As part of Hull 2017, Yorkshire Water teamed up with four Hull libraries to capture people’s untold stories on video, exploring what it means to be ‘Made in Hull’.
Recording of the stories has already commenced, which will be recorded on an interactive video pod installed at each of the libraries throughout February and March. It is hoped that hundreds of people will share their stories to create a rich insight into life in the city.
It’s free for anyone to participate and people of all ages and backgrounds are invited to use the video pods to share their special memories of what it means to be a Hullensian. The general public will also be able to view their recordings as they’ll naturally draw interest from people who are curious to listen to other people’s view and reflections about the city.
The initiative was set up by Yorkshire Water to support Hull UK City of Culture’s ‘Made in Hull’ season. The utilities business which is the Principle Partner of Hull 2017 will also highlight its own role and how water has helped define the city.
In a bid to encourage people to tell their stories, one person will be given the chance to re-tell their story in front of a professional film crew.
Shot on location in Hull, the person will receive a finished copy of the film and they can show it to their friends and family. They’ll also receive a meal for two at a top restaurant in Hull.
Duncan Macintyre, Project Advisor at Yorkshire Water for Hull 2017 City of Culture, said: “For us, libraries are cultural hubs and we wanted to recognise the importance of these spaces as places to bring people together and learn about the city. We hope lots of people take the chance to record their stories so that they can be preserved for future generations to enjoy as a fascinating snapshot of Hull’s social history. We want real stories from real people that shine a light on Hull’s unique identity.”
The topic of the stories can be anything to do with life in Hull, such as your favourite place in Hull, special relationships forged with some other people in the city, or reminiscing on memories from the past. Stories must just be linked to the city and shouldn’t be longer than one to two minutes.
To record your story, the video pod will be visiting the following libraries: Bransholme library from Monday 13th to Saturday 25th February; Ings library from Monday 27th February to Saturday 11st March; Avenues library from Monday 13th March to Saturday 25th March; and Central library from 27th March to later this year.
Martin Green, CEO and Director Hull 2017 said: “This is a fabulous idea and what this important year for Hull is all about. Made in Hull is about capturing the characters and stories of this city, but the year is also about getting people across the city involved, which our Principal Partner Yorkshire Water are doing brilliantly, working with libraries around Hull.”
Yorkshire Water’s own story and links to the city go back hundreds of years as sewers and water courses were established to ensure hygiene, sanitation and clean water supply. Willerby’s Springhead pumping station was opened in 1862 and is an example of Victorian water infrastructure recently renovated to restore it to its former glory. It’s still in use today, supplying a third of the daily water supply to Hull and East Riding.
To reduce the risk of flooding for 15,000 homes in the area, the firm has recently completed a £16m refurbishment of Bransholme pumping station.
