Welcome Westminster Delegation
Thank you for joining us as we gather in Westminster to celebrate the launch of the Culture & Heritage Strategy, a bold vision for the future of culture in Hull and beyond. This event marks a significant milestone, bringing together key voices from Hull and our regional partners to champion creativity, heritage, and the arts.
Below, you’ll find link to the Culture & Heritage Strategy, outlining how we will bring this vision to life.
We are proud to introduce the Hull delegation, representing our city’s dynamic cultural sector and its continued growth. As we reengage with our national partners following the legacy of Hull UK City of Culture 2017, we reaffirm our commitment to collaboration, innovation, and cultural excellence.
Thank you for joining us as we enter a new chapter of Hull’s cultural journey.
Downloads
Join us for the Cultural Tides Conference, a landmark event launching Hull’s Culture and Heritage Strategy 2025–30. Taking place at Hull Truck Theatre on 14th March, this conference will bring together key voices shaping the future of culture in Hull and beyond.
Meet todays attendees
Councillor Mike Ross – Leader Hull City Council
Councillor Mike Ross came to Hull in September 2000 to study at the University of Hull. Like so many people he fell in love with the city and made his home here.
Mike has been a City Councillor since 2002, leader of the Liberal Democrat group since 2015 and Leader of the City Council following the Liberal Democrat election victory in 2022.
During Liberal Democrats’ previous administration (2006-2011), Mike held various portfolio responsibilities. While in opposition Mike also chaired the scrutiny committee responsible for scrutinising the Council’s finances.
Mike enjoys spending time with his family, watching sport and exploring the outdoors!
Councillor Jackie Dad – Deputy Leader Hull City Council
Councillor Jackie Dad was born, educated and has lived and worked in Hull for most of her life. She has great pride and loyalty to Hull and Yorkshire.
Jackie has worked in various jobs across the city including more than 25 years working in various roles for Hull City Council before standing for election as a Liberal Democrat Councillor, first elected in 2014.
She had various roles from 2014 including Group Secretary and has been Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate Services since the Lib Dem administration began in 2022.
Jackie enjoys, spending time with family and friends and especially her cats, good food and cooking.
Councillor Robert Pritchard – Portfolio Holder Culture & Leisure
Rob feels honoured to live in Hull and has had a varied career, from starting out working in retail, working as a nurse, bank clerk, chief officer of several voluntary and community organisations, and now a City Councillor.
Rob believes everyone needs beauty in their lives and strives to make this a reality, in 2016 he became a HEY volunteer to be part of Hull’s City of Culture year, which brought about a renewed desire to be involved in the creative sector in Hull.
Rob has a passion for his city and loves being involved in making it a better place to live. He loves the arts in all its forms and feels privileged to be the Portfolio Holder for Culture and Leisure, where he gets to meet amazing people from around the city and beyond. Recently he has been involved in the creation of Hull’s cultural strategy and Hull’s application to be a UNESCO creative City.
Councillor.Pritchard@hullcc.gov.uk
Chris Jackson – Corporate Director of Regeneration at Hull City Council
Chris is the Corporate Director of Regeneration at Hull City Council, responsible for overseeing the council’s major capital projects, economic development, culture, property and assets and streetscene teams. Chris recently joined the council from NHS England, where he was Director of Capital, with oversight of the NHS’s £9bn capital budget and delivery of capital programmes, such as new diagnostic centres and surgical hubs.
Before joining the NHS, Chris worked as a senior civil servant in central Government where he held a number of roles, including as Deputy Director in HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office, advising Government ministers on issues such as local government spending and devolution, adult social care, housing policy and private infrastructure financing. Chris has a wide network across local government, the NHS and central Government departments, and experience of senior management and leadership in complex policy and political environments.
Kath Wynne-Hague – Head of Culture, Place and City Centre Hull City Council
Since 2007, Kath has worked within Local Government, leading transformation and systems change working across cultural development including cultural capital development, engagement and education, visitor economy, inclusive growth strategies for creative industries and events management. Prior to this, Kath worked as an independent arts co-ordinator & practitioner with experience ranging from voluntary and community action, health and wellbeing in care settings, and in cultural organisations across the Southwest. In addition to making her own work as a freelance artist, Kath was also active in programming live art events, festivals, and exhibitions, as well as running a DIY record label – onec records.
