Hull UK City of Culture 2017: Do Not Miss

Heading to Hull for the UK City of Culture celebrations? Here are ten events you won't want to miss...

Preview | 09 Mar 2017

The Transglobal Art of Mark Wigan

Make the most of your weekend in Hull by checking out the graphic art of Mark Wigan, who studied locally at Hull School of Art and Design and went on to become highly influential on urban styles in London, New York and Tokyo in the 80s and 90s. You might recognise his distinctive, street culture-informed work from a recent collab with Dr Martens, while this show will reveal 30 years of video, photography, prints and more. 6 Apr-7 May, The Museum of Club Culture, 10.30am-4.30pm, free.

ARTIST ROOMS: Ron Mueck

One of the major events of Hull 2017 is the reopening of the Ferens Art Gallery. Pop in and see the photorealistic sculptures of Australian artist Ron Mueck, who became notorious in the 90s for his iconic piece, Dead Dad, which featured alongside the work of Hirst and Emin et al at the Royal Academy's Sensation exhibition. The Ferens welcomes two of Mueck’s 2005 sculptures, Wild Man and Spooning Couple. 22 Apr-13 Aug, Ferens Art Gallery, various times, free. 

Spencer Tunick: Sea of Hull

Last summer, thousands of people gathered in Hull to stand in the buff wearing nothing but blue paint. Emulating the flow of a river, or the mouth of a sea, this ululating mass of bodies was exhilarating, liberating and strangely moving to watch. The 'installation', paying tribute to Hull's maritime history, was the project of photographer Spencer Tunick, whose pictures of the event go on display for the first time in April. 22 Apr-13 Aug, Ferens Art Gallery, various times, free. 

Opera North: The Height of the Reeds

Ever wondered what the Humber Bridge sounds like? Well, now you can find out, as Norwegian composer Arve Henriksen teams up with Hull-based sound recordist Jez Riley French and the chorus and orchestra of Opera North to create an original piece of music, which you can hear through headphones as you cross the bridge. Each experience is different, with the sound influenced by weather and traffic. 1-30 Apr, Humber Bridge, all day, free.

Flood

Theatre company Slung Low present their most ambitious project yet, a story told throughout the year in four compelling parts. The tale begins online, unfolding in a digital prologue, before an audience gathers on Hull's Victoria Dock for part two, Abundance: one day it starts to rain, and no-one knows why. Watch live on the shore as, far out on the North Sea, a fisherman raises a girl from the deep. The experience continues on TV, then back to the Dock for the finale. Various dates until 1 Oct, free-£12.50.

Richard III

Respected Yorkshire stalwarts Hull Truck Theatre team up with Halifax-based company Northern Broadsides for a visceral telling of Shakespeare's classic history play. King, lover, murderer: Richard, Duke of Gloucester, sees a chance for the crown in the midst of the Wars of the Roses and stops at nothing to remove all other contenders to the throne. Neatly, this show marks 25 years since Northern Broadsides' first ever production – a staging of Richard III, in Hull. 4-27 May, Hull Truck Theatre, 7.30pm (2pm matinees), £10-£22.50. 

Depart

Gravity defying Australian acrobatics group Circa have stunned audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe with their intimate and lyrical shows Beyond and Closer, and for Hull 2017 they're presenting a collaboration with emotive electronic artist Lapalux, video artists and choral singers billed as 'a playground for the soulful, an art gallery without walls, a circus in search of transcendence'. Sounds like a match made in heaven to us. 18-21 May, General Cemetery, £9-£12.

Contains Strong Language

As part of BBC Radio 3's commitment to being "unashamedly Hull-centric in 2017," they're supporting a new national spoken word and poetry festival, Contains Strong Language, produced in association with Hull Humber Mouth literary festival. The four-day event will open on National Poetry Day itself, offering a celebration of poetry new and old with voices both contemporary and familiar, including a series of programmes led by Ian McMillan of The Verb. 28 Sep-1 Oct.

Where Are We Now? #1 

Young Fathers are one of the most powerful, propulsive, penetrative, pulsing, poignant, evocative and necessary musical forces in the world today. Where they are now is only for a second and where they are next is where we want to be. They are the heartbeat of Trainspotting 2, the 2014 Mercury Music Prize winners and a band that disintegrate genres, currently engaging in international tours and releases with Massive Attack.

Charlotte Church – a voice of an angel becomes a voice of our generation, politically and socially with unwavering pop credentials. Charlotte can transform some of the best held pop songs into diverse and interesting beasts that will win your love all over again; from Glastonbury to The White House, up the pop charts and now to Hull. She also recently, fabulously and triumphant, turned doon an invitation to perform at the Trump inauguration.

Speaking of voices of our generation, Hollie McNish has amassed millions of YouTube hits for her poems and her progressive, hilarious and arresting verse tackling major social issues. She's won formidable spoken word prizes; has fans ranging from American artist Pink to Kate Tempest and the Green Party's Caroline Lucas, and was the first poet to record an album in Abbey Road Studios. She can also walk on her hands. 2 Jun, Hull City Hall, 6pm, £17.50-£20 [Michael Pedersen] 

Where Are We Now? #2 

Supergroup The Four Owls epitomise the multi-skilled dynamic of UK hip-hop: four emcees in their own right, on mighty underground label High Focus Records, consisting of label boss Fliptrix, producer extraordinaire Leaf Dog and tried and tested emcees Verb T and BVA. Few groups better encapsulate quality and innovation in UK hip-hop culture.

Akala is arguably one of the most important voices in UK rap. His informed, critical engagement with issues of race, place, identity and inequality is musical, lyrical and incisive. Winner of Best Hip Hop Act at the 2006 MOBO Awards, the significance of his writing and observations extends beyond music into wider culture.

Last year saw genre-blurring singer, songwriter and emcee Eva Lazarus tirelessly smash through the festival circuit, including Glastonbury, Soundwave and an epic show at BoomTown with the incredible Mungo's Hi Fi. Her most recent collaborative release Flash Your Lighter features in British movie Brotherhood, starring and directed by Noel Clarke and featuring grime superstar Stormzy.

Co-founder of underground hip-hop heroes TaskForce, Chester P and his brother Farma G have had a huge impact on the course and content of hip-hop in the UK. The social commentary in Chester's writing is much more than rhetoric; as a community activist he also runs a project providing sleeping bags, clothing and other necessities for the homeless during winter. He is the embodiment of hip-hop culture with a social conscience – authentic, reflecting his locality and continuing the skills of emceeing and freestyling that are hip-hop’s core. [Dave Hook] 

Jamie Reid's artwork was the defining aesthetic of the punk revolution of 1976-77. His collages were direct, provocative and stark; connecting with an alternative DIY culture finding its voice and calling out the slick commodified mainstream. This DIY punk attitude, two fingers to what can't be done, has been been a guiding light for Neu! Reekie! since day one. Jamie Reid has provided the identity for Where Are We Now? and will appear at the festival. [Kevin Williamson] 3 Jun, The Welly Club, 6.30pm, £12-£15. 

https://www.hull2017.co.uk/