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Culture in Liverpool

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#1 · (Edited)
http://www.liverpool08.com/AboutUs/YourQuestions/index.asp

Culture Uncovered - Your Questions Answered
What is the European Capital of Culture?
The European Capital of Culture programme gives Europe an ideal opportunity to celebrate the culture of Europe's great cities and to involve the community in that celebration. There will be a new European Capital of Culture every year from 2005 onwards. In 2008 the European Capital of Culture will be in the UK and Liverpool beat off 11 other contenders for the title.

Who's behind the Capital of Culture?
The Liverpool Culture Company is the organisation set up by Liverpool City Council to deliver the culture programme up to and beyond 2008. However, everyone is involved. Working with the stakeholders is critical to making this happen, including cultural institutions, communities, creative industries, artists, schools and businesses.

What is Culture?
Our definition of culture is broad. Culture is everything from arts and entertainment to music and sport. The art on offer in our city is second to none and was a major factor in us being awarded Capital of Culture status. Eight world-class museums and galleries, a contemporary arts festival to rival Venice, a dedicated centre for arts and creative technology, FACT, among other world-class venues. Liverpool has also created one of the largest funding packages for community art in the UK. More than 80 groups have benefitted from Creative Communities grants which have triggered multi-million pound match funding.

Why is the Capital of Culture title for us all?
Liverpool is already known around the world for its maritime heritage, architecture, music and sport. The Capital of Culture title will place the city firmly on the global map. One and a half milllion extra visitors are expected to attend the many world-class festivals and events that will take place in the run-up to and including 2008.

Everyone can play their part, from performing to volunteering. For more information on volunteering click on Liverpool Welcome on the left hand side.

How will the Capital of Culture title benefit Liverpool?
Between now and 2008, and beyond, Liverpool will benefit from literally billions of pounds worth of investment, thousands of new jobs and massive regeneration which will see it reborn as a premier European city - one with a more competitive economy, healthier, safer and more involved communities and one where everyone has more opportunities to have a better life. In 1990, Glasgow was the last UK city to have the Capital of Culture status, and experienced substantial economic and social benefits during its period as the City of Culture, both strengthening and promoting its own impressive regeneration.

What will happen between now and 2008?
The years 2005 to 2007 are the 'dress rehearsals' for the grand finale of the 12-month festival in 2008. During this time we will be strengthening our impressive events programme and attracting new high profile events. We will also continue to work with hundreds of community organisations and thousands of residents to help build enthusiasm, creativity and participation for Capital of Culture.

In the build up to the Liverpool European Capital of Culture in 2008, each year will have a special theme to highlight different aspects of the city's unique culture and to hone our ability to deliver world-class events.

2005 Sea Liverpool
2005 celebrates Liverpool's maritime legacy featuring, among many other highlights, the 25th annual Mersey River Festival, the start of the Clipper Round the World Yatch Race and culminating in the bi-centennial celebration of the Battle of Trafalgar.

2006 Liverpool Performs
2006 will celebrate Liverpool's amazing track record in performance, from the stage to the gallery, from the football pitch to the boardroom. Highlights include the 4th Liverpool Biennial and the British Golf Open Championship, returning to Hoylake, Wirral, for the first time in 38 years. It will also include 'a city in transition' using international and local artists in developing artistic programmes to explore the changes in Liverpool.

2007 Liverpool's 800th Birthday
King John granted the charter for Liverpool's city status way back in 1207, so get ready for one hexk of a birthday party in 2007. Look forward to a whole year of festivals and activities showcasing 800 years of heritage, culminating in the official birthday celebrations on 28th August 2007. It's a great time to re-connect with long-lost friends and family across the world.

