THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018

Featuring: FACT, Liverpool Biennial, Granby 4 Streets, Ian Cobain, Claire McColgan, John Belchem, Homebaked, Static Gallery and more

ISSUE VII CRUISE LINERS COME HOME TO LIVERPOOL

Jonathan Brown, Share the City

Liverpool invented and perfected the luxury liner – and then saw them depart, apparently forever. Now, like migrating birds, they are back. In the 10th anniversary year of the new Cruise Liverpool terminal, Jonathan Brown reflects on their return, and its meaning for the city. Liverpool’s mythic ‘Liver Birds’ (pronounced Lyver), perched 330ft above the waterfront cruise terminal, overlook all arrivals by land and sea, the city’s shamanic protectors. As with the ravens at the Tower of London, tour guides claim the city will fall if these exotic birds should ever take flight. That seems unlikely given that Liverpool’s giant cormorants are made of gilded copper, and chained fast to concrete domes. Nowadays, as they watch over crowds swirling happily across the Pier Head for selfies with the Beatles statues, and punters queuing far below for Mersey ferries and funfair rides, a civic fall seems happily distant. But not so very long ago, from the early 1970s into the new millennium, LIVERPOOL (Continued on page 2) 2 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 3 Image courtesy of Culture Liverpool THE UNLIMITED EDITION is a newspaper exploring, celebrating and speculating about the future of particular places. Each issue is place-based, delving into key A CULTURAL themes, which shape our cities including places of work, cultural spaces, food networks and development legacies. The paper invites guest writers, policy-makers, LEGACY BEYOND artists, architects and community members to contribute creative snapshots of each place. Previously, Issues I–V celebrated the London neighbourhoods of BUILDINGS Whitechapel and Bermondsey and Issue VI explored Aarhus in Denmark. Issue VII Claire McColgan MBE, Director of Culture, Liverpool travels to Liverpool. The Unlimited Edition is curated by We Made That. Digital Cultural cities are defined in the global decade are all crucial factors enabling consciousness by the buildings which the extraordinary transformation we versions of all issues of the paper are available for free at www.wemadethat.co.uk. they boast. From the Louvre to the have seen. Natural History Museum, MoMA to the But personally, I think the most Guggenheim, the buildings (and the important legacy of 2008 is not the institutions they house) are what gives physical or built environment, but the these cities their cultural credentials. emotional infrastructure which has Image courtesy of sharethecity.org Liverpool an edge that was to cut time since, Liverpool has established Liverpool punches above its been created. through most explosively in the Beat itself as Britain’s favourite port of call for weight in this field – with extraordinary Capital of Culture gave this era, as the fashion and music tastes the influential ‘Cruise Critic’ editors, and buildings and institutions from Tate city a new energy, a renewed sense of young ‘Cunard Yanks’ reverberated is rated one of Europe’s most desirable Liverpool in the iconic Albert Dock, of self and importance in the world. back across the Atlantic. destinations by passengers, who enjoy its seven national museums, the The audiences of Liverpool have Marionette from ‘Sea Odyssey: Giant Spectacular’, 2012 Since the 1980s Liverpool has fought being able to board and step ashore in Bluecoat and the Art Deco majesty repaid this with a new commitment, a spirited battle to reinvent itself as the heart of the city’s historic centre. of the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall acceptance and understanding of Liverpool is not a monetarily As we march into an uncertain a centre of culture, tourism, shopping Now it is again becoming familiar, to name but a few. arts and culture. They are willing to rich city. But a diverse opinionated future, where there are threats to and higher education, salvaging the though no less wonderful, to see a fully Add to that in the last decade try new things, to be challenged and audience, where three generations funding, to the ease of international Albert Dock, building a superb shopping sold out passenger ‘megaship’ arriving the RIBA Sterling Prize winning stretched and to embrace creative of a family will come together to co-operation and where the level of centre and cleaning up the river, but on the Mersey from Cape Canaveral in Everyman Theatre, the stunning ambition and innovation. create memories, want to be engaged competition for audience’s attention Disney Magic at the Cruise Liverpool terminal, the scarcity of great passenger ships Florida, or calling on a regular 12-day Museum of Liverpool and the growth They have become voracious and want to be part of a city wide is only going to increase, I believe viewed from an unphased Mersey Ferry, May 2016 on the Mersey continued to corrode circumnavigation of the British Isles of new digital and creative hubs consumers. They turn out in their democratic conversation. the engagement, equality, passion its essential identity. during summer. in first the Baltic Triangle and now hundreds of thousands for free major Without an audience who want and emotional infrastructure which (Continued from front cover…) crews stewarding wealthy passengers Sporadic false starts were made With around 60 cruise ships arriving the North Docks area of the city events, they head to music and art what is being created, the breadth we have been able to foster in this and ‘ten pound Poms’ on voyages across to entice them back. Like rare sightings this year, and a mayoral target of 100, spearheaded by The Invisible Wind shows in locations across the city and and depth of your infrastructure is city is what will allow us to face these it felt perhaps that Liverpool would the seas, assimilating the cultures and of migrating birds blown off course, Liverpool is some way off Southampton’s Factory, and you see a city bursting at throughout the year. They embrace irrelevant. In a world of on-demand challenges head on. fall – indeed, had fallen – shaken to its pleasures of distant port cities. a handful of cruise ships occasionally 300 departures, and of course great the seams with ‘cultural infrastructure’. big international names and nurture and free content, where traditional We will continue to grow and build soul by the sudden, and seemingly final, But as the swinging 1960s segued chanced a stop, as if visiting the wreck passenger ships are no longer built An impressive funding and emerging home-grown talent. business models are going out of the over the next decade – our ambition departure of another exotic breed of into the oil-shocked 1970s, Liverpool of their former flagship. and crewed on the Mersey, Thames, support framework has grown up They are sophisticated but not window and where maintaining the has no expiry date. There are still more metal sea bird, the ocean liner. was hit by a perfect storm of air The trickle of annual visits by Lagan, Clyde or Tyne. Yet growth and around these buildings. pretentious. Vocal but constructive. status quo is becoming a challenge, boundaries to be pushed and audiences With air travel now so fast and travel, containerisation, the decline occasional cruise ships continued customer satisfaction levels have been An advanced network of groups Accepting of the new, and proud of the ability to draw a crowd is going to captivate. Liverpool’s creative affordable, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 of northern manufacturing, and through the 1990s into the new sufficiently high to commit the city to bring the creative and cultural sector the old. And importantly, they rightly to become one of the most essential appetite remains insatiable and that is is the world’s only remaining true Britain’s turn towards Europe and millennium, the returning pioneers building a proper terminal to replace the together regularly to encourage demand excellence. things we do as a society. the infrastructure which will serve us well. passenger ocean liner, and even she is away from its Atlantic, African and building a precarious crow’s nest from cheerful marquee that currently greets and enable collaboration. A funding really a hybrid cruiser, but there are of Asiatic Commonwealth. Most cargo which to seek sustenance among the passengers, hoping to evoke still more of structure has been created which course still innumerable cargo and ferry lines switched to container ports along cliffs of