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Culture in Liverpool

998K views 8K replies 268 participants last post by  Howie_P 
#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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#3,642 ·
Award-winning author joins Liverpool festival line-up

AN AUTHOR who topped the New York bestseller list is coming to Liverpool to be part of the city’s biggest ever literary festival.

Award winning writer John Boyne – who won international acclaim for his novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – will be heading to the Town Hall as part of the In Other Words festival to give a special talk about his career so far and his new book The House is Haunted.

The event is free but tickets must be reserved due to limited capacity. Those interested can call the Town Hall on 0151 225 5530 or email town.hall@liverpool.gov.uk.

John said: "I’m delighted to be returning to Liverpool where authors always get an enthusiastic welcome, and especially pleased to be able to support the re opening of the Central Library which is such an important landmark for the city."

The brand new festival starts on Tuesday 23 April and is a city-wide month-long celebration of the written and spoken word, marking the re-opening of Liverpool’s Central Library on Friday 17 May, which has undergone more than two years of intensive restoration.

There are 350 events taking place, 250 of which are unique to the festival and 88 venues, 85 organisations 72 authors are all involved.

Organisers are urging residents and visitors to book their places for ticketed events as soon as possible as places are booking up fast. Some of the events with tickets remaining are:

James Herbert: A celebration of his life and work (25 April) - Following the sad death of the horror master who was due to take part in the festival, a special tribute evening will take place in the Williamson Tunnels. Ramsey Campbell will be joined by other acclaimed horror writers including Craig Cabell who was a friend and biographer to James. The authors will pay tribute to him and discuss the impact he had on the genre.

The Beat Goes On (26 April) – Renowned Merseyside poets Roger McGough and Brian Patten take part in a rare double bill in the beautiful surroundings of St George’s Hall. The two shot to fame, alongside the late Adrian Henri, with one of the bestselling poetry anthologies of all time – The Mersey Sound (1967). Both will chat about their work, and the event will be introduced and chaired by Henri’s partner, Catherine Marcangeli.

Afternoon Tea at the Town Hall (28 April) – Winner of the BBC’s Great British Bake Off John Whaite will head to Liverpool Town Hall to talk about his brand new recipe book. Guests can enjoy high tea as part of the event.

In Celebration of Ireland (6 May) – Actor Stephen Colper takes to the Concert Room in St George’s Hall and performs texts from Ireland’s rich literary heritage, interwoven with music and song.

Talking Myself Home (7 May) – Presenter of BBC Radio 3’s ‘The Verb’ Ian McMillan joins Luke Carver Goss In St George’s Hall for an evening of hilarious poems, music and comedy.

50 Billion Shades of Feminism (7 May) – Writer and Guardian journalist Bidisha hosts a discussion with leading domestic violence campaigners and talks about the need for action and the challenges facing the movement. The event takes place in The Women’s Organisation, St James Street.

John Burnside and Rita Ann Higgins (9 May) – Taking place in Leaf on Bold Street, join award winning poets John and Rita for an evening of discussion about their work. John is one of only two poets to ever win the Forward Poetry Prize and the T.S. Eliot prize for the same book Back Cat Bone.

Afternoon Tea with Maureen Lee (15 May) – Famous short story writer and romantic novelist, Maureen Lee, will read from her latest collection of stories in this rare opportunity to meet the woman behind the popular books. The event takes place at The Atrium Bar in the Empire Theatre.

Shakespeare’s Local with Pete Brown (16 May) – From murderers, highwaymen and ladies of the night, Pete Brown, author and beer expert, will talk about what history your local has to offer!

Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for culture and tourism, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: “Since we announced the In Other Words programme in March we've had a fantastic response with tickets being snapped up for many of the events.

“To have yet another acclaimed author join the line-up is a real coup for the city, and just shows how keen people are to be part of the biggest literary festival this city has seen.

“There really is something for everyone – whatever your age and whatever your taste – so I hope as many people as possible make the most of the hundreds of events on offer and in doing so, celebrate the reopening of one of the city’s cultural jewels – Central Library.”

For full details of the programme visit www.itsliverpool.com/culture.
 
#3,643 ·
I think the plan was to get rid of the smaller fringe events and make the more stable events bigger due to the cuts.
Yep. Small fringe events are very much a Mancunian trait, and should be binned. Particularly on skinheads. Once cut, they do become more aerodynamically stable. Well spotted.
 
#3,644 ·
Liverpool Food and Drink Festival to return for sixth year

LIVERPOOL Food and Drink Festival is to return for a sixth year with a huge open-air culinary celebration in September.

