The festival about to takeover Hull

Anyone doubting that Hull deserves to be UK City of Culture in 2017, should head to this weekend’s Freedom Festival. Sarah Freeman reports
Hull's Freedom Festival is about to light up the city's streets.Hull's Freedom Festival is about to light up the city's streets.
Hull's Freedom Festival is about to light up the city's streets.

Those behind Hull’s Freedom Festival know that this year they will be under a little more scrutiny than usual.

Arguably the city’s premier cultural event, when the three-day festival begins on Friday it will be the first since Hull was awarded UK City of Culture 2017 and there will be a few extra VIP guests among the crowds. Newly appointed chief executive Martin Green will be there and given he was the man who staged the London 2012 Olympic ceremonies he knows a thing or two about high profile events.

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“There will be a lot of people watching, but that’s fine, in fact it’s great,” says Graham Chesters, chair of the festival board. “I think the Freedom Festival may be the only one of its kind in the UK that is based on an abstract notion. It’s about the idea of what it means to be free and this year I really hope it will provide a taster of what people can expect in three years time.”

The festival was born out of the events staged to commemorate the bicentenary of the abolition in slavery in 2007. It was Hull’s William Wilberforce, both politician and philanthropist, who was one of the lead campaigners in bringing the barbaric slave trade to an end and the issue has been part of the fabric of the city ever since.

“The one thing we have always been very clear about is that the Freedom Festival isn’t a political event,” adds Graham. “Yes, we have had events inspired by the likes of Martin Luther King, but we don’t want people to think that it’s a lecture disguised as an arts event as that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

The festival is centred on the city’s Fruit Market district, which since the fruit and vegetable wholesalers moved out five years ago, has seen artists, galleries and musicians move in. However, this year there is an attempt to link the event to the city centre. The opening night will see the unveiling of The Long Walk to Freedom - effectively a trail of specially commissioned artworks through the old town, all inspired by Nelson Mandela.

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Elsewhere, the Museum of Club Culture will be holding an exhibition of Amnesty International Posters designed by everyone from Picasso to Miro, while the likes of singer Ruby Tuner and Hull-born Roland Gift will be making their present felt on the music stages and circus company NoFit State will be leading the street performance programme.

“The festival is well-known and respected in artistic circles, but part of our job is to really shout about what we are doing in Hull and get even more people on board,” adds Graham, who has been involved in the last four events. “It’s one of the reasons why we decided to include a community parade this year. All the floats have been designed and made locally and as well as giving the people of Hull a sense of ownership of the festival, it’s also about creating a fitting finale.”

It’s early days for the UK City of Culture plans - Green isn’t due to move up to Hull until next month - and much still has to be decided. However, those behind the Freedom Festival already have one eye on 2017 and are looking to extend the event over two weekends. “It is an incredibly exciting time for Hull and the momentum does seem to be building,” says Graham. “During the 2016 Freedom Festival we will announce the full City of Culture programme which will be a real privilege, because it means so much to Hull.”

But back to this year, what’s he looking forward to most?

“I probably shouldn’t choose a highlight, but I am particularly looking forward to the Ballad of the Burning Star, a drag cabaret on the Israel-Palestine conflict.”

If there’s one event which sums up the eclectic nature of the Freedom Festival, that’s probably it.

• Freedom Festival, September 5 to 7. www.freedomfestival.co.uk

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