Arts project invites hundreds of people to watch over Hull as part of year-long vigil

An artistic project, which has already run in France, Germany and Austria, is coming to Hull from May 3.

Every day for a year, at sunrise and sunset, one of the 730 people taking part in The Hull Vigil will enter a specially-made shelter on the roof of Hull College.

They will get an amazing view over Queen’s Gardens and the William Wilberforce statue at one side and the River Humber, the docks and East Hull on the other - while contributing to the 365-day "silent performance".

Hull is the first city to be showing the work, which is produced and commissioned by the city's Freedom Festival.

Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and booking starts on Monday March 1.

The festival's artistic director Mikey Martins said those taking part will form "a human chain of community, humanity and resilience... Something even more significant today."

He added: "The Hull Vigil is the perfect opportunity for us to spend some time to take stock of who and where we are and hope for a more positive future.

“Vigil (person) will step inside the structure, without their phone or camera, to watch over the city for an hour at sunrise and sunset - looking out across the Humber to the east, the urban spread to the north and out across the suburbs and countryside to the west... when will you take your Vigil?"

Created by Australian-Belgian choreographer Joanne Leighton from Paris-based WLDN, over the past eight years Vigil has been running continuously in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria. Hull will be the first place in the UK to stage the thought-provoking work.

Anyone over 18 can take part by signing up via the Freedom Festival website and app, or direct at www.thehullvigil.co.uk from 10am on Monday March 1.

Participants can choose their own date and time.

Funding has come from Arts Council England, as well as Hull City Council, Hull College and Esteem.