rusting iron. the glamorous spirit of the heyday. Also, bridges the public and private sector, lines criss-crossing the seven seas. Prior England’s continental seaboard, or the Fred Olsen was the first blue-chip Peel Holdings’ much-awaited Liverpool dedicated roles engage the education Homebaked to the jet airliner’s rapid ascendance European mainland, and for miles along shipping line to seriously commit to Waters project may yet see a second sector and local communities in in the 1960s, Liverpool was the world’s the Mersey, the most extensive dock re-establishing a permanent cruise base landing stage and terminal installed by opportunities, and a pipeline of talent premier ocean liner port, the Heathrow, system ever built was increasingly left in Liverpool, and should also be credited the central docks, where a new stadium from the city’s four major universities JFK or Schiphol of the seas, with more to the seagulls and silt. Liverpool’s with stirring – perhaps shaming – the for Everton FC is also proposed. ensures a fresh and vibrant injection Wirral scheduled services, and a larger, faster sublime granite seawalls fell silent. city into investing in a proper landing The psychological and spending of ideas every year. and more modern fleet than any harbour Massive external economic forces stage and then turnaround facilities at power of liners bringing thousands of This infrastructure has not on earth. Liverpool held its top position were compounded by some terrible local the Pier Head. The cruise operation of passengers from across the Atlantic, emerged by magic. Lots of brilliant for some 200 years, and although decisions, most culpably a traumatic the established Norwegian firm is a UK with dozens of coaches dispersing work has been undertaken by cultural gion Southampton took much of its trans- mass population clearance from the company based in Ipswich, and in 2004 day-trip shore excursions to the castles organisations across the city, there has Re ity Liverpool C ol Atlantic traffic as the 20th century waterside working class communities launched regular Liverpool sailings, and of North Wales, the Roman walls of been brave and unwavering political o rp e iv progressed, Britain’s most prestigious that still scars the inner city to this quickly built a loyal following of repeat Chester and the mountains of the Lake support, cash investment by the Mayor L liners continued to be registered and day. Depopulated and without big passengers, proving the business case. District via Beatles Liverpool, is profound of Liverpool has been maintained at crewed on the River Mersey. ships, the empty seaport was bereft, Olsen’s success, and a growing for a place that for two generations a level unmatched outside of London UNESCO site Liverpool ships and crews were the mausoleum of Britain’s lost maritime sense of civic self-confidence as had feared its best seafaring days – even with the backdrop of cuts and FACT utterly integral to allied victory in empire. Between World War II and the Liverpool approached its year as were behind it, and faced a future austerity. There has, and continues World War II. The merchant marine millennium, Liverpool’s core population ‘European Capital of Culture’ in 2008, of perpetual decline. to be, a real willingness to take culture Static Gallery convoys, with naval and air support, halved, and the UK government planned spurred the opening in September 2007 Now the Liver Birds are again seen seriously and to recognise its value CBS Gallery & Studios broke the six year axis U-boat and secretly for ‘managed decline’, a staged of a new £19m floating landing stage, from the tidal waters by passengers socially and economically. air bombing blockade to supply the abandonment of the city. designed to reinstate the ‘in river’ visiting Britain from across the western In 2018, Liverpool marks the 10th Sefton New Bird Granby besieged British Isles (and Soviets) A vast economic infrastructure infrastructure removed 35 years earlier, hemisphere, and watch over Britons anniversary of being European Capital St Helens skatepark Knowsley with over 1m tonnes of supplies was built round the sea. Liverpool had and thereby allow the biggest passenger leaving to see the world from Liverpool. of Culture with another big year of Welsh Streets a week from Canada and the USA. pioneered the first railways in order ships in the world to once more tie up Their shamanic spirits must delight programming, which is made possible Liverpool Wirral The post-war years saw a return to distribute cargos and people, and alongside the now UNESCO protected that the stately seabirds once thought by the fact that this infrastructure Halton Toxteth Reservoir to the golden era of captain’s dinners, developed mighty networks both sides Pier Head World Heritage Site. extinct on these shores have returned, exists and is in such good health. balloon parties and promenades on of the river. Culturally, the daily trans- After 40 years, Liverpool was a true importing good fortune, and exporting The investment, support and passion deck, and a new generation of Liverpool shipment of ideas across oceans gave cruise line port once more. In the short happy memories. of all aspects of the city over the last Neighbourhoods, sites and places explored in this issue of The Unlimited Edition 4 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 5

15% of the goods and services it opportunities for all’, and creating allow for start-ups and grassroots experiments and residency exhibitions. produces. The city’s restaurants, bars a region that is ‘ambitious, fair, green, initiatives. While this marginalisation The continued advocacy of artists is and hotels, meanwhile, are frequently connected and together’. But what of creative spaces from the city’s centre the underpinning aim of the gallery’s THE FUTURE brimming with tourists and visiting does he need to do? CBS GALLERY has its negatives, it has also assisted activity. Artists who have previously football fans. John Flamson, who oversaw the in creating more concentrated creative exhibited are invited to submit artists’ One of Rotheram’s first challenges huge European investments in Liverpool communities in areas like the Baltic editions to be sold via an online shop, will be to ensure that he has the support and who has been involved in every Triangle, where CBS moved to in providing support to the participating OF LIVERPOOL of the rest of his cabinet: the leaders regeneration initiative in the city for & STUDIOS March 2017. artists and the opportunity for people of the six boroughs, plus a business 35 years, suggests Rotheram should For CBS the move provided a to collect the work of emerging artists. representative. Although the politicians ask himself: ‘What am I not going to Theo Vass, Joseph Hulme and Liam Peacock welcome point of renewal. The new Around the same time that Does the great port city all hail from the same party there is get involved in?’ He could then focus location on Blundell Street in an old CBS was founded Rory MacBeth was already talk in the city of personal and on a small number of targets, such dock warehouse had the space needed appointed as the new head of the art still face out to sea? political rivalries beginning to emerge. as attracting investment, dealing to house a workshop, enabling sculptural school at LJMU. This marked a new Rotheram will also need to address with Whitehall and key business, and production and picture framing services outward facing approach to the Fine Ian Cobain the concerns in some of the peripheral improving the transport infrastructure. in-house to create greater financial Art course. Establishing graduate areas of the region that the centre will Jon Egan, a former Labour party flexibility independent of public funding. residencies with local artist-led studios dominate. One of his campaign slogans regional organiser, city council chief The success of which has been enhanced as well as points throughout the three Liverpool is a city that has a face, Liverpool seemed at times to be a was ‘No Borough Left Behind’. Despite of staff, Halton councillor – and self- by the studio’s integration in the local years of the course to collaborate and but to gaze upon it you must either be great port city that was languishing this – or perhaps because of it – some confessed grumpy old man, says community of the Baltic Triangle work with local art communities. In aboard a ship on the Mersey, or looking in the wrong place at the wrong time: are worried that that is exactly what Rotheram will need to think hard and its proximity to a wider range its second year at CBS the graduate across the water from Wirral. The city containerised shipping continued to will happen. about the way in which the city of creative amenities. residency is providing a crucial platform directs its face towards Dublin and New flourish, but provided few jobs, and it In part, this is because the Capital presents itself. ‘The narrative about As well as larger production space for graduates looking to stay in the city York, Buenos Aires and Cape Town, and was the ports on the other side of the of Itself has long had a tendency to Liverpool is still in the past tense: the new location offers a more generous and continue working, contributing to the magnificent Edwardian buildings country that seized the lion’s share look down upon – pity, even – those ‘Come and see our architecture and gallery for the exhibition programme. the growth of the artist-led network that line the river all look out to sea. of the modern shipping trade. who were not born or raised within it, our musical heritage.’ The city markets The gallery acts as a space for the in the city and further afield. To Manchester and the rest of Liverpool’s economic decline and its inhabitants’ greatest disdain itself as if it was Pompeii. We need directors and studio holders to host Britain, the city has always pointed during the 70s and 80s was sharp, has seemed at times to be reserved to look to the future.’ a range of artistic projects, curatorial its backside, quite literally. and painfully well-documented, and for those who live and work just Mike Emmerich, founding director When UNESCO designated its population fell from almost a million beyond its boundaries. of Metro Dynamics and a former Liverpool’s waterfront a World Heritage on the eve of World War II to around Rotheram’s next problem will be Downing Street policy adviser, says Site, it declared it to be ‘an exceptional 440,000 by the turn of the century. to locate the levers that will allow him Rotheram needs to quickly surround THINGS WE’VE LEARNT testimony to the development of Seeds of revival were planted first by to generate economic growth. himself with a highly capable team Installation view, Jake Kent and Alfie Strong, ‘Dormant Parasite’, 2017 maritime mercantile culture in the 18th Michael Heseltine, the city’s great Ged Fitzgerald, the chief executive and make sure his cabinet colleagues (BUT NOT NECESSARILY IMPLEMENTED) and 19th centuries’, a culture that had champion in Margaret Thatcher’s of the city council and interim head work as a single unit. Established in 2015 to provide been critical to the building of empire. cabinet, and then nurtured this century of the new combined authority, But all three agree on a trio affordable studio space in Liverpool’s Always try and negotiate in kind at the beginning Waves of immigration from that via hundreds of millions of pounds worth who played a key role in negotiating of points: the need to learn from city centre, CBS also presents a of your tenancy to allow time to build studios empire, and particularly from Ireland, of EU regional development funds. But Liverpool’s devolution deal with Manchester, which has seduced programme of exhibitions, talks and and a gallery without the financial pressure from had turned it into a rapidly growing, there have been occasions over the last Whitehall, could not be clearer: Whitehall into accepting that it can events showcasing the work of emerging your landlord. polyglot city: ‘the Marseilles of few decades when Liverpool could have ‘The new mayor role is more about make efficient use of devolved powers, artists from across the UK. Set up by England’, according to the Victorian been forgiven for asking itself the economic growth than services and and the money that goes with them; graduates from Liverpool John Moores Get larger galleries and institutions to donate their writer Thomas Escott. Writing 120 question: ‘What am I for?’ governance. The combined authority the need for faster transport links BA Fine Art course, the space aimed second-hand building materials to you. years later, the rock journalist Paul Du That is the question that is being isn’t in itself an organ of government, with Manchester, and the importance to fill a distinct gap in the artist-led Find out what funding you are eligible for and apply Noyer described it as ‘a sort of sunless asked following the election of the it is an organ of growth.’ of Liverpool’s newly developed port. activity in the city. That is to say, for all of it. Marseilles that operates on different Liverpool City Region’s new mayor While some Tory champions of As part of its wider plans for the despite the perfect conditions in terms principles to the rest of Britain’. Steve Rotheram and the creation of devolution have believed passionately north-west, Peel Group, a property of low rent and available property, few Be as transparent as possible with your studio Those different principles – reaching a new combined city region authority. in the need to rebalance the north and and transport company, has led a graduates were staying in the city to members and put their issues first. They are the out to the world while feigning to ignore It is one of seven regions that south of England, devolution is being consortium that has spent upwards set up new spaces or initiatives with backbone of any good artist-led studios and their its hinterland – meant that it never saw are electing so-called Metro Mayors, implemented at a time with an austerity of £400m dredging the Mersey and a public facing exhibition programme. needs are paramount. itself as a provincial city. Instead, as who chair a combined authority made agenda, with the government insisting building a new container terminal on The original site in the Crown Stay connected with the universities and try to Du Noyer observes, it sees itself as ‘the up of leaders of borough councils that local authorities are self-sufficient reclaimed land at Seaforth in Sefton, Buildings on Victoria Street was a engage students and graduates as much as possible. Capital of Itself’. For generations, many within their regions. Together, the by 2020. four miles downstream from the few minutes walk from the city centre of the city’s sons either worked on the mayor and cabinet are empowered Under these circumstances, there city centre. and Lime Street Station, which made Provide snacks at exhibition openings, or even better docks or became seafarers, and after to make strategic decisions concerning is a realpolitik in the minds of people Known as Liverpool2, the for busy openings and provided an Scouse, people get ratty when they are hungry. months away would return bearing not transport, land use, apprenticeships like Rotheram and Fitzgerald, who can new terminal is one of the most alternative to the affordable artist Never underestimate how much drink will be drank. only tales of the world, but its music, and adult skills, in some cases housing see the sense of taking the devolution advanced in northern Europe and can studios that were often pushed to the its recipes and its crafts. and business support and, in Greater investment that is on offer, and taking accommodate the massive ships that outskirts of the city. Within the same Karanjit Panesar, ‘Untitled (gloopy clay)’, 2017 Seek the company of people with varied practices, My great-grandfather’s letters Manchester, healthcare and policing. responsibility for the future economic have been known as Post-Panamax building A Small Cinema set up on the and learn from them. home to Liverpool, written during the Liverpool’s region comprises wellbeing of the region. vessels following the widening of the ground floor, opening a community-run Support and promote other artist-led activity. late 19th and early 20th century, show the city council area, the four other The amount that Liverpool has Panama Canal in 2015. cinema. Between the two, this created that he was familiar with countless boroughs of Merseyside, plus Halton, secured from Whitehall, per head At a time when the British a hub of grassroots cultural activity Always buy the same white paint. ports along the east coast of the a local authority area 12 miles to of population amounts to £590, with government is desperately trying in a location that was accessible for Americas, from Para in Brazil to Nova the east. only Tees Valley, with £674 per head, to make sure Brexit works well, residents and people visiting the city. Scotia in Canada. He came to know The economic potential of the obtaining a better deal from London. and attempting to secure new Unfortunately the studio’s central all the dives of