What will happen in 2008?
Where do we start? Liverpool's 2008 programme will be Europe's biggest and most diverse celebration of culture with more than 50 international festivals in art, architecture, ballet, comedy, cinema, food, literature, music, opera, science and theatre. 2008 is set to involve one billion people from more than 60 countries, across five continents. Events confirmed for 2008 so far include: Sir Simon Rattle to conduct the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; the 5th Liverpool Biennial; European Amateur Boxing Championships; The Open at Royal Birkdale; the start of the Tall Ships Race; and the homecoming of the 07-08 Clipper Round the World Yatch Race.

Is it just for visitors or can local people get involved?
A major aim of Liverpool 08 is to harness the wealth of artistic and creative talent of our people. Local people form the heart of our programme and this year we will escalate the number of community initiatives on the journey towards 2008 and beyond. From a festival for children taking its first steps in 2005, through to building on the successes of Goodbye Litter and our neighbourhood programmes, to dealing with serious issues that impact on the health of our city, such as the 'Its Not OK' violence and young people project, there is literally something for everyone to participate in.

Who is funding the Capital of Culture?
Capital of Culture is funded by both public and private sector organisations. We have already achieved success in sponsorship from the private sector and support from government agencies.

How will the city change as a result of Liverpool 2008?
Work is well underway on regenerating the city in time for 2008. Construction has started on Europe's biggest city centre redevelopment scheme which is creating a new heart for Liverpool. The £900 million Grosvenor project will see 2 million square feet of new leisure and retail space created, with 30 new buildings including two department stores and two hotels.

The £400 million King's Waterfront development will bring a concert arena, conference facilities, hotels, residential and leisure uses to the banks of the Mersey. In addition, work is underway on a new £15 million state-of-the-art cruise liner facility. And that's not all, building work will continue to 2015 and beyond.
 
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#61 ·
Interesting news for the `sub region` - Liverpools back garden?

liverpolitan said:
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/...ne=n-wales-may-join-city-party-name_page.html

Good news from across the modern "border" (of course, Offas **** was set further back)
"Llandudno was designed by Liverpool architect Owen Williams as a seaside getaway for city residents in the 1800s."

Cllr Parry said: "What better combination could there be than the queen of the Welsh resorts meeting up with the city of culture in 2008?

"When tourists arrive in Liverpool, we want to show them what there is in the city's back garden."

:eek2:


Now if only there was a decent rail service and or connections.

:runaway:
 
#63 ·
City Year of Performance programme is unveiled

By Sam Lister, Daily Post. Jan 27 2006

DETAILS of every event being labelled part of Liverpool's Year of Performance were yesterday unveiled by culture boss Robyn Archer. The artistic director has put together a programme for the next 11 months which she hopes will change perceptions of Liverpool and allow people to "broaden their horizons". It includes the European premieres of shows Super Vision, a look at Big Brother-style surveillance, and The End of Cinematics, an insight into the world of film. All the events are listed in a brochure which will arrive on doormats at every house in Liverpool today.

Liverpool Performs, the fourth of the themed years in the run-up to 2008, is seen as a trial run to the city's reign as Capital of Culture. Ms Archer insisted the high-brow programme of events would reach local as well as national and international audiences. She said: "This gives a good indication of where we are heading in 2008. The best we can do is to change people's minds about Liverpool. The city is in a profound moment of change. The 06 programme is very much a tester for 2008. If there are any slips this year then that's why we did it. It has been a hustle to get to this point, but I think it's been well worth it. What is popular? Does it simply mean something that attracts hundreds of thousands of people? You cannot get close to those artists, they come and rake in an enormous amount of money, do the gig then go away. Or is it an artist that wants to work with the local community and wants to stay longer than just a night? We are bringing people in who want to spend time here and are interested in the city. We need to be broadening horizons. Everybody in Liverpool has a ferocious appetite for the new. If we get this right it will serve as a model for other places. That would be part of the legacy of 2008.

The six showpiece events for 2006, which are from artists based in United States or Canada, will also feature the UK premiere of the Carbon Copy Building, dubbed "comic book music theatre". The piece, which has won an OBIE award for Best New American Work, examines the lives of people living in two buildings which have the same footprint.

