Posts Tagged ‘Culture’
Liverpool Capital of Culture Every Year! Saturday, April 10th, 2010
In 2008, Liverpool became the European Capital of Culture, however for many, the city has always been an unofficial capital of culture for many years before that.
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!
‘The Rise of Women Artists’ Extended to 1 Aug 2010 Thursday, March 4th, 2010 A
Biennial Book Sale – Fri 12 Mar 2010 Thursday, March 4th, 2010
BIENNIAL BOOK SALE
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
Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art, 55 New Bird Street, Liverpool, L69 1XB
For further information please contact Sacha on 0151 709 7444
FACT: What Does War Mean To You? Thursday, March 4th, 2010
What does war mean to you?
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.
On the Streets PART 2 and other things Thursday, March 4th, 2010
I won’t bang on about this too much again…i just wanted to finish off that On the Streets update by enthusing about the fact that we are inviting Jeanne van Heeswijk to work on a durational project (a few years anyway) in Anfield with the young people and with the area. I suppose the project that first drew our attention to her and the potentials of what she could do for Anfield was The Blue House (if you don’t know it already LOOK!) but looking at her website she has been working on many projects since
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
World Book Day (4 March 2010) Events Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
University of Liverpool
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.
Restoring the Balance – 1 Day Conference at FACT. 30 Mar 2010 Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 A
Sian Hughes in Climate Change Exhibition, Rhyl Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 A
The history of Lewis’s Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Events & activities at National Museums Liverpool.
In this informal talk Arnold Lewis of the Jewish Historical Society will tell you all about the history of Liverpool’s oldest department store.
Date: Thursday 4 March 2010
Time: 12noon
Venue: National Conservation Centre
Room: Exhibition gallery
Suitable for: adults
Booking: Free drop-in event, no need to book
This event is part of the Lewis’s fifth floor: a department story exhibition.
More Vacancies at Liverpool Biennial Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
There’s a few new jobs at the Biennial.