The day 3,200 naked blue people took to the streets of Hull

Ten years ago, the people of Hull were preparing for their year as UK City of Culture in an unlikely way - by stripping naked and painting themselves blue.

The Sea of Hull art installation involved 3,200 men and women, who paraded through the streets and past historic landmarks as a blue mass while being photographed.

Now, participants in Spencer Tunick's shoot that day in 2016 have been asked to share their memories of an unforgettable experience.

The Ferens Art Gallery is collecting their stories as part of its centenary celebrations next year.

Hull Museums and Galleries audience and programmes manager Malcolm Dunn was one of those who took part, and recalls being taken aback by the sight of naked people "lying down on Parliament Street and bending over in front of the Guildhall".

"I made sure that I was right against the wall, and there was nobody behind me," he remembers.

"I've heard a lot of people say that even up to the point of arriving in Queen's Gardens in the morning, they still weren't sure if they were actually going to take that final step (and undress).

"There's so many stories like that - people saying, well, I didn't really know why I signed up for it, and I was slightly dubious right up to the moment that Spencer said, 'Right, go and take your clothes off' - but everybody did it."

New York-based photographer Tunick was commissioned to oversee the project by the Ferens as part of Hull's City of Culture events programme in 2017.

The blue body paint was to represent water, and they posed in front of some of Hull's most celebrated buildings, many of them associated with its maritime past.

Dunn says the day was daunting, but a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Once everybody was undressed and once the paint was applied, it was like everything changed- you really didn't notice that everybody had no clothes on."

This weekend the gallery is open between 11:00-15:00 BST and showing a film about the day alongside a display of images. Anyone contributing a memory card will be invited to cast their handprint in blue.

Dunn says participants who visited the Ferens on Friday talked about how the event had boosted their confidence, and some said they had made lasting friendships among the 3,200.

"It's like it happened yesterday - people talk about it so passionately. I'm quite taken aback by it really.

"It's been really nice for people to actually see the photos again, bringing back those memories."

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