull’s cultural offering.