As well as the usual weekend feast in the heart of Sefton Park on September 7 and 8, the festival will include a week- long programme of food and drink festivities at bars, restaurants and arts venues around the city.
Image 1 for 'Liverpool Food and Drink festival. Pics Richard Williams' gallery
Liverpool Food and Drink festival. Pics Andy Teebay & Richard Williams

More than 60 producers and 100 chefs from the city’s bars, cafes and restaurants have already committed to taking part. Those already signed up include regulars like The Ship & Mitre, Lunya, Bistro Qui and Alma de Cuba, as well as newcomers like Viva Brasil, Vinea and Urban Gastro Pubs (The Dovey, Bier and The Lodge).

Around 40,000 people from across the region are expected to attend the Sefton Park event, which will feature a programme of masterclasses, where visitors can pick up tips on everything from cheesemaking to wine tasting.

There will also be demonstrations from talented local chefs, as well as top celebrity food stars.

In previous years, Liverpool Food & Drink Festival has attracted a number of high- profile stars like Paul Hollywood, John Torode, Marco Pierre White and Simon Rimmer.

Denise Harris, managing director of organisers SK Events, said: “Liverpool Food & Drink Festival offers an excellent opportunity for people to celebrate and enjoy great food and drink in a fantastic atmosphere, all in the heart of one of the city’s most beautiful parks.

“We’re delighted that we have already received so much interest from local and regional producers, cafes, bars and restaurants, all wanting to be a part of Liverpool Food & Drink Festival.

“Although many have been with us since the beginning, we have a whole host of new exhibitors coming on board every year.

“The event has grown significantly in recent years and it has become a firm favourite on the calendar for many in the Merseyside area.”
 
#3,647 ·
Bill Drummond event at Static

I was about to sign up for this but my wife just reminded me that we have a prior engagement. But I'd love to hear about it if anyone on here takes part - it'll be properly bonkers but good, I'm sure.



BILL DRUMMOND ENDS THE17 IN LIVERPOOL

Bill Drummond was born in 1953. Since leaving Liverpool School of Art in 1973 he has used various ways to investigate and converse with the world. These investigations and conversations have found expression via the written word, pop music, actions and The17.

The17 is a choir that existed as an abstract fantasy in Bill Drummond's head for most of his life.

In 2006, The17 became a reality. Since then Drummond has been leading performances by The17 around the globe, from Moscow to Sao Paulo in Brazil, from Beijing to Port-au-Prince in Haiti. With each performance members of The17 are recruited from the local community.

This is your chance to be a part of The17, a member of the final incarnation. This is an opportunity upon which you shall not pass. You will receive no recorded document of the occasion, such is the nature of The17, but you will be invited to partake in a champage reception the evening after the final performance, to mark the occasion.

The final performance takes place at Static Gallery, Liverpool, on Saturday 27th April, from 6pm until 8pm.

To register to be a member of the final ever incarnation of The17 visit the17.eventbrite.com
Continues here: http://www.bidolito.co.uk/content/exclusive-announcement-17
 
#3,651 · (Edited)
Mondrian exhibition will be big draw for Tate Liverpool in 2014

ABSTRACT artist Piet Mondrian will be the subject of Tate Liverpool’s blockbuster summer exhibition next year.

Mondrian and his Studios, which commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Dutch artist’s death, aims to provide new insights into his practice, his relationship with architecture and urbanism and his contribution to the development of modern thinking.

The exhibition will include a group of key abstract paintings alongside a life-size reconstruction of Mondrian’s Paris studio – at 26 Rue du Départ – which will be a fully accessible installation.

Tate Liverpool’s creative director Francesco Manacorda said today: "We’re very proud to be able to provide our audiences with a new point of view on such a modern icon as Mondrian.

"The show at Tate Liverpool will engage with his relationship to the natural world and architecture in producing his abstract works."

The exhibition is the latest in a series of big-name shows at the Albert Dock gallery which started in Capital of Culture year with Gustav Klimt.

It has also featured major exhibitions considering the work of Picasso, Magritte, Turner and Monet, while this summer sees Russian-born Marc Chagall take centre stage.

Mondrian was born in the Netherlands in 1872 and studied at the Academy for Fine Art in Amsterdam.

He lived in Paris from 1911 to 1914 and again from the end of World War I until 1938, and paintings and drawings from his 1914 series Pier and Ocean will have particular resonance in Liverpool as they will be presented for visitors alongside the views of the former Cunard liner piers seen from Tate Liverpool’s fourth floor riverside galleries.

Mondrian also has another connection with Liverpool; it was from the Mersey that he sailed to America in September 1940 on board the Samaria. He never returned to Europe, dying in New York in 1944.