Nassau, New Orleans region is considerable. While Liverpool However, it does not meet the trade deals with countries around location turned out to be too good to be and Norfolk Virginia; by the time he was never an industrial city, being amount that has been stripped out the globe, Liverpool2 offers British true. At the beginning of 2017 the Crown was buried in New York in 1913, the concerned more with commerce and of the region’s local authority budgets: businesses a competitive new route Buildings along with neighbouring city had become his second home. distribution, the wider region is home over the decade from 2010, Liverpool to international markets. Grade II listed properties, the Jerome After the Panama Canal was to ship repair yards, chemical plants, City Council alone is set to lose £420m. It seems that Liverpool’s face is and Carlisle Buildings, were purchased opened the following year, his son glassmaking, pharmaceuticals, motor So Rotheram’s ability to generate not about to turn away from the sea by developers Signature Living with came to know all of these places, and manufacture and light industry. economic growth will define his success for many years to come. planning permission granted for a San Francisco and Valparaíso, too. But The city, meanwhile, has three or failure as the city region mayor. And Luxury Hotel to compliment the one it is not clear that either of them ever universities, a teaching hospital, key to this, it seems, will be his ability A version of this piece was previously published they built on the opposite side of the went to Manchester. Why would they? a science park, a school of tropical to answer the question: what is the city by Guardian Cities (www.theguardian.com/cities) street the year before. A decade on on 27 April 2017. During the second half of the 20th medicine, a performing arts institute region for? from the European Capital of Culture century, however – and particularly and an oceanography centre: education His manifesto talked about creating award, increased investment and following the UK’s entry into the and the growing commercialisation a ‘high-skill, high value economy’, redevelopment of the city centre has Installation view, Perce Jerrom & Josh Whitaker, European Common Market in 1973 – of knowledge accounts for around removing barriers ‘and expanding called for new areas to emerge that ‘Mayhem Totes, Michaelangelo, Serge de Nîmes…’, 2016 CBS Logo redesigned by Jake Kent, 2017 6 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 7

century post-industrial, post-colonial ‘heritage as opportunity’ projects: – we have Open Eye Gallery which Britain. Without sufficient means for indeed, in the forthcoming Horizon 2020 deals specifically with lens-based major redevelopment (and attendant ROCK (Renewable Heritage in Creative media and photography, then we LIVERPOOL: demolition), a remarkable architectural and Knowledge Economies), Liverpool CULTURAL have FACT whose remit is to engage legacy remained, duly recognised by has been accorded ‘role model’ status. with new technologies, and also have Are there UNESCO as ‘the supreme example By historical irony then, it seems that a cinema so they do quite a lot of of a commercial port at the time of Liverpool has become better at heritage media and film-based practices there. particular HERITAGE, Britain’s greatest global influence.’ – conservation and conversion of INFRASTRUCTURE: Then we have the Bluecoat which is a Where the priority in most other buildings – than at forward-looking community-arts centre model and works forms of cultural World Heritage Sites has been tourist new development. across artforms – they have a really control and planning restriction to Given the city’s economic plight, good performance space and studios infrastructure CULTURE AND protect and preserve antique assets, forward-looking strategic planning has PLACES & SPACES including dance studios. And then we the Liverpool case for inscription, given way to opportunist reaction to come to the museums! Liverpool has the that are thriving strongly supported by the North West speculative proposals: there has been second largest number of museums after Development Agency, was markedly a tendency to approve any development London, including the Tate of the North. or under threat? UNESCO different but no less compelling. The irrespective of quality. The consequences FOR CULTURE And then of course we have the prized status was to serve as catalyst are clearly visible in the buffer zone of Biennial. We deliver an ambitious PAUL SULLIVAN Professor John Belchem to promote long-needed regeneration, the World Heritage Site, an area now Collated by Melissa Meyer year-round programme where we bring STATIC, along with many other venues cultural tourism and sympathetic blighted by a surfeit of poorly designed international artists and practices in in the city, has been the recipient of development throughout the (if that is the appropriate term) student conversation to other organisations a city council Noise Abatement Notice Photograph by Richard Cass Confronted by the prospect of yet more to the fore in ‘Liverpolis’, the would-be ‘Maritime Mercantile City’. accommodation and apart-hotels. The in the city and we do a lot of talent (2011) which has put on hold the use reputational damage and stigma for Florence of the north: symbolised by the From the outset, however, UNESCO absence of proper height restriction and development on the ground as well. of the venue for any event with ‘loud the city through the loss of UNESCO magnificent St George’s Hall with its inscription was overshadowed by the design requirements here has harmed amplified noise’. STATIC was able to World Heritage status, Liverpudlians inscription, ‘Artibus, Legibus, Consiliis’ award of another prize: European the overall townscape character of MIKE STUBBS reconfigure its activities and income are beginning to eschew polarised and [‘Arts, Law, Counsel’], culture served Capital of Culture in 2008. Having Liverpool and impacted upon the World Liverpool is undeniably in a much streams but other venues are either counterproductive opposition between to provide legitimacy and pride, to been used to condemn commercial Heritage Site. What worries UNESCO, better place than before the Capital still under threat or have ceased redevelopment and heritage. There is counteract the otherwise philistine, Liverpool and later to sanitise and however, is a far more serious threat of Culture accolade. It has become a to exist. an emerging consensus of the value of mercenary and squalid aspects of the embellish its commercial wealth, to the authenticity and integrity of city where it’s more acceptable to do The local and national debate heritage and culture in regeneration, the great seaport’s commercial success. culture in the new ‘Livercool’ of the the site and its outstanding universal art, to be an artist, and make a living around noise in the city is still urgent, latest twist in the complex and at times Commercial enterprise, however, 21st century became the commerce value: the proposed Liverpool Waters as a creative. Liverpool City Council particularly in cities like Liverpool ironic history of these urban assets. remained the dynamic force: by the of the city itself, a key driver in much- development. There is an urgent need has made a concerted effort to continue where the proliferation of large-scale A proverbial place apart, Liverpool does late-Victorian period Liverpool was needed economic regeneration. for regeneration of the central docks to invest in the arts and culture where private housing and retail development not conform to conventional historical hailed, even in the London press, as Following the undoubted success of and north Liverpool, but this needs to other cities have not. This has enabled coupled with a strong resident and narratives. After ‘long centuries of ‘the New York of Europe, a world-city 2008, Liverpool – ever the party city – be done in a sympathetic and strategic an ongoing confidence in art and culture commercial lobby has successfully small things’, Liverpool underwent rather than merely British provincial’. has invested in spectacular events and manner, respecting the integrity and as being a core part of the strategy to brought local politicians and council exponential growth in the 18th century, To maintain such global status required festivals with little long-term addition authenticity of the area. To be fair to develop and improve everyone’s quality enforcement departments onside. unencumbered by medieval tradition constant innovation and redevelopment, to