The brochure, Liverpool Performs 2006, has a month by month breakdown of events in the city between now and December. It also lists long-standing events such as the Grand National, the Mathew Street Festival and even the derby between Liverpool and Everton. But Ms Archer insisted Liverpool Culture Company was investing and improving such events, not just attaching their logo to them. She said: "This is not simply about putting a lasso around things. This has been a carefully curated brochure. The Culture Company will today announce its plans for its sports programme for Liverpool Performs. It is expected to include the formation of a new sports world ranking and sponsorship deals for the Grand National.

Events for Liverpool Performs 2006 are:
* Super Vision; A collaboration between New York's The Builders Association and digital media company dbox, the performance looks at surveillance and how it has affected everyday life. Royal Court, May 4-6
* Trisha Brown Dance Company; Contempory art dance group led by world renowned choreographer Trisha Brown. Playhouse, June 7-8
* Bang on a Can All-Stars; Part rock band and part jazz band it will perform arrangements from Brian Eno's ambient classic Music for Airports.Philharmonic Hall, October 4.
* Scrap Arts Music; A family show featuring five musicians who play a fusion of world music on instruments they have made from scrap metal. Royal Court, October 10.
* Bang on a Can - The Carbon Copy Building; "A comic book music theatre" takes a behind-the-scene tour of urban life. Comic book artist Ben Katchor's words and drawings brought to life with music by Bang on a Can. Royal Court, October 25-26
* End of Cinematics; 'Hollywood special effects'. Royal Court, November 16-18.

Still no answers from artistic director on doubts over her visa and plans to work in Liverpool CULTURE company supremo Robyn Archer yesterday again refused to say whether she holds a visa during her first face-to-face interview since doubts were raised about her working status.The artistic director, who lives in Australia, is due to take up her position in the city full-time from March. But earlier this month it emerged she did not have the correct permit to take up the job and had not signed her contract.When asked when she would be starting work in Liverpool full-time, an obviously irritated Ms Archer said: "That is a stupid question. I do not respond to gossip and rumour. Life is too short." She has been working part time from her Australian office as well as making trips to Liverpool. When pressed on the issue, she refused to clarify her current status, adding: "Would I have been able to produce this (the 06 brochure) if I was not working full time?That's the end of the matter as far as I'm concerned, I'm drawing a line under it.

Ms Archer was brought in as the artistic director, responsible for producing the programme of celebrations for 2008, two years ago. She has more than a decade's experience in organising large scale international events and her CV also includes prestigious positions such as artistic director of the National Festival of Australian Theatre.
 
#64 ·
Bring on the new and keep the sour grapes for yourself bebe

Culture Capital fears as Team Liverpool crumbles

By Andy Kelly, Daily Post

WHEN Charlie Parker spoke on his final day as Liverpool's regeneration director last week, he used one word above any other - team. What we have witnessed over the last few months is the systematic dismantling of "Team Liverpool".

Yesterday saw the most significant departure yet, that of chief executive Sir David Henshaw, the man most responsible for gathering that group together.
It was not unexpected, of course. Most had expected Sir David's departure before the end of last year.

If he had any lingering hopes that his days in Dale Street could continue, they would have evaporated on December 5 last year. That was the evening Warren Bradley won a decisive victory in a vote of Lib-Dem councillors to become the new leader of Liverpool.

Cllr Bradley had been groomed for the leadership by Cllr Mike Storey, the man whose resignation had prompted the vote. With a supporter of Cllr Storey - Sir David's nemesis - back in charge, his position had finally become untenable.

But what no one was banking on was the fact that the chief executive would be only one of a number of high-profile departures. The city has not only lost the team captain, but a lot of other key players as well.

The aforementioned Mr Parker, executive director for regeneration. Gone. His deputy Tom McCabe. Gone. City solicitor Graeme Creer. Gone. With Sir David's departure, the future of two of his most trusty lieutenants, executive directors David McElhinney and Phil Halsall, will also be called into question.

