Kirklees Year of Music was a year-long cultural programme designed to celebrate and strengthen the richness and diversity of the region’s musical heritage, using music as a catalyst for community engagement, civic pride and future economic growth across one of the UK’s most deprived areas.
Kirklees Council created the Year of Music with support from Arts Council England and appointed Kallaway to help raise awareness of and participation across the region and reach audiences nationally to start to change how Kirklees may be perceived to increase its potential as a place to visit and work.
To amplify the festival and help the Council achieve its ambitions, we developed Tune into Kirklees - a strategic media relations campaign designed to build cultural relevance, drive participation and reposition perceptions of the region on both a local and national stage.
Rather than simply promoting a programme of events, the campaign focused on telling richer, more human stories about Kirklees through the lens of music, creativity and community. From Herd by Artichoke - featuring 23 musical sheep sculptures created in collaboration with more than 350 local musicians - to performances spanning Beowulf, bhangra and workshops supporting the next generation of creative talent, the programme became a powerful platform to showcase the region’s cultural energy and ambition.
Our regional media strategy ensured a consistent drumbeat of positive coverage that encouraged local audiences to engage, participate and feel pride in the programme and its wider impact. Coverage was secured across BBC regional TV and radio, alongside extensive local press coverage throughout the year.
Nationally, we focused on creating relevance beyond the festival itself - using the Year of Music as a catalyst to challenge outdated perceptions of Kirklees and position it as a place of creativity, opportunity and cultural momentum. This resulted in coverage across The Guardian, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 3, BBC 6 Music, Times Radio, The Times, The Telegraph and The i.
By combining community engagement with nationally relevant storytelling, the campaign helped Kirklees Council drive participation, strengthen civic pride and generate renewed interest in the region as a place to visit, work and invest in.
| 137 | Stories across the media |
| 35M | Audience reach |
| 250,000 | People reached through organic influencer campaign |
| 22,000 | People took an active part in festival events (excluding Herd) |
| 35,000 | People visited Herd, with an average spend of £30 per visitor being spent in the local economy |
| 11,000 | Pupils engaged with the musical education elements |
“We’re so proud of what the Year of Music achieved this year with the support and delivery of Kallaway’s relentless campaign. The PR programme reached hundreds of thousands of people, attracted new visitors to the area; developed new jobs and provided opportunities for local people.”
Cllr Cathy Scott, Leader, Kirklees Council.
