Public urged to have a say on future of Hull culture

A cultural strategy will "shape the future" of Hull over the next five years

Residents and traders are being asked to help decide on a cultural strategy for Hull.

It is set to "shape the future" of the city over the next five years, Hull City Council has said.

Two open engagement sessions will take place at Hull Guildhall on 2 July, where the community can share ideas.

Matt Jukes, chief executive of the council, says it is "vital we gather as many thoughts, opinions and ideas as we can".

It comes a month after the Cultural Tides conference took place involving 170 local organisations.

The sessions will involve discussions along with workshops, focus groups and an online survey, which will run across the summer.

More sessions are set to be planned by Hull City Council, which will be shared on its social media channels

Louise Yates, CEO and artistic director of Hull arts organisation Back to Ours, said: "It's so important that local people are involved in the development of the city's cultural strategy.

"Culture means different things to different people, so it really can't be written behind closed doors.

"I'm hoping that this process will bring local people and the cultural sector together to create a new strategy that's bold and exciting."

The two engagement sessions can now be booked for either the morning or afternoon and are free to attend.