With the city's 800th birthday in 2007 and Capital of Culture now looming large, the lack of senior public servants in place is deeply concerning.
Sir David's departure also highlights the lack of leadership at the Culture Company, where he has been acting chief executive.

The job was finally advertised earlier this month but an appointment could be months away. Australian artistic director Robyn Archer has still not revealed whether or not she has got a visa to work in Liverpool. And it is not a situation which is likely to be swiftly rectified.

Headhunters are in place to track down replacements for Tom McCabe and Charlie Parker (though significantly not for the Culture Company role) and will be used for the chief executive's post, but it is a long process.

Last night David Hunt, director of Liverpool-based Alexander James executive search, said: "You are looking at a typical three-month search period before you even get to the offer stage. Then whoever you appoint is almost certain to be in a job requiring a three to six month notice period.They'll be lucky to have anyone in place by the end of the year."

As Sir David himself said in reference to the Culture Company job: "Anyone who is readily available is not someone who will be good enough for Liverpool." But that situation leaves a worrying vacuum at the Town Hall, and the natives are growing restless.

As one leading businessman said last night: "We've got an inexperienced council leader and a load of empty desks which should be filled with senior executives. How does that look as we're trying to deliver an unforgettable experience?"

There is, however, a significant upside to the departures. Many in the business community had lost faith in the upper echelons of the council and felt a change was needed. There is now a chance for the new man or woman to start with a clean slate.

andykelly@dailypost.co.uk
 
#65 ·
A new chapter for book fans .....

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/...ne=a-new-chapter-for-book-fans-name_page.html

A new chapter for book fans Feb 9 2006

Exclusiveby Nick Coligan, Liverpool Echo

ONE MILLION books will be on the shelves of Liverpool's revamped Central Library.

The £50m redevelopment will double the library's shelf space, holding more works than ever.

About 350,000 books will be available for people to browse at any one time, but they will be frequently rotated from the million-strong pool.

Currently, visitors can choose from only around 150,000, with the rest shelved in 19th century library's storerooms.

Liverpool council has spent years planning Central Library's transformation, and will send their proposals to the government tomorrow.

Ministers should then rubber-stamp the £47.9m scheme, allowing the council to start a Europe-wide search for a developer to carry out the work.

Joyce Little, head of Liverpool's libraries, said: "The current building is magnificent but is in urgent need of restoration.

"Developments over the last century have left a building that is confusing to find your way around and has inadequate visitor facilities.

"The new Central Library will make the reading experience exciting and stimulating."

Central Library, which was one of the country's first libraries when it was built in 1852, will close for two years while the refit takes place.

The building in William Brown Street will be given a new entrance, an archive centre and space for 250 computers.

The classic Picton, Hornby and Oak reading rooms will also be restored to their former glory.

Central Library's collection includes letters from Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Florence Nightingale and George Stephenson.

nick.coligan@liverpool.com
 
#66 ·
Talk the walk so you can talk the talk .....

http://www.merseyside.org.uk/displaypage.asp?page=31

Talk the walk so you can talk the talk

As Liverpool gears up to be European Capital of Culture 2008 tourism officials are making sure that everybody in local industry is fully briefed on what is going on in the city.

The Mersey Partnership (TMP), in conjunction with Liverpool Culture Company, has launched 'Talk the Walk', a series of guided walking and coach tours designed to improve city centre workers' knowledge about the changing face of Liverpool. The tours will help improve the reception offered to visitors, which forms part of the Liverpool Welcome initiative.

The 'Talk the Walk' programme comprises two tours - a 'Coach Talk' and a 'Talk Walk'. The 'Coach Talk' starts in William Brown Street at World Museum Liverpool and takes in the city centre, waterfront area and South Liverpool. The 'Talk Walk' starts at the 08 Place, taking in the Radio City Tower to look at the changing Liverpool skyline and the new Liverpool One development from the viewing platform at Paradise Street.

