We won?? WE WON!!

Maybe in a week or two it’ll have sunk in, but at the moment the announcement that Coventry will be the next City of Culture still has the dream-like status of something slightly unbelievable that you have been told several times, but somehow need to verify for yourself…

It’s odd that it should seem so hard to believe – as artists in the city and having been involved in the bid right from the start, we know it is blummin’ good! We know it has something of, and for, every single person in this city. Like many Cov things, it has been shaped by many hands working together; by new connections, excited discussions and throwing off the fear of thinking big.

The independent arts sector and the business sector don’t often overlap but, in the shaping of this bid, they have – each offering their own perspectives and both growing through conversation and understanding. So too the young and old have come together, shared their thoughts, hopes, memories, fears, ambitions – and the bid has grown. In understanding what this bid is, what it represents, what it could be, we have achieved something greater than any of us working alone could have done. And the city has grown.

In Talking Birds’ work with The Cart during the bid-shaping process, we asked people to tell us about what they thought a city of culture(s) could or should be and, for many, that turned out to be a surprising question to be asked. It opened up a huge, unexpected vista of possibility just to *think* about things like ‘hope’ and ‘future’: things that, for a lot of people, are not often at the top of the ‘things to think about’ list. Right now, for too many, the future is just what happens next – opportunities or the wherewithal to shape or affect it are sorely lacking.

Throughout the two years of the process so far, this is what has driven all of us forwards: What is this city’s future? How can we make this work for every single person in the city? What do we hope for, for ourselves and for our children? If all of our futures are bound up with this city’s future, what do we want it to be like? These are empowering questions for all of us, but especially for the young. Growing up in a declining city, with decreasing resources available, against a political backdrop of uncertainty and chaos, with a complete lack of confidence in national and international leaders – and the too-big-to-get-your-head-around worry of climate change, hope is a scarce commodity.

And yet hope is such a powerful force for good.

As artists, we’ve become increasingly interested in the role that the imaginations of writers, artists, theatre and film-makers might have unwittingly played in the direction the world has taken – in how much the uncaring behaviour, corrupt leaders and dystopian futures we witness daily in TV dramas or on cinema screens might have become a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. Visioning is often recommended as a step to goal fulfilment and, given the current state of the world, we’ve begun to wonder whether this also works in the broader consciousness? Just in case, we choose to peddle hope, social integration, conversation and understanding…

…and these values also form the narrative of Coventry’s bid. It speaks of a people-powered antidote to Brexit by placing trust in its young people, by making spaces for all the city’s people to come together, to discover and celebrate what they have in common, find an understanding: it speaks of a city that is truly the sum of its parts. And it updates the levelling effect of the famed ‘blitz spirit’, its social cohesion and the utopianism of the post-war rebuild by recognising that it is culture that holds society together, and when you mix culture and hope (as you perhaps have to when bidding for something 4 years ahead) there are no possibilities closed off to you.

When the chair of the judging panel, Phil Redmond, visited yesterday to congratulate Coventry, he said ‘It was a very close competition, but we think Coventry can deliver something that will make the biggest impact for the whole of the UK…Make it as big as your ambitions…try things, experiment…push it and see where you can get to.”

In putting youth and diversity at the heart of it, Coventry’s bid is built on, and spreads, hope. Truly, *this* is Coventry, the city we are proud to call our home.

 

ICYMI: A roundup of our tweets, pics & links in support of @Coventry2021’s bid to be #UKCityOfCulture2021 @DCMS

[THREAD #1] Apologies in advance to non-Coventrian followers, but today is going to involve a large volume of tweeting in support of @coventry2021 #ukcityofculture2021 #thisiscoventry #2021blue /1

So, if you’re wondering what #ukcityofculture is (where have you been for the last year?), it’s a nationwide competition & the winner will be announced in the next couple of weeks, so this twitter frenzy is part of the final push in support of #Coventry’s bid. #2021blue #thisiscoventry /2

