Philip Larkin

Hot on the heels of the Larkin Toads winning a second major tourism award last week – Best Event in Yorkshire - Larkin25  is delighted to announce another success, as it reveals the first winners of two new arts awards open to people and organisations in Hull and the East Riding.

This unique creative legacy is funded from the proceeds of the charitable auction of the colourful and highly popular Larkin Toads, which decorated Hull's streets last summer. The arts award will continue on an annual basis for at least the next four years, and aims to support outstanding, new and exciting arts activity in Hull and East Riding.

The inaugural Larkin25 Arts Award has been awarded to Hull-based Theatre Company Ensemble 52. The £3000 Award will allow them to stage a new, specially written piece of theatre, provisionally entitled 'Euphoria'. This vibrant theatre production will reflect all aspects of club culture from illegal raves to corporate nightclubs, from disco to Darby and Joan. Taking place in various venues around Hull's Fruit Market arts quarter, it will be staged in September next year. The play will be written by Dave Windass and Morgon Sproxton and directed by Andrew Pearson.

Andrew Pearson, director of Ensemble 52 said “Winning the Larkin25 Arts Award gives us a terrific opportunity to create a unique piece of work that will engage and thrill audiences. It also shows that the Fruit Market is continuing to develop as the city’s cultural quarter. In a time when funding is under huge pressure, it is great to be part of the Larkin25 initiative”.

This year’s second award - the Larkin25 Words Award for £2000 - has been won by a group of Hull and East Riding based writers and artists. With the working title 'Under Travelling Skies', they will create a book of poems, prose, photographs and paintings responding to the theme of Larkin’s Hull. The book will be accompanied by a short film and an exhibition of paintings which will show in various venues in the city and beyond.

Cliff Forshaw, a member of the group commented “It’s a great honour to win this Award and bring writers, painters, photographers and film-makers together for a truly creative collaboration”.  Contributors will include such distinguished poets as Peter Didsbury, Christopher Reid, Carol Rumens, Maurice Rutherford and David Wheatley, along with the eminent Larkin scholar James Booth, novelist Ray French, poet and short-story writer Kath McKay, poets and painters John Wedgwood Clarke, Cliff Forshaw and Malcolm Watson, film-maker and visual artist Quentin Budworth, musician and writer Amanda Lowe, and writer Mary Aherne.

Chair of the Larkin25 Awards selection panel, Rick Welton said “The main aim of the Larkin25 Awards is to support exceptional, innovative arts activity in Hull and the East Riding. We were very impressed by the high quality of many of the submissions, however the two Award winners were outstanding and we are looking forward to seeing the finished works next year. We think this is a fitting and creative legacy, provided by the very well loved Larkin Toads, directly supports and benefits local artists, and adds to the cultural life of Hull and East Riding”