The 17-day festival of celebration is part of the UK City of Culture programme.
the rich fishing heritage of Hull is to be celebrated at an evening of inspiring stories that will make you laugh, cry, but above all feel proud of the city’s fishing roots. Fishing Heritage Talks: An Evening with Alec and Peter is taking place on Friday, June 30th at the beautifully restored ‘Fishermen’s Church’, St. John the Baptist off Hessle Road.
Dr Alec Gill has documented life on Hessle Road for decades through photography and has written many books about Hull’s fishing heritage. He will share stories about the Hessle Road fishing community and talk about the brave plight of Hull’s Arctic Trawlermen.
‘Fishing at sea is the most dangerous job in the world’ said Dr Gill. ‘The Arctic trawlermen were the last of the great hunters. I’ve always been inspired by the fishing families of Hessle Road and their relationship with the sea.’
Peter Naylor is a well-known local artist who recently created popular public sculptures memorialising the 158 Squadron at Lissett and the Memorial to Lost Trawlermen which stands on St Andrew’s Quay. He will give an insight into the making of the Memorial to Lost Trawlermen sculpture and sharing the story of how he designed and made the long-awaited tribute. He said: ‘I’m humbled and flattered that the Lost Trawlermen’s Memorial means so much to people. It’s been an absolute privilege to make it.’
The talks complement the Fishing Heritage Art Exhibition, a collection of artwork curated especially for Hull 2017 as part of the Creative Communities Programme. The exhibition, which runs from Friday, June 23rd to July 9th, will include traditional paintings and drawings alongside sculpture, print, models, videos and more.
Adam Cotson, exhibition organiser, said: ‘As part of our 17-day festival of celebration in honour of Hull’s fishing heritage, we are proud to present an evening of talks with Alec Gill and Peter Naylor. It has been a pleasure organising the Fishing Heritage Art Exhibition and it has been a privilege to have met skippers, trawlermen and local artists.
‘There are so many heroic and tragic stories connected to the fishing industry and it is inspiring to hear them. These stories are central to Hull’s identity and we hope to pass on some of these stories through the exhibits and talks planned.’
Martin Green, director of Hull 2017, added: ‘Hull’s history is rooted in the fishing industry and it is important that we recognise that in the Hull 2017 programme.
‘Alec has an incredible amount of knowledge about Hull’s fishing industry and Peter’s Lost Trawlermen’s Memorial at St Andrew’s Quay is a poignant tribute to those who lost their lives at sea.
‘This is yet another example of the fantastic projects that are being put together as part of Hull 2017’s Creative Communities Programme.’
Tickets for Fishing Heritage Talks: An Evening with Alec and Peter, which takes place between 7pm and 10pm, cost £5 and are available from hullboxoffice.com
The Fishing Heritage Art Exhibition opens on Friday, June 23rd from 6pm to 9pm. It will then be open daily from 12pm to 4pm, except Saturdays, when it will be open from 10am to 4pm.
On the final night, Sunday July 9th, there will be a Sea Sunday Service from 10am to 12pm which will include a special unveiling of a plaque commemorating joint losses from Hull and Iceland.
For more information, visit hull2017.co.uk
