Coventry City of Culture: Six months in numbers
We're halfway through the year of celebrations.
Last updated 15th Nov 2021
Organisers are telling us Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture has already brought major benefits to the city six months into holding the title – and there is much more to come.
It all kicked off on Saturday 15 May in the midst of Covid-19 restrictions with the release of a George Eliot-inspired short film Timeless Words Made New with a music track by local Producer Coolie.
Since then, there's been activity across every neighbourhood in Coventry, including smaller events created alongside communities such as Party on the Green and European Hearts as well as city centre celebrations at the Assembly Festival Gardens.
There has also been larger, city-wide activity including Coventry Moves, Faith, Little Amal’s Walk and Summer of Surprises.
Just over 141,000 tickets have been issued for live events taking place in the first six months, with an estimated further 52,000 attending un-ticketed, free events. 260,000 people have also engaged with City of Culture events online due to an increased focus on live streaming.
43 per cent of tickets being booked are by people on lower incomes in the city so far.
In this period, 673 local people have taken part in workshops, helping to create events and alongside over 1,500 community dancers, musicians, poets and makers who have taken centre stage as part of events.
Of those people who attended events, 74 per cent said it had increased their pride in Coventry.
The Coventry City of Culture Trust has directly created 102 jobs, including employing 14 apprentices.
More than 1,100 City Hosts have been fully trained and deployed, racking up over 12,000 volunteering hours. The Trust have also engaged with over 80 per cent of schools.
Economically, City of Culture has secured £172.6 million of direct investment into the city since winning the title in December 2017.
Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said:
“The city can be proud of everything that has been achieved over the last six months – but there’s much more to come in the second half of our year.
“The Trust and our partners have delivered in extraordinary circumstances, and we are so glad that audiences have responded so positively.
"Through the multiple capital projects in the city centre and across the city’s cultural venues, to the unprecedented investment in local arts organisations, to the huge interest in volunteering, and the creation of our apprenticeships – we are well on our way to achieving our ambitions.”
Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said:
“What an amazing six months we have enjoyed!
“Since starting our year in May we have had to work incredibly hard, very flexibly and creatively to create an events programme that can be delivered safely in our global pandemic.
"We have created a programme that is rooted in the many cultures, stories and tales of Coventry and our communities, that brings colour and mischief to spaces/places all over the city, that is co-created with local citizens and that brings loads of fun and joy to people, as well as drawing attention and highlighting issues that are important locally and globally.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to support hundreds of local independent artists and small companies as well as local venues and promoters in these challenging times, investing in them to ensure that they can make and create work in the city as part of our City of Culture year and continue to be resilient long after.
“There’s so much to look forward to as our year runs through to May 2022 and we can already see the positive legacy of our investment in people that will benefit the whole city longer term.”