the city’s cultural infrastructure. the local authority, there is a structural of life. It’s about the people as much as In many cases, the interests of new and restriction. ‘The history of a place demolishing the obsolete and redundant In this respect, the World Heritage Site planning issue here which Liverpool it is about the physical resources. That residents and businesses, many which has lately emerged from obscurity, to make way for the new. The most – provided it remains – offers a more alone will not be able to address: it will said, Liverpool has great venues and attracted by the ‘cultural vibe’ of and which owes, if not its being, at least prestigious Edwardian development permanent and sustainable means of require co-ordination with government Toxteth Reservoir interior space, to be reimagined as part of FACT’s Rewire project, 2018 resources which, through collaborative the city, has taken precedent over its consequence to the commercial and project, the Pier Head, was on land enhancing the visitor economy and departments, notably DCMS and working, fortunately get shared well. the interests of the long-established enterprising spirit of modern times, reclaimed from the obsolete George’s Liverpool’s distinctive sense of place. Communities and Local Government to Prompted by the 10-year anniversary Over the last 10 years, Liverpool Arts venues, many of which programme cannot be supposed to afford many Dock, a new waterfront location suitable Since inscription in 2004, there has been redress what UNESCO has categorised of Liverpool’s European Capital of Regeneration Consortium (LARC) and live music as just one of their activities, materials for the entertainment of the for the ‘palaces of trade’ which attested a significant reduction in the number of as ‘inadequate governance systems and Culture (ECoC) title, The Unlimited Creative Organisations of Liverpool but one activity that is crucial to its curious antiquarian’, William Enfield to Liverpool’s commercial pre-eminence, buildings at risk throughout the city, now planning mechanisms that undermine Edition takes a look at the subject of (COoL) have brought together the larger financial stability. explained in his 1773 guide. Other the famous three graces which still well below the national average. There protection and management and cultural infrastructure in the city and How do you see the and smaller arts organisations from critics bemoaned the lack of civilised stand at the epicentre of the World has been sympathetic conservation and therefore fail to sustain the OUV of the how this landscape has changed over across the region to work collaboratively MIKE STUBBS culture in materialist Liverpool, ‘the Heritage Site. conversion within the WHS itself of such property’. By due attention to culture the past decade. Cultural infrastructure current provision on projects and really make the most As parts of the city were regenerated, slaving capital of the world’. In the After the Edwardian climacteric, challenging sites as the Stanley Dock and heritage, Liverpool Waters could be can be understood as spaces and of opportunities. some of the smaller, grungier spaces rebranding exercise after abolition of Liverpool slid down the urban hierarchy, and the massive Tobacco Warehouse. an exciting development of high quality facilities for culture. Crucially, the term of infrastructure such as Mello Mello and Wolstenholme the slave trade in the early 19th century, transmogrifying from proud second city Liverpool’s comparatively good record site-specific waterfront buildings, the tries to capture both sides of cultural PAUL SULLIVAN Square inevitably became victim to architecture and the arts came briefly of empire into the shock city of late 20th in the re-use and redevelopment of proud heritage of the future which activity in a given place – the ‘back of for culture in For STATIC, which mainly operates property developers. However that historic properties has been recognised UNESCO and Liverpudlians would like house’ activities of rehearsal, production outside of public funding – having said, the Ten Streets project in the by inclusion in a number of European to see. Peel Holdings please take note. and creation, as well as the ‘front of Liverpool? designed the structure of its business North Docks has accommodated some house’ activities of display, performance and architecture to develop a variety of those interesting displaced groups, and consumption. SALLY TALLANT of income streams from commissions, the best example of which is Kazimier. In terms of the wider cultural ecology, to space hires, studio rentals, event Now situated at the Invisible Wind collaborate on the creation of technology and magic will become At the time of the reservoir’s With responses from: I think we have a really good spread of sales, food sales and art/music sales Factory, they’ve really risen to the REWIRE an ambitious new project Rewire, indistinguishable. construction, the city had to spaces that support artists at different (the latter two via associated concerns challenge of occupying a larger, more for September 2018. FACT will work Rewire will explore and bring reimagine its scale and modus MIKE STUBBS levels in their careers and practices. KIMCHI HUMAN and PRODUCT ambitious space with their new focus Mike Stubbs with Culture Liverpool, Invisible Flock to life a global world of water from operandi in relation to the rest Director / CEO, FACT For example, in the visual arts, we RECORDS) – the landscape is pretty on production. I see the role of the and Dingle 2000 to explore some those living at the forefront of of the world. And now, within an have a number of artist studio groups much consistent. The STATIC space emergent artists and groups to occupy Let’s imagine what Liverpool would of the most prescient issues for our climate change, from the monsoons environment of potential mass PAUL SULLIVAN including The Royal Standard, Crown acts as a 1:1 scale physical space and these types of spaces, and artists/ be like now, had the European Capital next 10 years. of India to the disappearing islands migration, water shortages and Director, Static Gallery Studios and various others – and they’re organisational entity that allows us creatives are generally pretty good of Culture not taken place in the city Rewire is a meditation on of Indonesia. The event will directly disruption across most forms of really important because they continue to continually operate and examine at that and really without this activity in 2008. water and the future, an epic, sonic, invite audiences to experiment, society, can the people of Liverpool SALLY TALLANT to feed into the creative ecology within issues and subjects that interest the larger venues will suffer for lack Then again best not, it’s simply spatial, elemental work made for play and imagine the future of re-think what a city can be and Director, Liverpool Biennial the city. us. The structure was designed to of talent. too dismal a picture. the iconic Toxteth Reservoir in water both here in Liverpool and how to be part of it? Then going up a little bit, we have allow autonomy. But happen it did and 2018 Liverpool, built in 1845 to hold and around the world. As we clamour for Industrial some smaller spaces, like Cactus Gallery, SALLY TALLANT marks the 10th anniversary of supply 2 million gallons of water The Reservoir, an innovation Revolution.4, will we be able to see which I think are really important to The ecosystem laid out in the visual that fact but the year is not just to the people of Liverpool. in its day, distributed clean water beyond the economic benefits, maintain a healthy infrastructure – arts is also echoed in theatre, and in about looking back but towards Using bleeding edge technologies to a burgeoning population in the fat cables and the smart we are trying to encourage more music. We have a really strong music the future. My organisation, FACT to conjure kinetic and digital Liverpool as the city struggled technologies? Or is that in fact grassroots galleries like these to scene in the city, including lots of great will welcome international artists landscapes that explore the with migrants from Ireland and exactly what we need to keep our pop up. In the next layer up, we have independent music producers who are and Leeds-based Invisible Flock to human body in space and nature, Wales looking for food and work. heads above water (pun intended)? practice- or media-specific institutions, doing some quite experimental and all of which have a different remit. It’s interesting stuff, from Andrew Ellis up a really healthy ecology of institutions to the Philharmonic. We’re very strong 8 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 9

