Culture boom: Museums summer visitor numbers best since 2017

POPULAR: Ferens Art Gallery, which welcomed 30,448 people during the summer holidays. Picture by Tom Arran Commercial Photography

By Simon Bristow

Hull’s museums and art gallery have recorded their highest summer holiday visitor numbers since the city’s year as UK City of Culture in 2017, with numbers far exceeding pre-pandemic figures.

During the summer holidays, Ferens Art Gallery, Hull and East Riding Museum, and the Streetlife Museum had more than 81,200 visitors, up 20 per cent on the same time in 2018.

Highlights of the summer included two large-scale events at the Museums Quarter, with the annual Festival of Archaeology and Big Bus Day events attracting 12,820 people from across Hull, the East Riding and North Lincolnshire.

At the Ferens, the Brick By Brick: International LEGO® Brick Art, and the Breaking the Mould: Sculpture by Women since 1945, exhibitions helped the gallery record it’s best visitor figures since 2017. It saw its second highest figures in the last ten years, with 30,448 people visiting the gallery during the summer holidays.

In addition to on-site visits, Hull Museums were also able to engage with 29,500 disadvantaged children in the city with the summer edition of their Magical Museum activity booklet. It was distributed to all primary schools in the city, all year-sevens in secondary schools, and at children’s centres and services in the city.

Jane Avison, museums and gallery manager at Hull Culture and Leisure Ltd (HCAL), said: “We’re delighted to have welcomed visitors in record numbers over the summer. We’re pleased that our programming strategy for a broad and balanced programme that offers what we know our regular visitors love, alongside new experiences and challenges that will help us engage diverse communities and attract visitors to our city, is working.”

Councillor Rob Pritchard, HAL lead at Hull City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see our city’s museums and galleries record the highest visitor figures seen since our City of Culture year. It shows what an incredible cultural offering Hull has built, which continues to entertain visitors from both Hull and further afield.

“I encourage people to continue taking advantage of the fun, free, educational events and exhibitions our teams offer.”