How culture and innovation are shaping Coventry’s future

The ruins of the 14th-century Coventry Cathedral stand as a reminder of the blitz the city suffered in 1941. (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)

It should all have been so different for Coventry. In 2017, Hull started its year as the UK City of Culture with a spectacular display in its main square. This immediately captured the imagination of the public and the national press. Coventry, upon being named City of Culture for 2021, will have had similar ambitions. Then Covid-19 struck.

Coventry has acquired, like many British cities that suffered a post-war industrial decline, an ‘unfashionable’ tag. Indeed, when The Specials – who hail from Coventry and are perhaps one of the coolest bands to have ever come from the UK – had a number one hit in 1981 with the single Ghost Town, despite the fact the song was not solely about Coventry, its bleak message became associated with the city that lies at the bottom corner of the West Midlands region. The City of Culture celebrations were Coventry’s chance to banish those ghosts. There is hope within its boundaries, however, that all is not lost.