A huge range of live entertainment will illuminate the city throughout the day alongside the main stages. More than 20,000 visitors are expected, for a fantastic selection of musical acts, street performers, outrageous circus sideshows and a host of market and refreshment stalls, which will all embrace the rainbow circus theme, before a top secret finale. And the fun doesn’t stop at sunset… As day turns to night, Liverpool’s thriving gay scene gears into action with a large number of venues holding exciting Pride events especially for the night.

The UK’s best dance festival returns once again in 2010, on August bank holiday Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th August 2010, at the Daresbury Estate in Cheshire, just across the Runcorn bridge.

Creamfields has always stayed close to its Liverpool roots, and has established itself as the crown jewel of dance festivals. It continues to rank in the top five festivals in the UK alongside the likes of Glastonbury, V and Reading, with a line-up this year to include David Guetta, the Audio Bullys, Ferry Corsten, Ms Dynamite and Creamfields favourite Judge Jules.

www.ticketline.co.uk/venue/liverpool-williamson-tunnels
Without a doubt Liverpool’s quirkiest music venue, the Williamson Tunnels provide the perfect backdrop for an unique night of music and madness. The Tunnel of Love series returns with a cracking night from the Soundcarriers, plus By The Sea, Eva Petersen and more still to be announced. Don’t miss an unforgettable night in this most unusual of settings.

Liverpool Art Prize, Metal @ Edge Hill Station

Until 10th July

www.liverpoolartprize.com

The Liverpool Art Prize is an annual exhibition and award for fine artists based or born in the Liverpool region, and is showing this year at Metal, based in Edge Hill Station and the world’s oldest passenger railway station. The winner will be announced on June 30th, and the exhibition continues until 10th July, giving the opportunity to show at the Walker Art Gallery for the first time this year.

The exhibition acknowledges the outstanding achievements of the artists and their contribution to contemporary art both within Liverpool and further afield. This years shortlist of five is comprised of Gina Czarnecki, David Jacques, James Quin, Paul Rooney and Emily Speed.

To begin with there is the fantastic new Echo Arena (0151 475 8888, www.echoarena.com). This 11,000 capacity venue is linked to the BT Convention centre in the Albert Dock and has hosted some of the biggest names in comedy (such as Eddie Izzard, Russell Howard and Steve Coogan) and music (Pink, Rihanna, Girls Aloud, Bryan Adams), as well as many other exciting acts, such as the MTV Europe awards, Walking with Dinosaurs, Premier League Darts and the Masters Six a Side Soccer tournament. It is a truly outstanding new venue that gives the city a true international quality events centre that certainly attracts the cream of the world’s talent to the city.

However, that is not all the city has to offer. The City Centre boasts some of the finest theatre’s in the country. The grandiose Liverpool Empire (0844 847 2525, www.liverpoolempire.org.uk) often hosts some of the best travelling musical shows in the country, as well as selected individual acts, such as Derren Brown and Derek Acorah ,as well as host of top  comedians, for example confirmed for 2010 include Mark Watson, Jason Manford, Dara O’Briain and Lee Mack. Comedy lovers can also head to the Royal Court (0870 787 1866, www.royalcourtliverpool.co.uk) which not only showcases some of the best new comedy play-writing by local talents, but also hosts the Rawhide Comedy Club each week and often has comedians playing gigs. The Everyman and Playhouse Theatres (0151 709 4776, www.everymanplayhouse.com) both offer a variety of shows to suit all tastes, from reworking of the classics, such as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, to the promotion of local playwrights through to contemporary tales by some of the best writers from across the United Kingdom.

If you are a lover of classical music then the place to head is undoubtedly The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (0151 709 3789, www.liverpoolphil.com) the home of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Not only does ‘the Phil’ have a lengthy list of fantastic classical shows throughout the year, but interspersed with that are several more contemporary artistes who love the chance of playing this important and historic venue. Tony Bennett, John Barrowman and Bryn Terfel are just three household names confirmed for the 2010 season, which also features a fantastic programme of concerts aimed at firing children’s enthusiasm for music. The Phil also hosts comedian’s with 2010 confirming the likes of Stephen K Amos, Lee Mack and Frankie Boyle all confirmed at this historic venue.