Anthony Yates – Destination Manager Hull City Council
With over 25 years’ experience in destination management, Anthony has built a career in developing local and regional visitor economies. Before joining Hull City Council/ Visit Hull & East Yorkshire in 2007, he previously worked for the North West Tourist Board and Marketing Birmingham, leading on a number of nationally successful place development and skills projects, as well as maximising visitor economy focused initiatives for major events including; The Ryder Cup and The World Athletics Championships. An integral member of the Hull 2017 City of Culture Bid Team and subsequent 2017 Senior Leadership Team and Readiness Board, Anthony is now a key driver in delivering the Visit Hull & East Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership agenda and supporting Hull’s regional, national, and international cultural ambition.
Tracy Balaam-Reed Delivery Partnership Manager – Hull City Council
Tracy was born and raised in Hull and is the Partnership Delivery Manager in the City Centre, Culture and Place Service of Hull City Council. She is part of the team who worked with the city to create Hull’s new Culture and Heritage Strategy 2025-30 and the Five year Music Plan. Tracy manages culture related partnerships and contracts within the city which include Hull’s wholly owned company who operate our leisure services, libraries services, Ferens Art Gallery, Hull City Hall, Hull New Theatre, and Museums.
Tracy.Balaam-Reed@hullcc.gov.uk
Helen Cohen – Tourism Coordinator – Hull City Council
Helen Cohen is a digital marketing specialist with a first-class Marketing degree from the University of Hull. Passionate about leveraging social media and video content, she enhances Visit Hull’s brand visibility, engages tourists, and enriches the local community and visitor economy through trend-driven, up-to-date marketing strategies.
Professor Andrew King – Interim Pro vice Chancellor, University of Hull
Professor Andrew King is interim Pro Vice Chancellor (Education) at the University of Hull and was Head of the School of the Arts between 2017 and 2023. A Principal Fellow of the Higher Education academy he holds a personal chair in music and technology and was part of the university steering group for Hull 2017 City of Culture.
Cheidu Orkra
Hailing from North Hull Estate, Chiedu Oraka is disrupting the reign of London-centric rap with his dynamic sound and powerful storytelling. His bars fill the dancefloor as capably as they serve as social poetry, capturing the Black, working-class experience in a predominantly white, economically deprived Northern region. Delivered in his city’s distinct accent with lashings of colourful slang, Oraka’s work amplifies voices often unheard and serves as a fierce representative of a new sound.
Chris Hees – Hull Screen Agency
Bridge Way Films was launched by UK producer Chris Hees; a BAFTA winning, Oscar nominated producer and alumni of the prestigious National Film and Television School, ACE Producer Programmes, Berlinale Talents, Creative England’s Market Trader, Screen Yorkshire’s Flex and Cannes Producer Network.
Chris is based in the UK and Ireland, with offices in both Hull and Dublin. With one hand on the pulse of the UK film industry, and the other on the thriving energy of UK regional and European filmmakers, Chris and his company produces talent-led films with appeal beyond the UK, from comedy/dramas and thrillers to biopics and adaptations. He works with fresh voices that bring a unique perspective to engaging stories across both animation and live-action.
He currently has an Amy Johnson Biopic in thee works, and projects in development with the BFI and Screen Ireland. His next feature, “Hitchhikers” is backed by Bankside Films, and aims to shoot in Spring/Summer 2025, and his independently financed drama/comedy “Reasons To Be Cheerful” will follow shortly after.
He was also proud to be on the board of trustees for the City of Culture 2017 and continues to fulfil his passion for making sure a strong legacy is left behind, with the creation of Hull’s Screen Agency. He runs the BFI Film Academy in Hull and is also on the steering group for British Screen Forum’s Future Leaders Programme, the leading organisation lobbying for change within the UK film industry.
Dominic Gibbons- Managing Director Wykeland Group
Dominic Gibbons is the Managing Director of the Wykeland Group, a property development and investment company based in Hull.
