Hull is a great city to come live, study, work and play. Image taken from Made in Hull in 2017.

Hull chosen as a host city for huge UK festival of creativity

Hull has been named as a location for one of 10 commissions announced as part of Unboxed, a celebration of creativity taking place across the UK in 2022. 

Hull will host About Usa combination of live shows and multimedia installations with animation, poetry, original music and performance.

It will transform buildings and landmarks in five towns and cities – Paisley, Derry–Londonderry, Caernarfon, Luton and Hull – into a vast canvas featuring bespoke animations, cutting-edge projection mapping technology and a new score by composer Nitin Sawhney, performed by local choirs.

Unboxed: Creativity in the UK is a celebration of creativity taking place across the UK in 2022, designed to reach millions and bring people together.

It will feature free large-scale events, installations and globally accessible digital experiences in the UK’s most ambitious showcase of creative collaboration.

Councillor Daren Hale, leader of Hull City Council, said: “It’s a major coup for Hull to be part of this huge UK festival of creativity. I’m delighted that residents will be able to enjoy and experience the festival, right on their doorsteps.

“Hull is a city that has culture running through its veins, so I’m thrilled that we will be part of this festival next year.”

Produced by some of the brightest minds in science, technology, engineering, arts and maths, Unboxed features ten major multi-site and digital creative projects that share new ideas and possibilities for the future.

Martin Green CBE, who who was the chief executive and director for Hull’s tenure as UK City of Culture in 2017, is the chief creative officer for Unboxed.

He said: “Hundreds of creatives from across science, technology, engineering, arts and maths are creating extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime events and online experiences for millions in the UK’s biggest and most ambitious public creative programme to date.

“Unboxed represents an unprecedented, timely opportunity for people to come together across the UK and beyond, taking part in awe-inspiring projects that speak to who we are while exploring the ideas that will define our futures.”

Events and activities take place from 1 March to 2 October 2022 – from the Outer Hebrides to Dover and from Omagh to Swansea, and across traditional and online media.

Unboxed is funded and supported by the four governments of the UK and is commissioned and delivered in partnership with Belfast City Council, Creative Wales and EventScotland.

Stoneferry Corridor