City to submit Unesco City of Music bid

Hull is set to bid to become a Unesco Creative City of Music.

The council's cabinet signed off a five-year plan for boosting music in the city on Monday, which includes applying to the scheme.

Some 1,200 people were consulted on the strategy which also seeks to encourage people from all kinds of backgrounds involved in cultural activities.

Councillor Rob Pritchard, portfolio holder for culture and leisure, said the plan was "far-reaching" and "offers the city a real direction in which to move our cultural scene forward".

The Unesco scheme aims to promote co-operation "among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development".

Glasgow became the first UK city to be awarded the status in 2008, followed by Liverpool in 2015 and Belfast in 2021.

The strategy includes the publication of the city's first music plan, which will be published in the new year alongside the Unesco submission.

Other ambitions detailed in the plan include:

• Enabling all residents to take part in and enjoy cultural activities
• Using culture and heritage to make the city more competitive and create economic growth
• Increasing national and international cultural partnerships.

Kath Wynne-Hague, the council's head of culture, said the strategy would "make Hull a global leader and a forward-thinking place to make and experience quality music".

The strategy will be formally launched on 14 March as part of the Cultural Tides conference at Hull Truck Theatre.

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