The tours are free of charge and led by a fully qualified Mersey guide. Places per walk are strictly limited and must be booked in advance. Coach Talks start at 9.30am and Talk Walks at 2pm. Both tours last no more than 90 minutes.

The tours are aimed primarily at people working in the tourism, leisure, hospitality and transport industries but would also be suitable for anyone interested in the regeneration of the city or those having frontline contact with visitors*.

Martin King, Director of Tourism at The Mersey Partnership, said:
"We would encourage all local businesses to send their staff on these tours. With the increasing number of tourists, investors and decision-makers visiting the region we need to make sure every one of our workers is fully briefed about what is going on all around them."


· Talk the Walk is promoted by The Mersey Partnership as part of its contribution to The Liverpool Welcome and European Capital of Culture.
· Tours are not open to the General Public
 
#67 ·
SOME reckon Liverpool beer Cains tastes perfect - but the brewer has just made it better by tapping into a natural spring beneath the Toxteth site.

Now all its beers are brewed using the spring water which bubbles through the bedrock 175ft beneath the Stanhope Street plant.

The spring was a key reason why the original brewery was established there more than 200 years ago. Founder Robert Cain bought the site and the spring so he could guarantee the purity of his pint.

But a century ago the plant switched to conventional water supplies.

Now, after a £250,000 investment in new technology, current owners Sudarghara and Ajmail Dusanj have re-established the historic link with Cains' natural liquid asset.

The Dusanj brothers had heard rumours of the underground spring and decided to investigate further.

Sudarghara said: "To us it's the equivalent of a vineyard finding a secret cellar full of vintage wine it didn't know existed.

"It's a fantastic asset for a brewery to have its own water source. As soon as we knew about it we began looking into how we could use it again.

"We're very passionate about the quality and authenticity of the ingredients we use and are keen to stick to the original recipes that made Cains famous - and that includes using the same water source.

"A lot of money has been spent putting in sophisticated filtration equipment which allows us to tap into the underground source and we have been trialing the water just to make sure that they tasted as great as we hoped they would.

"The feedback has been excellent. "Our brewing team and staff have been tasting selected beers brewed with the water for the past six months and are delighted with the quality, flavour and consistency."

Liverpool council leader Warren Bradley said: "Liverpool has always been proud of its own brewery, now we have our own water making our own beer in our city."
 
#70 ·
Oh go on then ..... just the one

Fitzroy said:
Cains --> capital of culture beer?
How very `hip and hic` :) :cheers:
 
#71 ·
Daily Post and Echo sign £2m Capital of Culture deal .....

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/...und-2m-capital-of-culture-deal-name_page.html

Daily Post and Echo sign £2m Capital of Culture deal Feb 14 2006

By Sam Lister Daily Post Staff

THE Liverpool Daily Post and its sister title, the Liverpool Echo, today announce a £2m deal to become official partners of the European Capital of Culture 2008.

It is the latest in a string of major sponsorship deals secured by Liverpool Culture Company which are crucial to the funding of the celebrations in less than two years' time..

The deal, which is worth £2m in a combination of cash and marketing support, opens up a range of new publishing opportunities for the newspapers' parent company, Trinity Mirror North West and North Wales.

They are the eighth official partners to sign up alongside lawyers Hill Dickinson, United Utilities, Radio City 96.7, Enterprise Plc, North West Regional Development Agency, Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank and Sayers.

Sara Wilde, Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Regional Managing Director, said: "The Liverpool Echo and Liverpool Daily Post are part of the fabric of Liverpool. Our papers have a heritage stretching back to 1855 and we will continue to be at the heart of the city's culture.

"We see ourselves as playing a hugely important role in providing the oxygen of publicity to the '08 programme of activity and beyond.

"Our titles are read by three-quarters of the population on Merseyside and will play a key role in galvanising the local community and our readers and advertisers at this crucial time for the city."

