From Ghost Town to Host Town - How Winning City of Culture Could Boost Coventry

Being sent to Coventry is a term famous around the world. I always remember watching an episode of Home Away back in the day and hearing Pippa saying it to one of her kids. I thought how do they even know about Coventry in OZ and what does that expression even mean. A bit of Googling later and I discovered the term originated from the Roman era when prisoners were sent to Coventry and then shunned by locals. Great one, Coventry is known the world over as the place where prisoners were sent and not spoken to.

Coventry is also known as a place that was blitzed during the second world war causing vast devastation, killing hundreds and changing the face of the city. Remnants of the Cathedral destroyed in the War still stand strong today symbolising the devastation of war. As a result, Coventry was re-built from the ground upwards and Coventry Scaffolding helped to piece the city back together again.

Today, when you walk around the city centre, you can still see the 60’s architecture peppered all around and a mix match of high rise flats but nestled in between are some real gems and you can see how much the city is steeped in history. From the cobbled Medieval Spon street, Mary’s Guildhall and the old and new Cathedral, there are some great places of interest to explore.

Yet the decline of industry in the 80’s can in some ways still be felt. The Specials - a band from Coventry were hot on the music scene in the 80’s and were famous for their song about Coventry - Ghost Town. The song talked about urban decay, de-industrialisation, unemployment and violence. The industrial decline in Coventry meant many people were unemployed and the city was in effect a ghost town.

Since then the city has slowly started to be re-generated but you can still see the remnants of war,  Coventry University has been buying disused land and old buildings that aren’t being used, yet the future of Coventry still feels uncertain, what is going to happen to a town that is potentially becoming a student city? Will it bring in revenue and revitalise Coventry like other cities such as Sheffield have experienced?

So when it was announced a few weeks ago that Coventry won City of Culture, many of us were happy and hopeful that this new title would mean so much for the city and get us on the map. The city has many things to offer, from a great university, history, culture, great theatres and arts so it’s not surprising Coventry won. Yet many were left questioning what winning the sought after accolade would actually mean for the people who live and work here.

Since Hull won City of Culture there has been £1bn of investment since it won four years ago with an economic boost in 2017 alone of £60m. This has boosted the city in numerous ways and there is a 10 year plan to keep the legacy going to make Hull a world class visitor destination. Since the announcement, Hull has seen major economic developments and this confidence in the city has seen investment and new partnerships being brought to Hull. There have also been a number of new business start-ups in the area, increased applications to Hull University and a rise in visits to art venues and events.

Since winning City of Culture, Coventry is now in line for up to £3 million of National Lottery funding to help celebrate its heritage. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has made the funding available after successfully investing the same amount into Hull. Discussions will now take place between HLF and Coventry 2021 to agree how the money will be spent.

Working in the creative industries we hope this gives our sector a boost in the city. We’re based in Electric Wharf which is a hub for creative companies, although it isn’t currently as well known as the Custard Factory just down the road in Birmingham or other pockets around the country known for having digital communities. We hope that raising the profile helps to put us more on the map as a centre of creativity and innovation.

Coventry winning City of Culture will hopefully make Coventry a visitor destination and the funding will help to put on events to showcase the history and culture of Coventry. This will also help to change national consciousness of the city and in turn boost the spirits and morale of the citizens of Coventry. Coventry has a lot to offer and winning this bid will hopefully help give Coventry the little boost it needs and rightfully deserves.  

If you’d like to find out more about some of the opportunities we have at our digital agency and what we do, get in touch here.