Mondrian and his Studios: Abstraction into the World runs from June 6 to September 21 2014.
 
#3,652 ·
Grammy winner Steve Levine joins Liverpool Music Awards 2013 judging panel

Grammy and BRIT Award winner Steve Levine is set to judge Liverpool’s latest musical offerings as he joins the panel of the Liverpool Music Awards. The respected record producer will have his say on who takes gold in 16 award categories. He created hits for The Beach Boys, Culture Club and many more, and now he’s coming to Liverpool to pass judgement on the city’s musical talent.
Steve, produced The Beach Boys’ 1985 self-titled album – the first to be recorded following the death of founder member Dennis Wilson. He also produced all of Culture Club’s classic hits and their three multi-platinum selling albums.
His resume also included working with acts such as Lemmy & Motorhead, The Clash, Liverpool band China Crisis, Mis-teeq and Ziggy Marley. He will play an integral part in the awards, which this year are part Liverpool’s International Music Festival.
And as an extra special incentive for musical acts to enter the awards this year, one of the winning artists, will not only get to experience a recording session in Steve’s brand new studios located at Baltic Creative – but he’ll also produce a record for them.
Steve said: “I'm really honoured to have been asked to be a judge for this year's Liverpool Music Awards. The music community of Liverpool has always made me feel very welcome; it's a city brimming with creativity and unique talents, something that I'm sure will be evident to everyone with this year's show.”
Steve joins BBC Radio 2 presenter Janice Long on the judging panel.
Director of the Liverpool Music Awards, Ellie Phillips, said: “I couldn't actually believe my ears when I heard that Steve had been confirmed as a judge on the panel, I had to triple check that it was actually THE Steve Levine!
“Anyone who knows the music industry knows what a respected and extremely talented figure he his. The fact that someone of his calibre approached the Liverpool Music Awards to get involved just speaks of the huge positive impact which the first year had, on a national scale.
“Steve explained that he was going to be moving to Liverpool and opening his own studio here, and in addition to joining the judging panel, he offered to produce a record in his new studios for one of the Liverpool Music Awards' seven artist-category winners. This is such an amazing prize, not only because of the recording which will be produced for the artist(s) to keep, but also for the experience of working with Steve himself, which I'm sure will be unforgettable."
Nominations for the awards open at midnight on Tuesday 30 April and will be open until midnight on Friday 31 May. The ceremony itself takes place on Sunday 25 August at St George’s Hall.
To find out more, visit www.liverpoolmusicawards.com
 
#3,654 ·
LIVERPOOL ART PRIZE EXHIBITION OPENS THIS WEEK, KICKING OFF MONTH-LONG FEAST OF ART ACROSS CITY

Following the success of the inaugural Liverpool Art Month in 2012, this celebration of emerging artistic talent returns this May to showcase the city’s artists. Liverpool Art Month runs alongside the Liverpool Art Prize exhibition period, with a new Art Month Hub Space opening at the Albert Dock at the Grand Hall which also the new home for the Liverpool Art Prize exhibition.

Liverpool Art Prize exhibition, managed by Metal, opens in its new home of the Grand Hall, Albert Dock this Friday, 26 April with Liverpool Art Month kicking off on 1 May. Both will then run until 8 June.

Liverpool Art Month provides a programme of events and exhibitions, spread across a number of exciting and undiscovered locations in association with the city’s leading independent arts organisations, studio groups and artists networks including Arena Studios and Gallery, Bridewell Studios and Gallery, Dot-Art, Redwire Studios, The Royal Standard, Wolstenholme Creative Space, Matt Ford Studio, Mello Mello and POST Female Artists Network.
The network of artists and gallery spaces is hoping to attract the country’s art lovers to Liverpool city centre to see the Liverpool Art Prize alongside the creative emerging talent found in the independent Liverpool Art Month venues. The Art Month Hub Space at the Albert Dock will provide information about the Art Month programme of events and exhibitions at participating venues and display artwork for sale through an online auction in an exciting new crowd funding initiative. Artists in association with the Art Month have made original artworks based on the Art Month logo, with the exhibition itself titled ‘Making Shapes’. More information about the online auction can be found on the Liverpool Art Month website www.liverpoolartmonth.com.
Visitors will also be able to pick up a copy of edition No.4 of Trading Station, ‘Outcome Consequence/Effect’ or a Limited Edition series of all the Trading Station Newspapers by the POST artists group.
The 2013 Art Month kicks off with previews of the exhibitions Landscape 2013 at the Corke Gallery on Wednesday 1st May, The Drifters Escape at Bridewell Studios and Gallery on Thursday 2nd May and Living Artefacts at Mello Mello on Friday 3rd May. Visitors will be invited to discover these independent venues and the local talent showcased in these exhibitions. The Walker Art Gallery will be showingStrangers in a Strange Land by last year’s Liverpool Art Prize winner, Robyn Woolston, which has been on show since 23rd March and will continue throughout May until 23rd June. There will be a talk by the Artist at the Walker Gallery on Saturday 11th May at 1pm.

