Coventry starting to build for UK City of Culture 2021
IT has now been four months since Coventry was announced winner of the UK City of Culture 2021.
Months of hard work and planning paid off on Thursday December 7, 2017, when Coventry celebrated the win.
From that moment on, the city started gearing up for one of the biggest years in its history after being named as the winner live on The One Show.
But, four months on, what’s happened to prepare the city for the historic year?
We take a look at some of the events which have happened already.
Coventry played host to the first ever pilot Shop Front Festival at the weekend and it helped the city drive up the number of visitors - and shoppers - over the course of Friday March 30 and Saturday March 31.
It saw a host of events, artworks and performances staged in disused shops and in current retail outlets including cafes, newsagents - and Ikea.
From donut sellers to independent shops, businesses across the city centre saw an increase in trade as visitor numbers shot up from 44,773 to 61,709 on the previous Saturday and an increase of 2,500 people on the Friday.
The city centre was also well above the national average on footfall by 5.4 per cent over the course of the week with increased visitor numbers in some underutilised areas.
Laura McMillan, Director of Operations and Legacy at Coventry City of Culture Trust, added: “There is a national conversation taking place on how we drive more people to our city centres and Shop Front Festival has shown what can be done.
“The event mixed performance and pieces from nationally renowned artists and local artists but also offered a range of fun activities for families.
“It should, therefore, be a great example of what is to come from City of Culture. As someone commented on the day: if this is what 2021 is going to be like, I can’t wait!
“And the fact that it provided an economic boost to our city centre is great news and, again, gives the city a sense of what is to come.”
Members of the public will be given an insight into the next steps for Coventry as UK City of Culture 2021 at a series of meetings across the city.
The team behind the bid - is now recruiting for key posts that will help to plan and deliver the year.
A public meeting is being held in the city to give members of the public the chance to find out what will happen in the run-up to, during and after 2021 on Wednesday, April 18, between 6pm and 7.30pm, Central Hall, in the city centre. The meeting will feature presentations on where the city is in terms of UK City of Culture and what will happen next. There will also be a short performance before a 40-minute question and answer session.
Loads of things are yet to come to the city following the City of Culture
award. Coventry’s 14th Century Monastery will be opened to the public for the first time in 80 years thanks to £4.3million of National Lottery cash.
The Charterhouse is a Grade 1 Listed 14th century Carthusian monastery set in parkland along the River Sherbourne, off London Road just outside the city centre .
Historic Coventry Trust and Coventry City Council have been working in partnership on plans to restore the medieval building, the walled gardens and grounds.
The massive grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund will lead to the opening of a heritage visitor centre and educational attraction as well as the creation of the first 30 acres of a planned 70-acre Heritage Park just in time for the run up to UK City of Culture 2021 . Coventry City Council is also set to spend £120million on a whole host of improvement projects in the city centre before 2021.
The ambitious ‘public realm’ improvement plans include a transformation of Upper Precinct, changes to the outside of the new leisure centre, upgrading city centre car parks and improvements to the ring road.