If you like your music a little off the beaten track and prefer to listen to some young, local bands and the occasional tribute act, then the 02 Academy is a good starting place (0844 477 2000, www.o2academyliverpool.co.uk) which has hosted the likes of The Coral, The Dead 60’s, Little Flames and The Zutons in recent times.

All these fantastic venues are just within a short walking distance of the vibrant Liverpool city centre and offer the lucky visitor a wealth of different opportunities to take in a show at one of the many fantastic venues across this historic city.

For example, the city boasts two contrasting, both architecturally and ideologically, cathedrals. The famous “Paddy’s Wigwam” of Liverpool Metropolitan cathedral (www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk)  and just a short walk across the city sees Liverpool Cathedral (0151 709 6271, www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk) both of which play an important part in the city’s heritage and history.

If art is more your interest, then Liverpool is an ideal choice for a weekend away and that is a FACT. The Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT) (0151 707 4444, www.fact.co.uk) hosts some of the most innovative and contemporary exhibitions anywhere in Europe and also has an on-site cinema showing the latest artistic offerings combined with major releases. No visit to the City Centre would be complete without taking in the atmosphere at the fantastic Walker Art Gallery (0151 478 4199, www.liverpoolmusesums.org.uk/walker/). Paintings, sculptures and other decorative arts, including work by the likes of Rembrandt, Rubens, Turner and Holman sit alongside more contemporary offerings from David Hockney and Henry Moore amidst a setting that is as welcoming for families as it is serious art buffs. Finally, no visit to the city would be complete without taking in the Tate Liverpool (0151 702 7400, www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/)  which is the home of the National Collection of Modern Art in the north and has featured in the past work from Klimt, Blake, Ciacometti as well as a several pieces from the contemporary Brit art movement, with pieces by Damien Hurst, Antony Gormley and Tracey Emin displayed.

Liverpool is equally well off for museums as it is art galleries. The World Museum Liverpool (0151 478 4393, www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml/) houses a fantastic number of displays that will appeal to all ages, especially due to the “hands on” nature of many of the exhibits! Just a short walk away is the Merseyside Maritime Museum (0151 478 4499, www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/) which gives visitors a unique insight into the history of the city and what historical developments made the proud seafaring port of Liverpool the place it is today. The story of Liverpool, and indeed Britain, during the Second World War is evocatively told in the Western Approaches Museum (also called the Liverpool War Museum) (0151 277 2008,  www.liverpoolwarmuseum.co.uk) and lastly, no fan of popular music will want to leave Liverpool without taking in the Beatles Story (0151 709 1963, www.beatlesstory.com) which traces the story of the city’s most famous four sons, through the birth of the Beatles to the group’s eventual demise and beyond.

But that is not all the city has to offer by any means. A short trip out of the city centre brings you to the fabulous (and some say, haunted!) Speke Hall Gardens and Estate (0844 800 4799, http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-spekehall/)  which offers plenty of activities, walks and displays to amuse all members of the family. North of the city centre is Croxteth Hall and Country Park (0151 233 6910, www.croxteth.co.uk) which houses a Victorian walled garden, a 500 acre country park, Adventure playground and gift shops aplenty.

To finish your cultural weekend in Liverpool, then why not head to the Pier Head to sample what has become embedded in local culture. The Mersey Ferries (0151 330 1444, www.merseyferries.co.uk) offers shorter trips across the Mersey to the Wirral ports of Seacombe and Woodside, or a longer cruise up and down the Mersey, complete with detailed information of the history of the ferries and how they played a huge part in facilitating the growth of the city and its surrounding area.

If it is culture you are looking for, then you have come to the right place! Liverpool wasn’t just the Capital of Culture in 2008, it continues to live up to that name to this very day!

Liverpool Biennial are having a spring clean of their library and are inviting you to a pay-what-you-think-its-worth book sale at the office, Friday 12 March, 2010. 4.30 – 7pm.

All proceeds will go to the Haiti relief fund. Everyone Welcome.

Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art, 55 New Bird Street, Liverpool, L69 1XB

For further information please contact Sacha on 0151 709 7444

www.biennial.com

From 13 March to 30 May 2010, FACT is presenting an exhibition called MyWar – a radically personal look at conflict through the work of 12 international artists. Their artwork investigates identity, participation and the reality of conflict in a digitally networked world.