Arena Studios and Gallery will host its 11th Annual Auction with established and newly emerging artists from a diverse range of disciplines submitting work to be sold at auction in Elevator Café Bar, Parliament Street, on Friday 3rd May. Arena promises an exciting auction night with an electric atmosphere, as the bids rise higher and higher. The artwork up for Auction will be on show in the Elevator Café from Monday 29th April. On Auction night, registration starts from 5pm with the Auction kicking off at 7pm. The programme at Arena Studios and Gallery continues with Something to do with Death, a congregation of dark drawings by Paul Bywater, at Arena Studios and Gallery, which can be previewed on 9th May and continues until Sunday 9th June.
Further exhibitions in the Art Month programme will open on 17th May in association with Light Night Liverpool. For one night only on Light Night visitors to the Matt Ford Studio can enjoy the Lowe Photo Booth Project, providing the opportunity to visit the studio and be part of a live interactive photography event. An exhibition at Matt Ford Studio, of work by photographer/artists Matt Ford and Lu Lowe will continue throughout Art Month. Also on 17 May, Bridewell Studios and Gallery opens with Possible Impossibilities, a selection of drawings and drawing practices by Liverpool artists from an open submission opportunity. The exhibition will include performance, workshops and interventions, continuing until Friday 31st May. The Royal Standard previews the exhibition Black Sun Horizon, a group show exploring the roots of contemporary boredom curated by Dave Evans, which will be open until Sunday 2nd June. Wolstenholme Creative Space presentsLiverpool, Unfinished; an evocative photography series of colour portraits and landscapes of Merseyside during the 1980’s by Rob Bremner in conjunction with Look 13 (Liverpool International Photography Festival) on show at Drop the Dumbells until Sunday 2nd June. Arena Studios and Gallery will be providing Open Studios with a twist and Breeze Studios will also be hosting an Open Studios event including performance and exhibition Breeze Bonanza. Mello Mello will be open for Of Time and Place - Futures Lost and Found, a 3D Video Projection Mapping Installation.
The Art Month continues with Red Wire Studio group presenting Open Studios on Tues 21st May - Wed 29th May, with an open evening on Friday 24th May with food, drinks and live local bands. On Thursday 23rd May there will also be the opportunity to see the LJMU School of Art and Design final degree show at the Art and Design Academy (ADA), on Duckinfield Street (next to the Catholic Cathedral). The Degree show is then open from Friday 24th May—Saturday 1st June for further viewing.
The final weekend in May will feature the inaugural Liverpool Art Fair (www.liverpoolartfair.com), organised by Dot-Art, an exciting open submission selling event over five days, connecting local artists with new art buyers on a large scale and making affordable art accessible to all. It will take place across two large exhibition spaces in the popular venue, Camp and Furnace in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle; launching on the evening of Thursday 23rd May, and open to the public from 11am - 6pm, from Friday 24th May – Monday 27th May

During Liverpool Art Month visitors are welcome to discover the participating venues in a guided Bus Tour around the city every Saturday. Bus Tours run from the Liverpool Art Month Hub Space, leaving at 1pm. Tickets are £4 and it is recommended that you book in advance through Eventbrite: www.liverpoolartmonthbus.eventbrite.com

The Art Month is also offering a free informal discussion and tour of the Liverpool Art Prize Exhibition at the Albert Dock, every Wednesday throughout May from 1pm – 2pm.
 
#3,658 ·
Yep, that's what I mean. I took my kids to see it too then we talked a bit about it afterwards. Had an interesting conversation about those charity collecting boxes you used to see outside shops - life-sized models of kids with calipers on their legs (no idea how old you are, but they were ubiquitous when I was young). Googled a few images to show them; it was quite weird to think that they were once so common yet have now been despatched to the realm of 'did that really happen?'.
 
#3,659 ·
I'm 32 and they had those things in the 80's when I was a kid.Ralf Little is a year older than me so if Brian was 33 in 67 he'd be 79 0r 80 today. The world of the play is recognisable to people my age, even though it was before we were born, because we knew people of that age and the world hadn't changed so much by the time we were kids. If you were ten years younger than me it would seem like a totally different age. Their attitudes to race, sexism, homosexuality, disability, drinking, smoking and a whole host of other things are worlds apart from what is acceptable now.
 
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