Back To Ours Arts Limited

Back to Ours is a Hull-based arts charity bringing high-quality arts and cultural experiences into neighbourhoods across the city, working with residents to create ambitious, accessible activity rooted in the places and communities we serve.

Back to Ours began as an idea in 2012, became a major part of Hull’s UK City of Culture 2017 programme, became an independent registered charity in 2021, and secured Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation status and multi-year investment in 2023.

Since then, we’ve brought everything from contemporary circus direct from Sydney Opera House to community venues in Hull, to Our City – a major city-wide celebration created with and for local people.

Our 95 Hub Members help shape what we programme and where it happens, including through Programming Poker, a game invented by our CEO Lou Yates that lets people design and debate their dream cultural event for their neighbourhood.

More than £6 million of investment in Back to Ours has supported cultural activity in some of Hull’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. We’ve also served upwards of 50,000 cups of tea through Shindigs and Bransholme Chat, and we own an electric milk float called Flo who helps us get out, meet people and start conversations.

Most importantly, we absolutely love Hull and the people in it.

We are continuing to invest in long-term, resident-led cultural activity across Hull. This includes developing Bransholme Chat as a thriving community space, expanding our neighbourhood-based work, creating new opportunities for local people to shape and produce cultural activity, and delivering ambitious city-wide projects including Our City.

As we move towards our tenth anniversary, we want to build on what has been created over the past decade and strengthen Hull’s reputation for bold, inclusive and community-led cultural work.

Being a Bondholder gives Back to Ours the opportunity to connect with businesses and organisations across the Humber, share the story of Hull’s communities and cultural sector, and build relationships beyond the arts. We value being part of a network that champions the region, encourages collaboration and promotes the Humber as an ambitious place to live, work and invest. 

Watch our video here.