in visual arts – if I compare what we’re show to our various platforms that it’s Liverpool Philharmonic and Everyman the region. There is a lot to do but we doing to say Manchester or Leeds, not necessary to leave to be successful?, Playhouse. FACT has used its own can also see initiatives such as Heart I think we have quite a lot of artists because I think that’s a mistake. resources and fundraised to create an of Glass in St Helens, which previously in the city and I think there’s a strong So yes there are lots of things emphasis on residency opportunities might not have had the confidence ecology and infrastructure that can that can be done, but the number of and improved space for production to push past conservatism and prove support their development and bring stakeholders involved in making those such as FACTLab in partnership with the value of culture to everyone. an international dialogue to the table. things happen is complicated. Liverpool John Moores University. I think the artform that lacks At the other end of the spectrum, SALLY TALLANT infrastructure in the city is dance. MIKE STUBBS we have new spaces like The Royal I’d say that there’s quite a lot of There’s MDI (Merseyside Dance The best way is with people. With Standard Gallery & Studios and large-scale cultural infrastructure in the Initiative) and there’s LIC (Liverpool time, communities can make things Cactus Gallery popping up and city centre – that’s where the museums Improvisation Collective) at the happen. FACT itself came about from growing stronger and stronger, are, that’s where people travel to – and Bluecoat, but I don’t see much decades of development through transforming the surroundings I think a lot of those organisations contemporary dance coming through Video Positive Festival and Moviola, of an old abandoned brewery into already feel that they serve not only all the city. When I do present dance, a deep engagement programme and a vibrant place where artists can of the city region but also a more broad people do come, but you need to a lot of passion from the founders develop and exhibit their work. Northern region and national remit in build audiences, you can’t just expect and surrounding audiences. And some cases. We’ve just been through them to come regardless – you have to now, we’re celebrating 15 years of SALLY TALLANT a transition where we’ve moved to a build their appetite and their interest. the purpose-built FACT building on In my opinion it’s regrettable that metro-region mayoral model. What Friday 13 April and you’re all invited. we will be the last British city to host that actually means on the ground is the Capital of Culture. 10 years on that various local authorities that used PAUL SULLIVAN from when Liverpool was Capital of to operate autonomously now have to It depends on what you mean by Culture, the city has radically changed collaborate and share various pots of What is the best culture. In the context of the 2008 and I think it’s clear that the impacts money. This means that when money is Capital of Culture title, in the bidding were multiple. On one level, it was spent, the desire is to see that delivered way to ‘build in’ process the debate around what culture the confidence that came with that across the wider city region. actually is in the city was largely closed which gave the city a boost. Then you There are opportunities now to spaces for culture down. Instead of looking in detail at have the possibility of infrastructural think about how we can have a more what this could mean, how to engage development and change and I think dispersed approach to where work in the city? with it or how to enable new projects, that the actual fabric of the city has is placed. The reason that it’s been the successful bid reinforced the idea been changed since that time. more centralised is very simple, and SALLY TALLANT that the understanding, production Furthermore, the city has to work it is because Liverpool City Council It’s possible but it’s complicated. We and dissemination of culture could only together in a way that perhaps it hasn’t continued to fund culture where the have an organisation and we meet every be carried out by the existing funded done very efficiently before. Suddenly other local authorities didn’t put the two weeks called LARC (Liverpool Arts ‘arts organisations’. Although there you are under enormous pressure same level of funding. So it’s often and Regeneration Consortium). It’s made was small-scale funding for smaller to deliver a coherent, ambitious related quite straightforwardly to up of the chief executives of a number ‘community’ based projects, the and ‘world-class’ programme and if where the money comes from. And of bigger organisations and we have majority of the funding went to the organisations don’t figure out how to this is taxpayers money, so if I’m taking the smaller organisations represented already established arts organisations work together, it would be a massive money from Liverpool City Council in the group, and we try to lobby at a and the newly formed Capital of strain because there would be a but doing all my activity on the Wirral, strategic level and work closely with the Culture company. competitiveness. So I think that the quite rightly people would expect to Liverpool City Council’s culture team to In this scenario, cultural product city learnt how to work strategically see the Wirral putting their cash on think about how we can better embed is carefully controlled, selected and together across its different strands. the table as well. a cultural strategy at the heart of the marketed for the benefit of the city’s LARC, for example, is a direct result The city region has also received city’s thinking and planning for the key agenda of developing commercial of 2008 – we realised that we had to a city devolution deal from central future. This all sounds marvellous and tourism. This essentially means that do it ourselves if it was going to be government, which meant a certain there’s definitely a goodwill around the culture is ring-fenced for those who something we wanted and owned. amount of money was given to spend table – not only from the organisations can receive funding in order to disperse There is also an understanding that we on cultural activity and infrastructure. but also from the city and the wider it, and also ring-fenced geographically, have to work hand-in-hand with all of Some of that is for trains, roads and city region, including our mayor, Joe ensuring that the majority of funding the other parties including the city, and housing, but some of the money is Anderson and our city region mayor, is prioritised to the city centre. the LEP, and the developers and the for culture and culture is cited in the Steve Rotheram. Therefore, it is of course possible to others in order for us to make the wider devolution deal. We’re moving to a time I think that the role of arts and ‘hardwire’ culture into a place, but city region argument. We learnt that quite rapidly, and it’s quite noticeable culture has been understood and is again, it depends on what that culture from the Capital of Culture process. now, where in nearly everything we do welcome, because at this moment in is, or what that cultural product is. we need to talk not just about how it late Capitalism there’s a real need to benefits Liverpool but the wider city re-invent what these post-industrial, region too. That’s definitely at the heart post-manufacturing and post-port cities of how we’re all thinking about how can do into the future. We have to think How wide-reaching we can work, either in partnership or about what kind of jobs and employment How has the legacy in identifying what you might call ‘cold people will have into the future and and accessible spots’ for cultural activity, and thinking what the world of the creative industries of Liverpool’s about how we can help or lend our will be. The population of Liverpool has is culture in resources and expertise to enable those declined since the 1930s from around ‘Capital of Culture’ areas to develop their own cultural offer 800,000 to under 500,000. It’s growing Liverpool? or work in partnership with them to now, but there’s still a need for more title impacted extend our own. people to move to the city. MIKE STUBBS Liverpool does have a desire to spaces for culture? Many arts organisations (especially make itself a city where artists can live those based in the city centre) and thrive and not just where artwork MIKE STUBBS recognise the need to work across is presented, but where artists can One of the legacies of the Capital the Liverpool City Region and build develop. We’ve had all kinds of fantasy of Culture accolade has been the partnerships in areas of greater social conversations – can we give housing development of cultural spaces in all deprivation. And with the new Liverpool to artists?, can we create opportunities sorts of places. For the more formal Learning Partnership initiative, there that give them long-term residencies?, arts venues, that has meant continued is a cohesive effort to address some can we support the desire we all have investment to keep them open and in of these issues through local schools for people to grow in the city and to some cases redeveloped, such as the and arts organisations from across STATIC Gallery and surrounds, Liverpool city centre, illustration by Mollie Griffiths 10 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 11

