Ah Gordon, you are a prince. How about a busker's festival? A weekend of music inviting street performers from all over to come and bring music to some Northern city??? (if it is Manchester - I have a dear friend and folkie or two living there... ) When this thread started, I was busking full time, now I am running the family theatre and museum... in NYC or I would be there in a moment for a busker's festival...
You could make it like the flaigh Ceol USED to be in Ireland, encouraging sessions and concerts in every pub... treating buskers like a national treasure. They'd write songs about your city.
I'd even put up a poster for it, out here in New York at Theatre 80.
Best of luck and courage
Lorcan ("Larry") Otway, Esq.
Owner manager of
Theatre 80 Saint Marks and
The Museum of the American Gangster &
William Barnacle Pub
and proud long time busker.