INTRODUCING OUR 2025 HUB COMMISSION!
This year’s Hub Commission has been chosen – and we’re already counting down the days until this magical, interactive project is brought to life as part of our Christmas parade!
The winning proposal is The Magic of Motion, created by Andrew Burton, Denise McCoid & Keith Holmes. It will be displayed during our annual festive parade, which tours the streets of Hull at the start of December (Mon 1st – Thu 4th).
The Magic of Motion is centred on the concept of a giant moving music box, brought to life by musicians, dancers and actors. The project will also contain several large Christmas tree displays, lit by pedal-powered dynamos, and featuring community-built animatronics and hand-crafted props.
This is the third year we have commissioned a project to be showcased during our Christmas parade. A brief was issued to local artists for a project that takes place in the streets and green spaces of our parade neighbourhoods, engages people who attend the events that run alongside the parade, and celebrate the theme of winter.
We received some excellent expressions of interest – and our BtO Hub Members had the difficult task of whittling them down to five artists; each of the five were then asked to submit a detailed proposal and meet some of the BtO team in person to present their ideas.
Once the final submissions were in, another tough task lay ahead for our Hub members, as they had the final say in choosing just one concept they felt would resonate with local audiences and help bring an extra sprinkling of Christmas magic to our special festive event.
After a consultation period in June to review each entry, the Hub members reached a clear decision to name Andrew, Denise and Keith’s project as this year’s winner. Our submission criteria for the Artist Commission includes high quality community engagement – and our Hub members felt that The Magic of Motion met this criteria with ease.
Andrew said: “The Magic of Motion is more than a seasonal attraction—it’s a statement of community, ingenuity, and hope. By blending festive charm with sustainable energy and hands-on creativity, we’ll make a Hull Christmas that people will remember, cherish, and be proud to say: We built this together.”
Our previous Hub commissions:
2024 – Frozen Wonderland by Bluebeany (Anna Bean)
https://backtoours.co.uk/hub-commission-2024-frozen-wonderland-by-bluebeany/
2023 – A Very Gen Z Christmas by Holly Gibbs of Dance in Company
https://backtoours.co.uk/meet-our-2023-hub-commissioned-artist/
2022 – Maniuko (large scale graffiti designs)
Stay tuned to our socials as The Magic of Motion is brought to life over the coming months, ready for our Christmas parade!