At World of Glass just along from in partnership with Abandon Normal the front of the Town Hall. Heart of real community need, as the effects distractions. Our 2018 programme of the Hotties, Marisa Carnesky’s ‘Haunted Devices and FACT reaching a potential 12) CHURCH SQUARE Glass heads to the Town Hall most weeks of austerity and a crumbling community work shares this long-term ambition Furnace’ took place. The history of glass audience of 15,000. Church Square forms a congregation to meet with council representatives development sector continue to be with the local authority and with Arts A WALKING making in the town has created venue, point in the town centre. In 2015 ranging from the Chief Executive to felt. Utilising existing venues and Council England. St Helens Council narrative and subject for Heart of Glass. 9) QUAKER LODGE ‘Brass Calls’ was sounded here with Regeneration to Public Health. public space in St Helens and co-opting have invested substantially in our 2018 World of Glass and the former Pilkington (FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE) composer Adam D J Taylor. Calls were any new capital spaces might eclipse programme as the transformation of Glass Headquarters have been used Quaker Lodge is St Helens’ oldest created from personal tales and local 15) YOUNG CARERS CENTRE the allure of new, less communal St Helens continues. for happenings from ‘Haunted Furnace’ building. We partnered with The Quakers phrases, and turned into musical scores St Helens has a strikingly high CIRCLE THROUGH of Glass Image courtesy of Heart in October 2015 to ‘Rear Window’ in on Verity Standen’s ‘Refrain’ and held our performed and recorded by The Haydock population of young carers (over 2,500 November 2016. second ‘WithForAbout’ conference here Band. In 2017 the square hosted Candy under-18s). Mark Storor’s ‘Baa Baa Baric’ in May 2017. Chang’s ‘Before I Die’. A project inviting project is working with young carers as ST HELENS 4) CHALON WAY MULTI-STOREY As part of Takeover fest with people to contemplate death, reflect on part of his 12-year commitment to Heart CAR PARK Scottee in 2015, older people’s groups life, and share their personal aspirations of Glass and St Helens. Karen Smith, critical friend of Heart of Glass Across The Range carpark, the landmark from across St Helens knitbombed in public on chalkboard. We had to wipe and Patrick Fox, Director, Heart of Glass Chalon Way Multi-Storey became one Friends Park on Shaw Street. Installed our chalkboard six times a day, the level BACK AT BEECHAM BUILDING of the lead images for ‘Brass Calls’ on a Saturday, knitting covered most of interaction was so engaged. COMPLETING THE CIRCLE with Artists French & Mottershead in surfaces. By 10am on Sunday morning As Cultural Geographer Tim Cresswell collaboration with Haydock Brass Band. it had gone. Despite having permissions, 13) ST HELENS STAR observes, spaces are transformed into At the opposite entrance to Chalon the council ‘Clean Up team’ had been, HEADQUARTERS places when meaning is attached. Way carpark, artists Heather and not checked who had creatively dressed ‘Your Name Here’ programme Culture drives our place-based Ivan Morrison are working to create the space, and took it all away. Similarly, announcements were distributed journey with all our partners. We are a part-art work, part-civic space Skate to the Marcia Farquar incident, we free with the Star and reached demonstrating that we can change Park with St Helens Skate community. learnt an interesting lesson: in 2015 70,000 homes. thinking around cultural production As a partnership with police using police when the strange was encountered in and economy and fit the need to commissioners fund income and the St Helens, it was tidied away as speedily 14) THE TOWN HALL create new thinking and fit-for-purpose council, public space will be reimagined. as possible. The veneer of cleanliness In May 2015 a three metre neon sign of capital development in the town. We Skateboarders who are persistently runs strong and inspired us to question the words ‘Your Name Here’ illuminated hope that development can speak to ‘Baa Baa Army of Beauty’, part of Mark Storor’s ‘Baa Baa Baric’ residency moved on from Church Square will be ‘Where are we directing our attention?’ able to reposition themselves literally Skateboarders are ostracised after the and metaphorically. town shuts down at 6pm and perceived as ‘anti-social’. Knitting is perceived 5) ST MARY’S MARKET as ‘mess’. With the council our aim is These things kept us going through proud. After decades of sadness and St Mary’s Market hosts Platform Artists to reimagine and mobilise the energy the bad days. Our backs may have been anger, we were determined to be proud. Studios and Heart of Glass popular of tidying away for more collectively against the wall financially, but I saw And that has been Liverpool since. weekly Family Art Club. positive ends. ART AS Lichtenstein in the Albert Dock. Brecht Loving art, having a ball. Proud. Most projects at a point unearth on Hope Street. Simon Rattle guesting Meanwhile, the year after – 2009 Situating the practice and partnerships of Heart of Glass, drawing by Karen Smith 6) CHAMBER OF COMMERCE some sort of democratic deficit. How do at the Phil. These things kept us – we got to tell our story. And though Chamber of Commerce have agreed we make use of that knowledge well? believing in ourselves. They helped from that horrific day to this it has Heart of Glass is an agency for began her perambulatory tour ‘A Song to acknowledge artistic practice as ‘WithForAbout’ and other encounters A MEANS TO us tell a story that this wasn’t the place taken us nearly 30 years, we made sure collaborative and social arts practice. for St Helens’ here, on the railings, in a contribution to workforce economy, create opportunities to have challenging you had heard of. Our culture was good. the truth of our city – of Hillsborough We have iteratively built a programme a swimsuit and swimcap. Forming part and we’re continuing to develop conversations and share learning. Huge This wasn’t the place The Sun newspaper – was heard. Helped along the way by in St Helens, changing ways of working of the ‘Through the Looking Glass’ connections with local businesses, trust has been put in our programming. told you about. Whatever the poverty, artists and playwrights, sculptors and in public spaces. Sometimes the evolving weekend of events in partnership including piloting an arts skills Tensions can exist in a project and we THE TRUTH we had our riches. We had a place to writers, singers and composers, we practice has emerged from oddity and with Live Art Development Agency, development course. We’ve also need to allow them to be there, to be be proud of. finally recorded the truth of that terrible disruption. Civic engagement with the previous evening had seen ‘Duckie’ established an artist on St Helens part of learning and connecting with Alison McGovern, MP for Wirral South And then, slowly but surely, came offence against people who had just public space in this way was rare until with Ursula Martinez at The Citadel, Economy Board. each other. the new Liverpool. The expansion of gone to a football game to have a good Heart of Glass appeared in St Helens – for which Heart of Glass had requested our universities in the 1990s brought time. The strength of our culture – our during the original 2015 programme, a (declined) nudity licence. 