Daily Post editor Jane Wolstenholme added: "Being named European Capital of Culture was one of the biggest good news stories in Liverpool's history.

"We were determined to be a part of it. Now, as the preparations for 2008 gather momentum, being an official partner will allow the Liverpool Daily Post to play an integral role. We couldn't be prouder to be on board."

Today, a plane will fly a banner over the Liverpool skyline to celebrate the announcement.

As well as in the Daily Post and Echo, Capital of Culture will be promoted in the company's extensive portfolio of weekly newspapers and magazines across Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and West Yorkshire. Altogether they have a combined readership of more than 1.7m, which is 75% of the region's population. All newspapers will however remain editorially independent.

Liverpool's European Capital of Culture status is predicted to attract an estimated £3bn of investment, and attract an extra 1.7m visitors to the city.

Around one third of Liverpool businesses are planning to invest in their company ahead of the Capital of Culture year in 2008.

Cllr Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool City Council, said: "This deal with Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales will get the '08 message on to the high street and to millions of people - not just in Liverpool but right across the region. For the company, which publishes great media brands such as the Liverpool Echo and Liverpool Daily Post, to see the benefits of being part of 2008 is a great boost to our plans."

Jason Harborow, Chief Operating Officer of Liverpool Culture Company, said: "Our portfolio of partners demonstrates business is backing Liverpool '08 in a big way. With Trinity's support, the culture company now has the ability to reach more than five million people and tell them the exciting plans we have in store for '08."

samlister@dailypost.co.uk
 
#74 ·
Liverpool Culture Company to continue indefinitely

Feb 15 2006. Sam Lister, Daily Post

THE organisation behind Liverpool's Capital of Culture celebrations is set to stay in the city until 2015, the Daily Post can reveal. Executives are drawing up a business plan that will secure the team's future once Liverpool's reign is over. They want to continue signing up private investors as well as winning public sector cash to fund cultural events in the city well into the next decade.If it proves successful Liverpool Culture Company could continue indefinitely.

Cllr Berni Turner, executive member for environment and heritage, was given special responsibility for the city's post-08 culture strategy in the council's cabinet reshuffle last month. She said: "2008 is the springboard from which we jump to greater heights. "This is a new role created specifically to ensure the city has a true lasting legacy. What happens from 2009 onwards is vital and we need a very clear strategy. Some streams of funding will no longer be available so we must plan properly and creatively to ensure it is a great success." The culture company was set up in 2000 with a staff of just five to bid for the title. Since then it has grown into a 100-strong department with a £95m budget. The organisation would continue to canvass private support on the back of the reputation it builds during the 08 celebrations.
That money would help to maintain the momentum built up during the reigning year and secure Liverpool's status as an international cultural tourist destination. The team's remit would be to continue attracting big festivals, international events, theatre premiers and other cultural attractions.
Council leader Warren Bradley said: "We are not going to shut up shop on December 31, 2008 and say that's it, it's all over. There is a robust structure in place that will see more regular funding than any other council in the country. "Hopefully, at the end of 08 they will be self sustainable. We have got a long term strategy, the infrastructure is already here. We are looking at the future."

The business plan is expected to go before the culture company's executive board and Liverpool City Council for approval this year. Yesterday the Daily Post and its sister paper the Liverpool Echo announced it had become the eighth official partner of the 08 celebrations in a £2m deal. A plane declaring our support was flown over the city to mark the special new partnership.

Jason Harborow, chief operating officer, is confident the private sector investment will continue. He said: "We want to ensure there is a real legacy."
 
#76 ·
City of tattered dreams

From today's Guardian. A piece by David Ward

Interesting illustration of journalistic lack of research,attitude and angles too. Also, obviously written before the landing stage had a few problems



When Liverpool was named the European Capital of Culture for 2008, everyone rejoiced. But, three years on, with feuds rumbling and projects abandoned, there's still no sign of the major events promised.