If you think #ukcityofculture is about just putting on lots of performances “& anyway #Coventry *has* no culture”, then we hope our tweets today will help make you think a little differently about that… *cough* also make sure you follow @coventry2021 *cough* #2021blue /3

We’ve been supporting #Coventry’s bid for #ukcityofculture2021 from the word go because we think culture is about more than trips to galleries & opera. We think it is about *all* the creativity people have (even when they don’t think they have it)… #2021blue /4

…and about all the creative things we enjoy. The things that we do (mostly) outside of work – the gardening, baking, conversations and activities we share…essentially we think culture is about being human. #2021blue #thisiscoventry /5

The City of Culture competition isn’t only about the arts and culture though. Whoever wins #ukcityofculture2021 will see a massive increase in people talking about, visiting and investing in their city. #2021blue #thisiscoventry /6

There will be many more things to see, places to go, things to be learned, people to meet, places to eat, places to stay, jobs to be filled… & wouldn’t that just be *so good* for #Coventry? Just what it needs. What *we* need! #2021blue #thisiscoventry /7

We know the people in #Coventry like to moan about the place. We all do it from time to time. And we know what it feels like to hear the Blitz, Lady Godiva and Sent to Coventry jokes AGAIN…but we also know the fierce pride that everyone who lives & works here holds in their souls… #2021blue /8

…& we have a hunch that winning #ukcityofculture2021 would be the perfect opportunity to show the world, the UK (and even Birmingham) why we are so right to feel that fierce pride here in #Coventry! #thisiscoventry #2021blue /9

If winning #ukcityofculture2021 means increased investment, jobs and tourism – that’s great – because #Coventry really needs that, right? And, happily, it happens through culture! Culture is the content. The glue. #2021blue /10

This city already has a wealth of creative people making amazing things happen – & winning #ukcityofculture2021 will multiply that exponentially! #thisiscoventry /END

Blogpost > https://birdmail.wordpress.com/2017/04/19/we-belong-to-the-city-and-it-belongs-to-us/

 

[THREAD #2]

💙 👉 To show our support for @coventry2021 and our city’s awesome bid for #ukcityofculture2021… #2021blue #thisiscoventry

💙 …we’ve come up with 21** reasons why #Coventry should win, showcasing some of the inventive independent art, culture & creativity from the city we call home! #thisiscoventry

💙 **21 because there are not enough hours in the day to tweet 2021 reasons, although we’re pretty sure we could find that many, given long enough 😉 #thisiscoventry

 

💙 1/21 #Coventry boasts the UK’s first professional Shop Front Theatre, the wonderfully welcoming @shopfrontcov, home to intimate & experimental performance. #thisiscoventry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di7K5i8Uf2I

💙 2/21 #Coventry is a hotbed of inventive and surprising street theatre which is in demand from festivals across the UK, like @highlysprung’s Urban Astronaut #thisiscoventry https://www.highlysprungperformance.co.uk/urban-astronaut

💙 3/21 #Coventry’s national award winning mental health service The Pod, cultivates social change through culture with the fabulous vegan @the_pod_cafe,  @STSfestivalCov @timeunion & Food Union  #thisiscoventry https://vimeo.com/168582361

💙 4/21 #Coventry is diverse, yes, but importantly it is also inclusive. Everyone can find their cultural home, see a show or bank a meal for the homeless in the fab vegan cafe @egoperformance http://covculture.com/blog/big-ego/

💙 5/21 #Coventry values its young people and emerging talent (and there’s a lot of that) and they are constantly inventing cool stuff, like the amazing @positiveyouth96’s #PYFProms, @belgradeyouth’s #Rise and the brilliant @shootfestival https://youtu.be/jdZacuSH9to

💙 6/21 In #Coventry, any empty building is an opportunity. And at the moment, an empty newspaper office and print room is a massive shared opportunity for pop up art and culture in the city https://www.visitcoventry.net/cet

💙 7/21 #Coventry’s home for local, national & international eclectic, experimental and surprising live music is  the awesome @thetin venue & its sister record label @tinangelrecords https://soundcloud.com/thetinmusicandarts

💙 8/21 #Coventry’s @birdmail creates opportunities for unexpected encounters: in unused or unloved buildings, in a big metal whale, over a cuppa, or by starting a game of cricket on the high street; & have also invented the #DifferenceEngine to make performances more accessible.