YourWar
To tie in with the exhibition, FACT is working on a project called YourWar to engage local people in the debate and create an audio-visual collection of stories relating to modern conflict.

People can feel distanced and de-sensitised by media coverage of modern war. Through working with Iraq, Afghanistan and Falklands War veterans for the War Veteran Vehicle project last year, FACT discovered there is a lack of  understanding and opportunities to talk about modern conflict. Veterans can feel marginalised, and the public disconnected.
FACT is looking for people to come share their thoughts, feelings and experiences of this highly emotive issue. They can be anyone – young or old, general public, or ex-service, people who have no experience of war, and those that do but haven’t had an opportunity to share it.

The project will be located in FACT’s Media Lounge space and online. The public will be able to come in and record their stories as audio files or scroll through and listen to the stories we collect.
People will also have the opportunity to engage in the debate by texting, Twittering and emailing in their thoughts.

How to get involved/find out more:

• A facilitated recording session with our Engagement team on Saturday, 06 March between noon and 3.00pm in The Box at FACT. There will also be further recording opportunities throughout the exhibition run (dates and times TBC)
• Send your thoughts and comments via email: mywar@fact.co.uk, SMS: send MyWar + message to 60777 (UK only) or Twitter: #MyWar
• Read what others are saying on the MyWar website: http://mywar.fact.co.uk/
• Go to the FACT blog and read posts by FACT’s resident MyWar blogger
• Throughout the exhibition, come to FACT’s Media Lounge and listen to the stories of others, or record your story right there and then.

http://www.jeanneworks.net/

Some artists CV’s are just a bit mind blowing…..Jeanne’s is one of them…(Sometimes it’s so hard to think ‘oh yes, you do wonderful things im so happy for you’ rather than ‘I’m so jealous i would quite like to kill you and steal your identity’ …. i really hope she doesn’t read that before i meet her)

I won’t say too much more about that as we are still waiting for her final proposals.

Last night i went to see Ian Whittlesea talk at JMU. He didn’t inspire me too much with his own work but he talked a lot about more recent projects he’s been doing with Judo and his new translation of Yves Klein’s book he wrote on the principles of Judo…
I didn’t know the following things:

That Yves Klein convinced his parents to pay for him to spend two years in Japan studying Judo.

That he then went on, on his return to the USA, to open a Judo School of his own.

That the red star stamp on the back of his paintings is the emblem for the Judo school he set up.

http://www.yveskleinarchives.org/documents/bio_content_us.html

Whittlesea also mentioned a new little gallery project in London called the Ledge Project which seems very nice.

http://ledgeproject.org/

Maybe tomorrow i will go to see the opening of the Carlos Amorales show in Manchester, he is designing the Wolves you can see starting to appear on the website but Manchester is so very far away so maybe i will just have a bath instead.

Oh and I’ve been meaning to post this for ages, sorry Paddy and Roxy who sent me this picture ‘for your blog’

Apparently it is a collaborate piece entitled The Hair Rat made by Dan, Penny and Emily..er……thanks!

Roxy Topia and Paddy Gould are in Linz (i think they still are, perhaps they are back already) sent off on exchange by us. I think there must be more Liverpool artists in Linz at the moment than there is in Liverpool.

Here is a link to their blog anyways, enjoy:

TopiaGould.wordpress.com

To celebrate World Book Day on 4th March 2010, Liverpool University Press is holding a huge discount book sale.

Hundreds of titles will reduced to just £5 each, from our bestselling local interest books to a wide range of fascinating history, literature and art books.

The sale will be held in the Cypress Building (Chatham St.) foyer on the Liverpool University campus, from 10-4 on Thurs 4th and Fri 5th March, and all will be welcome to come along and browse the great bargains on offer.

The Bluecoat

To celebrate this year’s World Book Day on Thursday 4 March, the Bluecoat would like to invite you to bring along any books that you would like to contribute to the book shelves in our main Hub, and if you do please feel free to take a book from the marked section in return. If you are bringing a book please ensure that it is appropriate for a public display.

We aim to continue to offer books for reading from our bookshelves and encourage a ‘book swap’ culture to develop our collection. So head down to the Bluecoat to relax with a book or newspaper in our reflective Hub – or possibly take one home that takes your fancy.