The Mersey waterfront in Liverpool is both a world heritage site and one of the draughtiest places in western Europe; today a biting east wind is bullying the 16 flags that line the path from the maritime museum to the Pier Head.
Look closely and you will see that each flag announces that Liverpool will be European Capital of Culture in 2008 - but also that each flag is ragged and grubby. To your right lies an empty Porsche car showroom. By now it should have been flattened to create a spectacular site for the Cloud, a shimmering building designed for this space by the architect Will Alsop. Plans for the Cloud stirred up huge controversy, not least because no one seemed to know what was going to go in the building, but they helped win Liverpool the culture title. Now it will not be built because the money for it has already been diverted to other, less iconic, projects.


Sad flags and failed ambition: inauspicious signs, with less than two years to go, for what is meant to be a year of celebration for Liverpool.
When news broke in June 2003 that Liverpool had, perhaps to its own surprise, won the big prize, the city rejoiced: this would be the crowning glory in the renaissance of a faded seaport finally stirring after a long period of decline. Everyone was behind the project. "If one had to say one thing swung it for Liverpool, it would have to be that there was a greater sense there that the whole city is involved in the bid and behind the bid," said Sir Jeremy Isaacs, the chairman of the judges.

But what did the whole city think capital of culture was about? A glorious high-art cultural festival, a kind of year-long Edinburgh? A community knees-up that would have them dancing in the streets of Toxteth and Speke? Or a chance to show the world that Liverpool, a bit later than several other British cities, was heavily into economic regeneration and dockside apartments?
The message was never clear - and it still isn't. Today the euphoria has faded and, with 22 months to go, it is hard to say what is actually going to happen in 2008.

What has certainly not helped is a poisonous feud between two of the men most deeply involved in the capital of culture bid. Liverpool council's leader, Mike Storey, and the council's chief executive, Sir David Henshaw, danced with delight when Liverpool won the title. A year later, they fell out. Storey criticised Henshaw for his lack of progress on a £170m tram system for Liverpool. It all went very wrong.

Storey resigned last November and Henshaw - who had also taken on the job of chief executive of the Liverpool Culture Company, which manages the 2008 project - has also decided to quit. He leaves the council this month.
While the feud has been rumbling on, other projects have faltered. The National Museums Liverpool announced a Cloud replacement, a £65m Museum of Liverpool. But the x-shaped building came under fire for being unworthy of a world heritage site. Then the Heritage Lottery Fund turned down an application for a grant of £11.4m to fit it out. An appeal is planned, but even if it goes ahead, the building will not be finished by 2008.

Support for 2008 is still there. But many in Liverpool are increasingly impatient to know what the big year will bring. Fear not, says the Culture Company: "Liverpool's 2008 programme will be Europe's biggest and most diverse celebration of culture, with more than 50 international festivals in art, architecture, ballet, comedy, cinema, food, literature, music, opera, science and theatre," boasts the LCC website.

Which sounds great. But this may be a triumph of aspiration over concrete detail; in private, some of the city's big cultural players are talking gloomily of a lack of substance. You would, for example, have thought that Sir Paul McCartney, who has done more for Liverpool than most, would by now have been signed up for a great 2008 gig. But nothing has been arranged.
Of course, there are plans; Robyn Archer, artistic director of Capital of Culture, is said to be scouring the world for delights to bring to Merseyside. Some things, suggesting that a broad definition is being applied to the word "culture", are known: Sir Simon Rattle, former timpanist with the Merseyside Youth Orchestra, is coming home from Berlin to conduct the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. The World Firefighter Games will be coming to Liverpool, as will the European amateur boxing championships. The Open golf championship will be held at Royal Birkdale (more Southport than Liverpool), there'll be the start of the tall ships race and the end of the clipper round-the-world yacht race.

