Raising the profile of Coventry + arts, sports & cultural opportunities
UK City of Culture 2021
Coventry is the UK City of Culture 2021. The City of Culture Trust's story of change sets out how it will ensure the City of Culture programme leads to lasting impacts for the city:
• Coventry citizens positively influence and shape the city they want to live in;
• Coventry's culture contributes to the social and economic prosperity of the city and region;
• Coventry is a global and connected city; and
• Coventry is recognised as a future facing pioneering city.
In 2020-21, the City of Culture Trust experienced a challenging year alongside the rest of the regional and national cultural sector, given that coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions have decimated audiences, participation and income for arts and cultural organisations; and associated jobs in all sorts of creative industries.
Nevertheless, 2020-21 saw the launch of the official branding for the UK City of Culture; and the Trust continuing with lively and innovative online engagement and events in advance of the main programme delivery.
In particular, in 2020-21, the Trust saw efforts to increase and widen participation from all areas of Coventry, in particular, areas with historically lower levels of participation and higher levels of multiple deprivation; developments of and launch of the Cultural Place Profiler to help arts and cultural organisations to plan and deliver programmes to meet the needs and wants of audiences; launch of the official City of Culture branding and initial programme; and the delivery of its first major test event, Coventry Glides, at the Cathedral ruins.
Encouraging investment
Coventry continues to strengthen its position as a key player in the UK's automotive industry. In February 2021, the Council announced its intention to seek funding and planning permission for a new Gigafactory in Coventry. With the automotive industry accelerating its transition to electrified vehicles, battery production is going to be a critical factor in maintaining the UK's competitiveness in the marketplace. And with the new Rules of Origin EU trading regulations set to come into place in the coming years, it is critical for battery production to take place inside the UK. A Gigafactory in Coventry has the potential to create thousands of new jobs, both in the factory and the wider supply chain. And with the development of the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) - the funding for which was successfully secured by CCC in 2017 - as well as additional battery research centres at the University of Warwick and elsewhere in the region, Coventry is the logical choice for a Gigafactory. Coventry Airport has been identified as the site for the new proposal, and up to £500m of government funding is being sought, as well as a key commercial partner for the project. If successful, a Gigafactory in Coventry will make it a global player in the automotive industry for years to come.
Hosting major events
Coventry's Rugby League World Cup fixtures
The Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2021) comes to England in 2021, and tournament organisers revealed in July 2020 the much-anticipated fixture schedule for what promises to be the biggest and best World Cup in the history of the sport. The men's, women's and wheelchair teams all compete at the same time in a major sporting first.
Coventry will be hosting the current men's World Cup holders, Australia as they take on Scotland at The Ricoh Arena. The game will take place on Friday 29 October 2021 and will kick off at 7.30pm.