💙 9/21 #Coventry’s @WarwickArts is our venue for all the best touring theatre, music, dance, comedy, fine art and arthouse cinema the world has to offer; The @belgradetheatre invented TIE in the 1960s & continues to make work with children and yp that allows them to explore the world & their place within it https://youtu.be/g8d8ZBC4HLo

💙 10/21 Making #Coventry more playable, @LudicRooms’ fantastic #OpenCitizens project gave up giggling bins & added us all to a never-ending can-can dance projected onto the ring road http://cancan.ludicrooms.com/

💙 11/21 As well as being a stunning, art-filled building, #Coventry’s @CovCathedral is also a fabulous & atmospheric venue. This year alone it’s hosted musical bees, an electronic tribute to Delia Derbyshire, the Museum of the Moon & #Masterji projections with @photominers #thisiscoventry 

💙 12/21 #Coventry Music Museum @CovMusicM proudly tells the story of the city’s musical heritage from the Roman occupation to the present day with a healthy dose of Two Tone thrown in #thisiscoventry https://youtu.be/GBhpCByCTQo

💙 13/21 #Coventry has a vibrant network of independent artists and small companies (known collectively as #F13) who make all sorts of interesting stuff happen, like festivals inc. #RandomString, #FestivalOfImagineers, #ShootFestival, #ShopFrontFestival & @sponspun Festival https://vimeo.com/talkingbirds/backstageatthealbany

💙 14/21 #Coventry has 2 brilliant independent galleries @classroomcov and @cityarcadia. For artists’ support and affordable studio spaces, there’s @CovArtspace or https://www.facebook.com/holyheadstudios/ & for buying from creative businesses & the general vibe, there’s @fargovillage #thisiscoventry

💙 15/21 #Coventry’s @MercurialD makes dance with and for all sorts of people, including this piece made with a neuroscientist exploring where ideas and movements come from in the brain and body https://player.vimeo.com/video/80383258

💙 16/21 #Coventry’s annual Embracing Africa festival grew out of @HighLife001’s exhibition of African art put together to encourage cross-cultural dialogue in the city. https://vimeo.com/159586551

💙 17/21 #Coventry is a city that enables people to make their ideas happen & offers them the support to pull off a massively successful inaugural Biennial with aplomb! @Cov_Biennial @miracalix https://vimeo.com/miracalix/bb2at1

💙 18/21 From the first purpose-built car factory in the UK @imagineerUK meld creativity & engineering to bring us the #FestivalOfImagineers and they can also often be seen around giants… http://www.imagineer-productions.co.uk/

💙 19/21 As well as being a brilliant museum and art gallery, #Coventry’s The Herbert hosts #HerbertLates – including this Hallowe’en a new collaboration with space transformers @VortexCreates https://vimeo.com/243305417

💙 20/21 @covcampus’ Edible Campus garden in #Coventry demonstrates how sustainability, food security & environmental quality can be achieved in creative, functional corners of the community. http://www.coventry.ac.uk/primary-news/universitys-edible-campus-gets-special-recognition-from-national-scheme/

💙 21/21 @Open_Theatre_Co challenges all of us to think differently about our arts provision for young people with learning disabilities & makes fab, fun & thought-provoking work with ypwld in #Coventry & beyond. https://youtu.be/XmXk1Laj5Ac

💙 And finally, apologies to all the other 2000 reasons we couldn’t mention today. You’ll just have to wait 4 years until #Coventry is #ukcityofculture2021 to hear about all of them 😉 #thisiscoventry

More of our thoughts about Cov here [blog] >> http://www.talkingbirds.co.uk/pages/Coventry.asp