What is Generation Hull?
If you've seen the name pop up around the city, at an exhibition, on a school wall or in an apprentice's job title, here's the short version of who we are and what we're doing.
The big idea
Generation Hull is Hull's Local Cultural Education Partnership. It brings together the city's cultural organisations, schools, youth groups and businesses with one aim: to make sure children and young people in Hull can access, take part in and shape the arts and culture around them.
The programme is funded by Arts Council England through its Place Partnership Project, with support from Esteem Consortium Hull and Hull City Council. Thrive Co-operative Learning Trust is our host. It runs until February 2028 under a name the young people gave it themselves: Fight for Our Creative Futures.
Led by young people
Generation Hull is built on the Laura Lundy model of voice and influence. Young people shape it in two ways. Every school and youth organisation has its own Arts Council, and a Steering Group guides the programme as a whole. They aren't consulted after the decisions are made. They make the decisions.
What we do
Three strands run side by side.
Arts Councils in schools and youth organisations
Pupils work with their teachers to choose an artist, then write their own proposal for what they want to make and how they'll spend their budget. So far, that has produced murals, an illustrated book on emotions, a school anthem, a paper and cardboard installation, a digital showcase of short films and a set of new plays. The artists range from playwrights to graffiti artists to digital creators.
Work placements and apprenticeships
Hull's creative industries shouldn't be a closed door for young people who live here. Our apprentices work with local organisations, learning on the job while giving those organisations extra capacity. It's a route into a creative career without having to leave the city.
A city-wide strategy
We're working with Hull City Council on a Cultural Strategy for children and young people, set for adoption in 2027. Our Steering Group is feeding into it right now, telling us what to do more of, what to do less of and what's missing entirely.
Why it matters
Young people are often the last to be asked what they want from arts and culture. We've built a programme that asks them first. The Steering Group created what Generation Hull is. The Arts Councils put real choices in pupils' hands. The apprenticeships turn that enthusiasm into paid, skilled work.
Hull has plenty of creative talent. Our job is to make sure the next generation can find a way in, and has a say in where it goes.