Ships in the Sky

Ships in the Sky is a film, oral history and exhibition project by artist and filmmaker Esther Johnson, supported by Hull Libraries and funded by the James Reckitt Library Trust.
Click here to listen to oral history recordings from the project. More recordings are being added here on a regular basis.
The project explored Hull’s relationship with the giant Alan Boyson mural Three Ships – one of the largest pieces of public art in the UK – also looking at the social history of the building where it currently resides. The life of this iconic building in Hull City Centre has moved from the Co-operative society to a British Home Stores and once contained the Skyline Ballroom, later Bailey’s nightclub and then Romeo’s and Juliet’s.
Untold Hull will work alongside Esther to engage a wide range of people and recruit those who may wish to share their personal memories and photographs which will form the basis of an exhibition that will tour Hull’s libraries over a 12-month period. A film will be also created and a number of talks and special screenings will form part of the programme.
Click here to visit the Ships in the Sky website to learn more about the project and the history of the building.