The mantra of the business is that physical regeneration doesn’t happen without cultural and social regeneration happening at the same time. Responsible for over 9m sq.ft. of development in the Hull & East Yorkshire regions Wykeland have also provided over £550k of revenue support to the regional cultural sector over the past decade as well as developing The Stage @Thedock amphitheatre and the artist space Juice Studios in Hull’s Fruit Market. They also assembled the site for the Connexin Arena.
Dominic is also the Chair of HEY Creative which is the Cultural Compact for the Hull & East Yorkshire region.
Elle Douglas – Creative Manager at The Warren Youth Project
Elle Douglas is the Creative Manager at The Warren Youth Project, a youth-led charity supporting marginalised & vulnerable young people (YP) aged 11-25 through a comprehensive range of services including mental health support, employability & skills support; digital-skills development, interventions preventing sexual/criminal exploitation; support for YP who are care-leavers, young-carers, LGBTQ+, and neurodiverse YP. We are also an Arts Council England NPO, Forged, which allows us to deliver a programme of creative expression activities and opportunities and Elle is in charge of this programme.
This includes Warren Records, our non-for-profit independent record label, which supports young musicians to learn, write, record, rehearse and perform original music as well as creative mystery trips, writing projects and giving YP access to engage and learn new creative skills that they choose through our Creative Committee.
Ellis Ponton – Warren Records
My name is Ellis. I’m in a band who have been working with Warren records for over 2 years and I’m currently working as an independent music journalist, reviewing and documenting releases and live music from bands in Hull.
Jane Avison – Head of Hull Museums and Gallery – Hull Culture & Leisure
Jane has worked in the culture and heritage sector for over 25 years, across a number of national, regional museums and historic houses.
With a background in cultural learning and engagement her current role as Head of Hull Museums and Gallery drives the strategic vision for Hull’s five city centre museums, the Ferens Art Gallery and two historic vessels, ensuring effective contribution to the city’s strategic priorities maximising the social, place & economic impacts of the service.
Her work involves the development of Hull as a sub-regional centre for culture through the Humber Museums Partnership, a collaboration of local authority museum services from East Riding, North Lincolnshire & North East Lincolnshire.
Jane is currently supporting the legacy of Hull Maritime a heritage-driven, transformational project to promote and protect Hull’s incredible maritime history, architecture and collections.
Janthi-Mills Ward, CEO Hull Truck Theatre
Janthi Mills-Ward has been the Executive Director/Co-CEO of Hull Truck Theatre since August 2013. During this time, she has dramatically improved the theatre’s resilience through developing the organisation’s business model – balancing the theatre’s producing work alongside a programme of visiting and community productions. Janthi is on the board of UK Theatre and 509 Arts and is the Vice Chair of HEY Creative. She has previously worked in several other regional producing theatres, including The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry and Derby Playhouse.
janthi.mills-ward@hulltruck.co.uk
Karen Hall – Freedom Festival
Karen has 40 years of experience working with executive and operations teams both nationally and internationally. With a background in both the commercial and charity sectors, she applies her diverse business management and creative brand expertise to support local charities in East Yorkshire. Karen has worked on high-profile projects, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and collaborating extensively with PR and events teams. With a strong focus on income generation and development strategy, she now serves as Head of Business for the Daisy Appeal and as Chair of the Freedom Festival Arts Trust, where she focuses on sustainability and amplifying the festival’s unique voice, to help attract artistry aligned with the concept of freedom. Karen is also passionate about exploring how charitable organisations can support the Trust’s year-round work.
Keaton Brignall
Independent filmmaker and Director of UNTHINKABLE film festival, a charity set up to create cultural opportunity and education within Hull and the wider East Yorkshire region. We celebrate the cross roads between film and all the different art forms it involves.
Louise Yates Chief Executive and Creative Director – Back To Ours
Louise started her career as an actor and performing arts teacher with a passion for engaging young people in the Arts. She managed the region’s largest youth arts organisation, Creative Connexions Humber, before becoming Arts Development officer at Hull City Council.
