Disc jockeys aiming to put younger audiences in spin

Hull City Hall is hosting one of the Radio 1 shows taking place in the city later this month, with Chuckie, Fedde Le Grand, Porter Robinson and Judge Jules appearing at City Hall on January 27 in a late night dance event finishing at 3am.

Tourism officials are trying to establish further links with popular city festivals like the Comedy Festival.

The City Hall sold out when it hosted the main comedy event last October and discussions are underway for both it and the council-run Hull New Theatre to host Jazz Festival events this year.

Six orchestras will be performing at City Hall from September through to next May, as a result of a partnership with Orchestras Live.

A report to a scrutiny commission meeting this Friday blames the recession for the continuing fall in income in both venues. The amount of subsidy spent on the venues has also fallen by 70 per cent in four years, from just over £1m to £312,000.

Because of “extremely poor” ticket sales, the council won’t be running week-long dramatic productions at the New Theatre.

It says: “It has been established that it is not commercially viable to continue with this type of programming until substantial audience development activity has been undertaken to support this type of production.”

The city will see a packed programme of around 40 events this year which councillors hope will act as a launchpad for Hull’s second bid to become city of culture in 2017.