The Awakening: More than 100,000 saw Hull’s stunning new arts festival

PACKED: The view from Whitefriargate to Hull City Hall. Picture by Tom Arran Commercial Photography

More than 100,000 people saw Hull’s stunning new international arts festival The Awakening last weekend, the city council has said.

The event, run by Freedom Festival Arts Trust in partnership with the council, was held in the city centre and Old Town last Friday and Saturday evenings.

Marking the seasonal change from winter to spring, the city’s emergence from the Covid pandemic, and celebrating Hull’s maritime identity and heritage, The Awakening also drew on folklore and mythology and our relationship with the environment.

The festival featured 18 different events in an action-packed programme, and a rare night-time opening of Ferens Art Gallery.

It is hoped it could become an annual event, complementing the long established Freedom Festival held towards the end of summer each year. You can read our review of The Awakening here.

STUNNING: Borealis by Dan Acher. Picture by Tom Arran Commercial Photography

Councillor Daren Hale, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “The Awakening was a fantastic event, bringing to life some incredible installations filled with light, fire and music, and we were delighted to see so many people and families turn up to enjoy the first major arts event in Hull for 2022.

“We hope that it sparked the imagination of visitors who joined us to celebrate the change of seasons and our city’s fascinating maritime heritage, folklore and mythology.”

The council also said that 95 per cent of those who visited would recommend The Awakening to a friend, which it said showed “huge confidence in people’s desire to enjoy similar events”.

Mikey Martins, artistic director and CEO of Freedom Festival Arts Trust, said: “We were thrilled to see thousands of people and particularly so many families back on the streets of Hull enjoying The Awakening this weekend.

“The feedback from the audience has been truly fantastic and personally, just seeing the joy on the faces of people of all ages as they interacted with all the incredible program across the city centre and into the Old Town.

SPECTRAL: Deblozay by Rara Woulib. Picture by Tom Arran Commercial Photography

“We want to thank our partners hugely for their unwavering faith and support in us as a key creative producing engine for this great city; Hull City Council, VHEY [Visit Hull and East Yorkshire] and Hull Maritime Project particularly for all their input and support, and big thanks to Welcome Back Funding along with Arts Council England, the InSitu and Global Streets networks, who collectively funded this brand new event for Hull.

“And finally, we'd like to thank all the audiences for coming out, being so considerate of each other at this first large scale event for two years, and bringing the city back to life with such a friendly and delightful atmosphere - we couldn't do it without you.

“And we hope to make The Awakening an annual event for the city, so watch this space and in the meantime we'll see you all at Freedom Festival in the summer between the 26th of August and the 4th of September.”

Highlights included Borealis, a stunning light installation by Dan Acher, which brought the experience of the Northern Lights over the Rose Bowl near Queens Gardens and beyond, and Deblozay, an interactive street theatre performance by Rara Woulib.

The Awakening was supported by the Welcome Back Fund, the England European Regional Development Fund, the Arts Council and the Global Streets network.