As per tradition this blog post is here just before we clock off for 2022: mic-drop kind of send off from me.
It’s been a funny year you know, but amongst all the “life give you lemons, some good for a lemonade, some can go in the bin” there has been culture outings and some awesome jobs in the city.
You will see that my culture wonders are not as frequent in my 2022, but I still believe that our city gives us cultural treats for us to feast on and we embrace it. To some I wishfully never went to, but things I did attend made me smile, wonder and love the city (you know I am a big fan of Hull).
This year was big and important for myself, and it was almost like stepping on the other side, where the light is.
The start of 2022 was tough and most days my head was rolling into the mud, my body trying to catch it, but I didn’t give in. New home came, I found somebody who is worthy of me trying to stay sane and hopeful for the future, then my new lush job came (job interview with a glass of wine and a onesie: not a luxury, but necessity), great freelance jobs kept popping up and then I found love. On the very last day of the year, I look back and it was the best year in decades.
Today I am grateful and ready for 2023.
We all know it’s going to be a difficult year, everyone skint and worried, world around us is falling apart, opinionated and angry species that poison the happy and good, climate change probably is going to throw some surprises our way and so on.
As individuals we need to focus on our own good deeds, be nice and do our best, be open minded and engaged, care and love, respect and never take for granted. And the shit that come our way will be easier to deal with. Simple, isn’t it? And never forget about art and culture, we all need it in our lives.
Which brings me to my main subject: CULTURE IN HULL 2022
2022 started with a spectacular event across the city that Freedom Festival Trust trust brought to us: The Awakaning. “It’s initial creation was a way of driving audiences to significant cultural landmarks within the city of Hull as part of an outdoor cinema experience. Beautifully using the environment and the historic buildings that line the streets by projecting on to them at night, Re:Score allowed the audience to connect with warm, nostalgic footage from the past with a reimagined, bespoke musical soundtrack.”
Source: Freedom Festival Trust
Amongst everyone’s favourite events in Hull the light shows will always be on the top of the list, to layer Hull landmarks in stories about Hull with visuals and lightshows works magic. The attendances were amazing and in my personal spectrum, me and my partner learned things as we went along.
Ferens Art Gallery as usual gave an interesting exhibition BRICK BY BRICK by Andy Morris
Designer Andy Morris, aka Little Big Art, is based in Cardiff and specialises in making LEGO® themed artworks. He has exhibited his work internationally.
His work, Popcorn Time! 2018, was exhibited in Ferens this year and aren’t we just lucky. It was fun, as cheesy as it sounds, but it was also very detailed and genius/beautiful. Kids area had a space to build your won and me at 32 seized the opportunity.
At the same time there was more exhibits that tickled my fancy too:
Freedom Festival this year was not pencilled in my freelance diary, but on the last day I went out to see couple of the events.
SIRENS at the Tidal Barrier, GF Smith PORTAL: A JOURNEY THROUGH COLOUR down Humber Street, 2Face Dance LAST ORDERS down Princess Dock Street were my last-minute choices. All of which brought smiles, inquisitive thoughts, questions and nevertheless another link to the city built through cultural experience
GF Smith exhibition photographs have vanished in my archives, but one for the eye and memory I suppose.
UNBOXED ABOUT US in April was the favourite. I guess another light show in the city that was a visual spectacular, but for me it was very special. In silence at late hours, I visited Queen Victoria Square and found my seat. I watched it I my own time, in the space I built for my self with someone I love.
I visited Humber Street Gallery on few occasions for leisure and work purposes, nice stroll down the lovely street always ends there.
BLOOMBERG NEW CONTEMPORARIES 2022 was hosted at the Humber Street Gallery in November. It contained various artist and artworks and as stated is an annual survey exhibition of emerging and early career artist. From my own Google search Humber Street Gallery kind of nailed this: it is prestigious opportunity and lucky us [again]
Throughout the year I also did some cool freelance jobs closely Hull culture related:
Absolutely Cultured LUMINARIUM
Absolutely Cultured FAST FOOD MEGAVERSE by The Herd Theatre . This was commissioned cultural outing, it was family-friendly, all age groups welcome type of happy event.
Good Things Market in April was MEGA
HULL COMEDY FESTIVAL 2022 where I literally tipped up on the last day [I was very busy]
Humber Street Gallery hosted one of the best things of 2022. Silent Uproar is an award-winning theatre company based in Hull and I had an opportunity to photograph one of their shows.
Big thing this year was getting involved with Risky Cities Project for Hull University. I was asked to cover many events and I loved it.
“The city of Hull and Humber estuary region has an 800-year history of living with water risks, including recorded floods from the 1250s onwards and several major floods since 2000. Despite this, research has found that residents have a low engagement with flood risks and adaptation measures, such as flood alert systems.
In response, the local councils, alongside the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water and the University of Hull, have developed the Living with Water Partnership with the principle aim of increasing awareness and engagement in the region.
The Risky Cities project will contribute to this partnership by drawing on Hull’s long history of living with water – as recorded in its artistic and cultural heritage – to raise climate awareness and build flood resilience today and for the future”
Source: Risky Cities
The project focused on engaging with local communities across the city and that was the “juice” of the project. The conversation around the subject was vital and I learned so much throughout the workshops, talks and exhibitions.
New Year’s culture resolution: to be more out in the culture, monthly visits. More frequent none-work related culture wonders.
This is the seventh-year culture blogging anniversary and I want to celebrate double that, so let’s get cultured.
YOURS TRULY
ANETE SOODA PHOTO
ANETE SOODA PHOTO 