City of Culture chief executive Martin Sutherland says the team that worked on the event “ did the impossible ” by creating the first major event in the UK since the pandemic began .
He says , “ We had to consider how to be present across the city , ensuring that communities who are typically excluded or ignored by major events were proud of the surprises that popped up on their doorsteps or in their neighbourhoods .
“ We are determined to keep the promises that everyone is welcome to participate in their City of Culture . Coventry Moves enabled us to keep those promises . I ’ m very proud of that .”
Coventry-based traffic management , security and event services supplier Stadium was involved in the running of the event , with more than 100 members of staff helping three processions to move through the city ’ s streets .
Founded in Burnley in 2009 by MD David McAtamney , Stadium works nationally and internationally on a range of events from its Coventry headquarters . The firm counts the likes of Liverpool Football Club , Wolverhampton Wanderers FC , CBS Arena and Wembley Stadium among its clients .
Says McAtamney , “ We are doing the traffic management for all events on Coventry ’ s road networks . We are also working on the pop-up events in open spaces , from a security and stewarding point of view , as well as operating the control room for those events .”
Future prospects He says Coventry has not yet reached its potential for staging live events , but is moving in the right direction : “ Along with heavy investment in the city centre and then the success of landing UK City of Culture , there is a new and added vibrancy , hope and a healthy expectation .
“ We have some wonderful open spaces and public buildings – many of them paid for by the great industrial benefactors from before the war – that stand us in very good stead when it comes to events .”
Sutherland says more than £ 100m in capital investment has come into Coventry since its City of Culture designation , which has funded a “ huge transformation ” but he says the pandemic has impacted all elements of the City of Culture operation .
“ Delaying the beginning of our year as City of Culture to May 2021 but still running for an entire year gave us an opportunity to be flexible and adapt our plans , as well as think of new ways to respond to the challenges , such as increasing our digital broadcast output ,” he says .
Event attendees are encouraged to wear face coverings at all indoor venues , while attendees are asked to take a lateral flow test before arriving at all City of Culture events , while
“ We ’ re going from being a ghost town to a culture city .”
- Coventry City Council head of events Jon Hogan
some shows are being sold to 75 % of venue capacity .
Among the landmark elements of the City of Culture event programme is its next major project , Faith . The co-commission with the Royal Shakespeare Company will see live performances across the city and the lighting of 500 beacons in the city centre , designed by theatre designer Tom Piper .
In September , the Turner Prize , comes to the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum , and it will be the first time the prize has been held in the Midlands . This will feature as part of the Coventry Biennial – a city-wide celebration of the diversity and excellence within the city ’ s visual arts sector .
While there are many short-term wins for Coventry being the City of Culture , there is also a powerful ambition , that is ubiquitous among its event professionals : to put Coventry firmly and finally on the map as an events city .
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