Wykeland continues support for Freedom Festival to reinforce commitment to arts and culture

Freedom Festival Artistic Director and CEO, Mikey Martins, and Wykeland Group Culture and Events Manager, Natalia Blogg, take a stroll through Hull’s Fruit Market, a key location for cultural and arts events in Hull.

THE Hull-based regeneration specialist has been a long-standing supporter of the annual arts festival, which attracts tens of thousands of people into the heart of Hull, and has again committed to be a Major Partner.

Running this year from August 30 to September 3, Freedom Festival sees international artists and performances appear on the streets and in venues across the city centre.

Freedom Festival Arts Trust also brings other innovative arts projects, such as The Awakening and The Hull Vigil, to the city. As a charitable organisation, the Trust relies on backing from local businesses and generous individuals who contribute through in-kind support, partnerships and sponsorship.

As well as being a Freedom Festival Major Partner for many years, Wykeland’s commitment to the arts has extended to dozens of cultural organisations and events, including Humber Street Sesh, Pride in Hull, Hull Truck Theatre, the Amy Johnson Festival, Middle Child theatre company, Feral Art School, Beverley Puppet Festival and many more.

Dominic Gibbons, Managing Director of Hull-based Wykeland, said: “Our support for culture and the arts in Hull and the wider region is something we’re wholeheartedly committed to and incredibly proud of.

“We believe passionately that physical, social and cultural regeneration are inextricably linked and that’s a key reason why we support cultural and arts organisations and events in so many ways.

“Freedom Festival is Hull’s premier cultural event and we have supported the festival and the organisation behind it since its earliest days. It’s one of the most significant ways in which we support cultural creativity, especially in Hull city centre and the Fruit Market where our business is based.”

Mikey Martins, Artistic Director and CEO of Freedom Festival Arts Trust, said: “A varied cultural offering and choice is vital to communities. As a charity which creates events and projects, supporting talent in the region and as part of larger networks, we know what that impact looks like.

“Wykeland’s support and investment in regenerating key areas of the city has uplifted opportunities for teams like ours, enabling us to fill those spaces with culture and experiences.

“We encourage other businesses who align with these values to come and speak to us about how we can work together.”

Wykeland is also a long-standing supporter of the Humber Street Sesh music and arts festival. As with Freedom Festival, Wykeland provides a huge range of support for the Sesh. This includes providing performance spaces, an event office and pop-up areas, as well as a wide range of logistical support, such as the reallocation of parking areas, and working with tenant businesses to ensure they thrive alongside the event.

Likewise, Wykeland gave its support to the recent Pride in Hull parade which began in Humber Street in the Fruit Market. As with other festivals, the Wykeland team work with businesses in the Fruit Market to enable spaces to be taken over and people and communities to come together in celebration which, in turn, creates a platform for the area to thrive.

In addition, Wykeland is backing the Humber Science Festival from September 7 to 9, featuring "The Compass” a light show redefining perceptions of scientific research. Wykeland’s support will enable organisers to digitally project images onto The Deep, with Stage @TheDock, the outdoor venue created by Wykeland in Hull’s former Central Dry Dock in the Fruit Market, a prime viewing spot.

Stage @TheDock is currently staging an exciting summer line-up of events, including family-friendly theatre, fire shows and fairytale retellings, cementing its reputation as a premier destination for touring theatre and performance companies.

Wykeland's commitment to the arts also extends to supporting local companies such as Middle Child and From Below Theatre, helping their development through use of the Stage @TheDock venue.

Natalia Blogg, Wykeland’s Culture and Events Manager, said: “The Wykeland team works hard behind the scenes with organisations across the cultural sector to support and celebrate the positive impact culture has on people and communities.

“It has a hugely positive impact when we can play a key part in enabling people to experience culture in the Fruit Market, creating long-lasting benefits for everyone involved as well as the wider community.

“This is a really exciting time as our summer season at Stage @TheDock is in full swing and Freedom Festival is coming up. We’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of people to the Fruit Market over coming weeks to enjoy exceptional cultural performances right here in our vibrant community.”

• Visit freedomfestival.co.uk for more information about the event and to book tickets, including early bird access for the Instant Loneliness musical theatre show led by Dutch musical theatre ensemble Via Berlin.
• To book tickets for Dante, a fire circus spectacular which runs at Stage @TheDock from August 17 to 20, visit stageatthedock.co.uk/whats-on. This is the third consecutive year Wykeland has supported From Below Theatre and attendees pay what they can for tickets, ensuring the show is accessible to all.