But that is about all we know with any certainty and Archer is giving little away. When appointed in 2004, she said she had a million ideas in her head. Since then she has dropped few hints about what is to come, suggesting only that some, if not all, will be revealed in the autumn. To the frustration of local media keen to know what is going to be happening, Archer, an acclaimed cabaret singer and festival director, is based in Australia and will not be working full-time on the 2008 Liverpool project until April 1. Attempts to contact her by email lead only to replies from press officers in Liverpool.
"She is talking and thinking 100% about Liverpool, even if she isn't in the city," a spokesman says, but Liverpool's journalists are not entirely appeased by such assurances. One refers to 2008 as "capital of cobblers"; another talks of "a complete ****-up from the beginning". "There has been a massive breakdown in communications, public relations and credibility," claims a third.

What is lacking, argues Peter Kilfoyle, MP for Liverpool Walton, is clarity. "Culture capital needs to notch its act up three gears and communicate a clearer vision to the people of Liverpool, never mind anybody else, about how this is going to be Liverpool's year of culture," he says.
David Fleming, director of National Museums Liverpool, is confident that there is no looming 2008 crisis. "But communications need to improve from the [Liverpool] Culture Company. In a city such as Liverpool, if people are asking questions, you have to answer them. You cannot say, 'You'll have to wait.' That's like blowing oxygen on to a fire." With Archer unavailable, Jason Harborow is left to deal with the prophets of doom. Harborow, LCC's chief operating officer, was this week appointed its chief executive - his the appointment is "interim", lasting only until the autumn.

"Twenty-two months out, we have the most organised and efficient capital of culture there has ever been," says Harborow. "The highlights of 2008 will be announced in the autumn. Never before in the history of capitals of culture has that happened. Patras [this year's capital] has still not announced its highlights for 2006. Cork announced its programme eight weeks before the start of its year. "We have always said we will not announce our artistic programme until contracts are signed and artists committed and it would be foolish to start talking about ifs and maybes. The cultural organisations in the city have received a briefing about what our plans are and they are delighted with that."

Lewis Biggs, director of the Liverpool Biennial (which, in 2004, stirred things up a bit by hanging huge Yoko Ono posters of female breasts and pubic triangles), takes a measured view. "I think there is a lack of clear thinking about the whole situation, both within the Culture Company and those criticising the process," he says. "It is a complicated and many-layered situation.

"Robyn Archer is employed to deliver an international arts festival. She isn't employed to create a programme of community development. But at the moment no distinction is being made between those things. Consequently, those looking for an arts festival say all they hear about is community things. And those who, because they live in a deprived neighbourhood, ask, 'What's in it for me?', and don't know [what to expect]. But there doesn't seem to be a recognition that there are different answers to those different questions.
"I'm quite sure there will be a fantastic programme in 2008 - because there is a fantastic programme most years in Liverpool which most people don't know enough about."

Time to hit the streets and look at all the cranes creating (or about to create) the new Liverpool: the £390m arena and conference centre at King's Dock; the huge £92m (sic) Paradise Street redevelopment scheme forging ahead across the road from the Albert Dock; the £15m cruise liner terminal on which work is due to start soon. Cranes are easier to see than cultural programmes. At the Pier Head, Steve Cogley is checking the tickets of those about to embark on the famous Mersey ferry. Asked about capital of culture, his face lights up.

"I think it's wonderful," he says. "It's putting us on the map again where we should be. It will bring improvements, give us something to be proud about, put a smile on our face. You can see what is happening already, notice the changes. We are like a phoenix rising from the ashes. "I want a big party in 2008. I'm standing here in my party frock, ready to go. But we are also looking beyond 2008. It doesn't stop there. It's about what happens afterwards - more jobs, improved prospects, a better society.
 
#79 ·
I`ve sent an email to the Gaurdian regarding this articlt as I regard it as the same old `Liverpool bashing` that we have been so used to over the years.

Amongst other things I have pointed out the rather local glaring ommission of a sunken landing stage and that the £92m (sic) redevelopment was in fact £900m.

I have suggested that they suspend any payment he was expecting and that they should send in a proper reporter - a 10 year old with some pen and paper.
 
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