At Hull City Council Louise became involved in the UK City of Culture 2017 bid, her experience of engaging hard to reach communities leading to the role of Producer on the Back to Ours Festival and year-long Land of Green Ginger project. Throughout the delivery year Louise focused her work in communities, programming circus in school sports halls and atriums, famous indie bands in shopping centres and Secret Gigs into working men’s clubs.
As CEO and Artistic Director of Back to Ours her vision coupled with her distinct invitation and ingredients have sparked a real connection with residents in Hull. Having developed a strong brand with a voice that’s warm and welcoming, Louise transitioned Back to Ours from being a project to an independent charity and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, that continues to delight new and existing audiences.
Mark Page – Humber Street Sesh Festival Director
Raised in Torquay, Mark relocated to Hull in 1992, having worked abroad in bars and clubs. Setting up ‘Sesh’, a weekly live music night in 2002, held at The Polar Bear Music Club (250 Cap), the night is well established and has witnessed over 3000 grassroot acts.
In 2012, an emerging music festival, Humber Street Sesh, was established to celebrate Sesh and the burgeoning music scene in the region, whilst supporting the regeneration and redevelopment of Humber Street on Hull Marina, and Hull’s Bid to become a City Of Culture in 2017. Over 100 rational and regional emerging acts perform at the festival across 10 stages each year.
In 2020, Sesh Events took over the lease of Social – an arts space and music venue (300 Cap), and we’ve also provided matchday entertainment with Hull City, Hull FC and Hull KR, and have organised four ‘Made In Hull’ P&O music cruises to Rotterdam (1000 Cap).
Working closely with Hull City Council, Sesh has been involved in multiple events in the city, including the community event ‘Trinity Live’ (300 cap)., and is keen to collaborate with others to help progress the City’s live music offer, whilst supporting the UNESCO City Of Music Bid.
Paul Hamnett – Hull KR Foundation Chief Executive
I have been working with the community and voluntary sector since 2007 using sport as a vehicle for social change. I am currently the Chief Executive of Hull KR Foundation where we engage with individuals and families from communities across Hull. Our work covers four areas; Health and Wellbeing, Employability and Skills, Community and Schools Engagement, and Rugby League and Sport Participation.
Paul Smith – Artistic Director & Chief Executive – Middle Child Theatre
Paul is an award-winning theatre director, who has worked as the artistic director of Middle Child since 2011. Paul has overseen the company’s growth from its foundation, to joining the Arts Council’s National Portfolio in 2018, and becoming an established force in Britain’s new writing scene. Paul is a two-time winner of the Olwen Wymark Award for ‘exceptional encouragement of British playwriting’. Stage work directed and developed by Paul has won more than 10 awards, including the prestigious George Devine and multiple Off West End Awards. This year Paul has been nominated as Inspirational Individual of the Year in the Yorkshire Choice Awards. He is the current chair of Cultural Collisions – a support and advocacy group bringing together cultural organisations and local authorities across Hull, the East Riding, North and North East Lincolnshire. Paul is a Hull University graduate who, after achieving a First Class Degree in Drama, continued his training at LAMDA and the National Theatre, before becoming a CLORE Leader. He is a proud member of the Advisory Board at the Junction Goole, and is represented by Giles Smart of United Agents.
David Lau – HEY! Volunteer
Although relatively new to HEY! Volunteering having joined the team in 2024, David is a regular volunteer across lots of diverse organisations. With experience ranging from chef to playwright, David is a real asset to the programme.
Debbie Mowforth – HEY! Volunteer
Debbie joined the volunteer programme in 2016 and threw herself into supporting Hull’s year as UK City of Culture. She has a passion for music, events and anything creative.
Eileen Hodgson – HEY! Volunteer
An integral part of the HEY! Volunteering team, Eileen is a member of the ‘Volunteer Voice’ steering group, providing valuable input towards the development of the programme. She is also a ‘buddy’ volunteer who supports newcomers to the team.
Sharon Worsnop – HEY! Volunteer
Sharon was one of Hull 2017’s ‘pioneer’ volunteers and has been involved in the programme since 2016. She is passionate about our city and played a key role in supporting vulnerable people during the pandemic.
