The Hull & East Yorkshire Creative Charter asks businesses and organisations to pledge their support for arts, culture and heritage through advocacy, collaboration and – most importantly – action.
The Deep is a compelling example of what that looks like in practice. As one of Hull’s most iconic visitor attractions and a founding signatory of the Creative Charter, The Deep has been active across all four commitments over the past year, uniting with, advocating for and growing the sector – as well as working to make it more inclusive.
Here’s how The Deep has brought each one to life.
Uniting business and culture
From collaborating with universities and cultural organisations to opening its spaces for creative partnerships, The Deep has actively connected with the cultural sector.
They’ve supported film students from the University of York, partnered with the Aura Innovation Centre to bring 3D-printed plankton to life for visitors, and worked with Unusual Projects on a brand-new habitat themed around the USS Kittiwake shipwreck — blending scientific storytelling with creative design.
Their site has also hosted performances and creative activity from organisations including Hull Deaf Centre and local authors, creating opportunities for cultural practitioners to reach new audiences within a major visitor attraction.
By opening their doors to collaborators and cross-sector partnerships, The Deep continues to play a practical role in connecting with the region’s creative and cultural ecosystem.
Advocating for the region – and its cultural vibrancy
The Deep uses its reach to champion what Hull and East Yorkshire has to offer, regularly pointing visitors towards the city’s free museums, independent artists and creatives on Humber Street, and local produce in their café.
They hosted the ‘Humber Star’ rat as part of the ‘A Mischief of Rats’ trail, installed a seagrass sculpture in The Deep’s car park designed by local artist Emma Stothard, and are a proud Place Brand Ambassador for Future Humber‘s Humber Place Narrative.
Members of The Deep’s team sit on the Board for HEY Creative and support Freedom Festival Arts Trust, putting their expertise directly in service of the region’s cultural infrastructure. The Deep is also a formal partner of four-day arts and science extravaganza, ColliderFest.
Helping culture grow
The Deep has taken an active role in supporting the development of culture across our region. Music has been a particular focus of the last year, as Hull prepared a bid for UNESCO City of Music designation. Students from the University of Hull composed original ocean-inspired pieces now playing throughout the aquarium, and Sheffield-based charity Music in the Round used The Deep as a unique filming venue for workshops distributed to local schools. The aquarium also welcomed Unlimited Voices Travel to perform for its visitors, helping to put the region on the map as a welcoming destination for creatives to share their passion.
Last but not least, fellow Creative Charter signatory Hull Trains filmed a promotional video on site with local Faithful Jack Marriner-Brown for English Tourism Week!
Making culture inclusive
The Deep works hard to ensure that the culture it supports and hosts is as accessible as possible. Square Peg, a local inclusive community arts organisation, delivered eight free creative workshops in The Deep’s Education Rooms over the year, with the resulting artwork displayed in Reception during the Easter holidays.
ArtWorks Yorkshire, a not-for-profit supporting adults with learning disabilities through creative workshops, brought a group on site, creating marine life-inspired pieces that formed a temporary exhibition. And The Deep partnered with local school The Hub to design and build bug hotels from unwanted materials, now providing homes for native species on site.
What this shows: creativity at the heart of our region
The Deep’s year as a Charter signatory shows what’s possible when an organisation brings genuine passion – and creativity – to all four commitments. Our ‘One Year On’ survey found that 76% of Charter members increased their support of arts, culture and heritage over the past year. The Deep is a powerful example of what that looks like in practice, and a reminder of the difference it can make to the region’s cultural life when businesses and charities like The Deep truly get behind it.
As Dominic Gibbons, Chair of HEY Creative, said at the Charter’s launch: “Together, through the power of arts and culture, we can unleash valuable potential for individuals, communities, businesses and the wider region.” The Deep’s first year as a signatory is a compelling demonstration of just that.
If your organisation would like to find out more about the Creative Charter or sign up, click here. Charter members can also use our newly updated Signatory Toolkit to communicate their support and make the case for culture across their networks.