Hull Jazz Festival founder to step back after 33 years as director

DAVID PORTER will step back from the role of director at the Hull Jazz Festival at the end of this year, as the festival finds a new partnership and a new home.

The festival, founded by Porter in 1992, will join forces with jazz production company J-Night, Hull Music Hub and the Hull City Council arts development team and will take place in the Albemarle Music Centre.

Porter has been a producer, promoter, evaluator and mentor for 50 years and has worked as director across a range of art forms at institutions such as Lyric Studio Theatre, Hammersmith, York Arts Centre and the Hull and Ilkley Literature Festivals.

He was Hull’s first city arts officer from 1991 to 1995 during which he set up the city’s jazz festival, which delivers a year-round programme.

He sits on the board of Hull Music Hub and currently chairs Jazz North’s Talent Developers Forum.

Porter said: “It is great that the festival is in such safe hands. In particular we are all excited that talent development and commissioning opportunities will continue for Hull artists.”

As part of its ‘Out of the Box’ umbrella strategy, the festival champions “new music of all genres through its programmes” in a “unique model for a jazz festival, which will have young people at its heart, working alongside the most innovative jazz artists in the UK”.

Head of Hull Music Service JAMES DICKINSON said it was “very exciting” that the Service and Albemarle Music Centre would become the festival’s new home.

“David has made an outstanding contribution to music making in Hull, and the Hull Jazz Festival and Out of the Box are his legacy to the city which we now have a responsibility to continue to promote and champion.”