Doncaster Council spend £25,000 on Hull UK City of Culture consultancy team

Doncaster Council has paid £25,000 to bring in the team who coordinated Hull's UK City of Culture masterplan.

The local authority has set out a plan to celebrate their own 'year of culture' in 2020 to coincide with 'key anniversaries and major developments coming together'.

A report compiled by council bosses cites the £14.1m Library and Museum, the Mayflower 400 feature with events to commemorate the sailing in 1620 along with the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain as examples.

Local authority chiefs are hoping to externally source the majority of funding for events.

The council is said to be prioritising the town centre as a 'key area of development' which includes 'increasing the quality and schedule' of major events and animation which is hoped to bring an increase in visitors.

The City of Culture team has come to the end of its initial tenure in Hull, delivering the 2017 campaign which saw 2,800 events held in at least 250 venues and public spaces contributing 'to changing the reality and perception of Hull for the long term'.

Research showed Hull's status as the UK City of Culture attracted more than five million people, £220 million of investment and 800 new jobs.

Jennefer Holmes, an officer working within the regeneration and environment team at Doncaster Council, said: "Key to the delivery of this and many other high profile events and culture awareness is the award of funding, much of which is required to be sourced externally. The experience of the Hull City of Culture team could be vital to Doncaster accessing specifically related arts/culture finance in the future.

"There are many similarities between Hull and Doncaster and to be able to learn and take experience from personnel that have delivered local, national and international success is an opportunity to help create an enhanced profile for Doncaster.

"An element of the benefit of the work is to use the most recent experience from the largest scale possible. Being the 2017 City of Culture team there is no other team available that could bring the scale, be in recent timeframe and have the relevance that Hull has with Doncaster."