Organisers reflect on Coventry's year as UK City of Culture

Coventry's term as UK City of Culture has generated more than £170m, its chief executive said as the event ends.

The year-long reign, which was put back by five months due to the pandemic, ends with BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend.

Chief executive Martin Sutherland said despite Covid-19 restrictions affecting many events, the city had "really responded to it".

The City of Culture team received £18m from government and other funders and said it had delivered value for money.

Mr Sutherland said the year had seen people create art and culture in their own neighbourhoods.

"Not only does it turn into great social value, but also there's a huge economic value to it," he said.

"The City of Culture itself has generated more than £170m in the build up to this year, leveraging against that public investment," he said. "So it's huge value for money."

Creative Director Chenine Bhathena said the team had worked with many different communities across the city "whether it's marginalised communities, international communities and really trying to give the platform to those people".

Andrew Dixon, who worked on Coventry's bid for 2021, said he thought the city had done "an amazing job", given the challenges of the pandemic, and he was "enormously proud of what's been achieved here".

He added it was "probably my favourite gig in 40 years of working with cities".

Mr Dixon added that was because this was "a city that's completely transformed, that's sort of grasped the opportunity" and had changed the way Coventry looks.

He said the cultural sector had improved "enormously", citing developments around the cathedral, Drapers' Hall, the Daimler building, FarGo Village, the Belgrade theatre and Telegraph Hotel.

"This is just kind of phenomenal regeneration in a city in the space of four years."

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