Liverpool Mural Project In The News Again

The TLMP have once again hit the headlines. The Belfast Telegraph has reported further on the historical arts project bringing artists from the two main communities in Belfast together. Both Danny and Mark were interviewed by the Belfast Telegraph’s Leslie-Anne Henry.

Both artists are extremely excited by the prospect of working together in Liverpool to help celebrate the European Capital of Culture year. This project which in so many ways reconfirms the City of Liverpool’s links with Ireland is as ever creating a stir in the local, national and international press as well as on radio and television.

To read the Belfast Telegraph’s interview with the artists click on the following link

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article3379298.ece

Guardian Newspaper Reports on Culture Changes

After our recent report on the changing faces of the Culture Company, today’s Guardian ran with a report outlining the new changes that have occurred and an interview with well respected TV Producer, Phil Redmond. Mr Redmond has been chosen as the new deputy chairman of the Liverpool Culture Company board, which has been slimmed down from 25 members to only six. He will lead the artistic side of the cultural celebrations, which begins next year, and he will work with arts organisations and encourage community participation.

Mr Redmond went on to explain that he hoped to give the programme more of an 'edge' by examining the city's Irish heritage and providing a "cultural clearing project", where arts groups who made submissions for 2008 and felt they were ignored can resubmit their ideas. He also spoke of the open culture initiative, which will encourage people to engage in activities: "I want people to know they don't have to have culture done to them - they can take part."

Could it be that Mr Redmond had recently read Duncan Campbell’s article in The Guardian? Or could it be that he’s been keeping up to date with the Liverpool Mural Project on this website?

Surely now the Culture Company must see how valuable the Liverpool Mural Project can be to not only them but more importantly to the city of Liverpool in 2008. The very fact that we have Belfast artists from two communities willing to grasp hold of the current peace process in Northern Ireland by working together. This along with their desire to bring years of artistic talent and experience to the people of Liverpool in order to help produce excellent pieces of public art in and around the city, surely common sense must prevail?

To read the Guardian's article in full click on the following link:

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2168056,00.html

Top International Irish Artist Gives His Full Support For Liverpool Mural Project

Dear Liverpool Mural Project,

This is just a short note to convey my enthusiastic support for the mural project to celebrate Liverpool as Capital of Culture in 2008. I am aware of some of the people in Belfast that will be involved in the project. I am convinced that with them participating will not only guarantee success, because of their huge experience in this area, but will also underscore the cultural and historical links between Liverpool and Ireland. The theme is an excellent one in that it celebrates not only local links but also the world. I wish the project well!

Yours Sincerely, Robert Ballagh

Robert Ballagh is one of Ireland’s most respected artists. He was born in Dublin and is both a painter and designer. His painting style was strongly influenced by pop art and his paintings are often playful and didactic. He has produced many respected works of art. He represented Ireland at the 1969 Paris Biennale. Among the theatre sets he has designed are sets for Riverdance, Samuel Beckett's Endgame (1991) and Oscar Wilde's Salomé (1998). He has also designed over 70 Irish postage stamps and the last series of Irish banknotes, "Series C", before the introduction of the euro. He is a member of Aosdána, which is an affiliation of creative artists in Ireland.

Liverpool Art and Culture Reviews Liverpool Mural Project On Their Blog

The Liverpool Art and Culture Blog kindly gave the Liverpool Mural Project a mention on their excellent blog today. We thank them for their comments, however we can assure both them and our many supporters that we will carry on the good fight. This article obviously refers to The Liverpool Culture Company's decision that our project was 'not edgy enough'.

To quote the English writer Samuel Johnston:-

“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.”

If there is one thing that the Liverpool Mural Project has it is great perseverance.

“I heard about this quite a long time ago and thought it was a good idea, and I would like to see it happen.”
Ian Jackson - The Liverpool Art and Culture Blog

If you would like to view the Liverpool Art and Culture Blog then click on the following link.

http://www.artinliverpool.com/blog/

The Liverpool Mural Project Attends Head-to-Head With Culture Company.

Our first meeting took place at the Culture Companies Head Quarters in Liverpool at 11.30 this morning. Representatives of The Liverpool Mural Project (TLMP) , Gregory Brennan and Peter Morrison spoke to representatives of the Culture Company. The meeting which lasted well over one and a half hours was felt by all at TLMP to be very productive indeed.

Ithalia Forel and Phil Taylor give a good indication of the types of schemes currently running around the city. Phil Taylor confirmed that he was attending a meeting this afternoon with an organisation that produced an exhibition of the Beatles . He felt that they would be someone to whom he felt our project would possibly be of interest.

Ithalia Forel is part of a busy team working on a scheme called City in progress. City in progress is a Liverpool Culture Company initiative that aims to create outdoor artwork on hoardings across the city. The initiative achieves this by engaging artists with the community to design public art that captures and represents the culture and development of Liverpool.

Another meeting is to be arranged in the next week and we will keep you all posted of the outcome of that when it has happened.

Mural Project debated on leading Irish Blogsite

The Liverpool Mural Project gets more than a mention on
Slugger O'Toole.com,
Northern Ireland's leading Political and Cultural blogsite


Click on Headline to see online debate

Liverpool City Council, Joe Anderson Washes His Hands of Capital of Culture Corporate Gravy Train

The leader of the opposition Labour group at Liverpool City Council, Joe

Anderson, has resigned from the Capital of Culture Board.

"Too much taxpayer's money has been wasted so far on a bloated and obscene corporate entertainment budget in which the same city faces are treated to VIP reception after VIP reception. And yet there are small community groups being turned away for funding for their modest projects.

I am concerned that after a total spend of £94 million the legacy will be one of debt and quite frankly one of missed opportunity"

To read more:-

Labour councillor quits 08 board Labour councillor quits 08 board
Labour councillor quits 08 board. The leader of the opposition Labour group at Liverpool City Council resigns from the Capital of Culture Board. ...news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/merseyside/default.stm - 13 Jun 2007 -