7) VERA PAGE PARK 10) GEORGE STREET QUARTER It may be 10 years since Liverpool did not give me the impression of being students from all over. The students identity – turned out to be our salvation we were often stopped because of the Three police squad cars pulled At the opposite end of the Sankey AND THE GEORGE PUB was European Capital of Culture, and very sympathetic to the situation. We brought their money, and they spent in more ways than one. way we were moving people through up. The police had been called by Canal is Vera Page Park. Three signs In October 2017 the Idle Women 20 years since the planning for the wondered how people could be treated their money. This meant our city centre But now we have a new agenda. the town. As the practice has become a ‘concerned member of the public’ demarcate the park, renamed via Institute was opened on Haydock Liverpool Biennial kicked off, but it is this way. We wondered how they could had a proper night-time economy We have to reach out. Our city centre more embedded in the town, people who said there was a woman on the working with artist Joshua Sofaer Street, achieved with Arts Council the 30-year anniversary – 1988 – to not be heard. This horrific event – the again. Liverpool Biennial pushed the is not enough. The towns around it, are starting to see it as ‘a Heart of canal, taking her clothes off, and she on ‘Your Name Here’ in 2015. Ambition for Excellence funding. which my mind wanders when I think hiding of the truth – would define our boundaries when in first took over the Birkenhead, Huyton, Southport, New Glass thing’. was going to kill herself. Startled, we This location forms the hub of Verity Standen’s ‘Refrain’ featured about the difference that art makes. city for years to come. city in 1999. FACT – our arthouse home Brighton, St Helens, they have their observed that Marcia was wearing council regeneration plans for a new a non-verbal male choir promenading In 1988, I was eight years old. Like any But though we did not know it, of film – opened in 2003. There was story to tell as well. They are places 1) BEECHAM BUILDING a swimsuit, was not nude and was town centre. Long-term, we’re working around George Street in May 2017. child, I was aware but not conscious the twin tracks of the political fight a hunger for culture, a demand. And we should be proud of, and that will Heart of Glass work from Beecham not undressing. A farcical conversation on St Helens becoming a centre for ‘Refrain’ told the story of Ernest of the political arguments of the day. of our lives, and a determination to tell right at this point came the decision take investment in their cultural Building. Part of Arts Council England ensued which jumbled the previous collaborative practice. St Helens Council Everett; a school teacher in St Helens And it was in 1988 – when the our true story would save Liverpool. In that we would be European Capital infrastructure – from the Williamson Funded Creative People and Places night’s artists and events with the is on the journey with us. Focused on who was prosecuted as the UK’s first prospects of the city of Liverpool 2018, as we look backwards through the of Culture. Somewhere, someone was Art Gallery, to the seafront promenades programme, from 2018 we have achieved afternoon’s plans. culture, education and opportunity, Conscientious Objector. The George otherwise were grim – that it was emergence then explosion of Liverpool’s looking out for us. And as if by magic in and the industrial landscapes that hold Arts Council England National Portfolio The kerfuffle caused by 15 people we are working with the council on Pub hosts many meetups for Heart of decided that the Tate of the North, a cultural life, it is this interplay between 2005, Liverpool FC won the European so much history. Organisation funding and investment congregating, warranting three police embedding a culture of production into Glass and formed one of the locations new modern art gallery outside London, art and politics that I think has made Cup. Against all the odds, we were back. This is a serious challenge. Finances from St Helens Council. squad cars was an interesting turning the town. Built around culture, not retail. for the choir. would be housed in a warehouse on the culture and the arts so important to Something was in the air. are a problem once more, and whereas point. The use of heterotopic spaces 2018 is St Helens’ 150th anniversary. banks of the Mersey. The path to Capital the people of Merseyside. And all at once, the most important the public sector worked with the 2) THE ROCKS has increased and from challenging Vera Page Park is also a site for a 11) THE HARDSHAW of Culture was laid. The outlook seemed As a place to grow up, Liverpool moment for Liverpool’s cultural scene private sector to help rebuild the city Marking a car park boundary of ‘The beginnings, a solid relationship with proposed Pavilions project, and we’d SHOPPING CENTRE dire, but artists set up camp in the and the region around it did not always happened: 2008. All of this work had for 2008, the functions of the state Range’ retail store, The Rocks were the police has also evolved. like to see voluntary groups in St Artists’ collective The Institute for the most unlikely spot. As so often, artists offer young people of my generation been leading up to a moment when we in Merseyside are again hamstrung moulded in fabric for ‘Silent Night’ one Artist Mark Storor has committed Helens work with Heather and Ivan Art and Practice of Dissent supported found diamonds in our dirt. We did the opportunities that other parts of would get to tell our story. And in 2008 by cuts from a government in London. of our earliest productions with artist to working with us for 12 years on ‘Baa Morrison to build structures that allow the re-instigation of benches outside not know it back in 1988, but it had the UK could. The population shrank as it came. Bang. Opinion about Liverpool This will have to change over the Rhona Byrne and local students in Baa Baric’. Two years into this artistic or create points of visibility for local the shopping centre. The shopping changed everything. career prospects looked slim. The one changed overnight. Gone were the decade to come. We are not content December 2014. partnership, Storor’s project across the creative communities. centre had removed all the benches, A year later, politics came crashing thing that we did have was cultural pitiful looks from those in power. Gone with the inner city thriving and outer town in September 2017 marked the which were primarily used by pensioners. into my life. The Hillsborough disaster, infrastructure. The ‘Phil’ as everyone were the sneers. Gone were the nay- towns failing. It is not good enough. 3) THE HOTTIES, SANKEY CANAL change in police relations. The police 8) ST HELENS RFC Many protests by older people’s groups and its needless, preventable crushing called the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic sayers, the doom-mongers, the cynics, We need to rebuild again. Adjacent to the doors of ‘The Range’, the ran a chip shop for the day and police Initially we were based at St Helens had taken place. Forming part of our Live of Liverpool fans, was as confusing Orchestra and their wonderful hall. The the hate. Bang. Everyone loved it. Bang. There is another challenge ahead. canal water of the Hotties disappears horses garlanded with flowers supported RFC. The partnership continues; on Art Weekender, the Institute dragged a to me as an eight-year-old as it was Everyman, our crazy theatre-in-the- Everyone had a ball. Lots of people will Young people of my generation once under tarmac. On a Saturday afternoon young people and the artist to question match days, pre-match and at half bench into the shopping centre, utilised devastating for the adults around round with well-worn seats. The Tate. write about how the magic happened. felt they had to leave the city to do in November 2015, Marcia Farquar long-held assumptions of the town. time we curate artists’ video screenings a megaphone, and refused to move. me. The prime minister of the day The Bluecoat. Art. I just say this: we were determined and well. That is no longer true. Not only 12 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 13

has the population of the centre of the plenty of new bars and restaurants I would rather live in a place at risk Liverpool and the city region to have b) an artist. The work – the net curtain them all. In 2016, Samson Kambalu budget focused on the need to mediate and ran campaign events on stalls at city doubled in the past decade, but and a whole new aspect of our culture. of overdevelopment, than falling apart its say. We are a place that is full of – received critical acclaim expounding filmed in the Welsh Streets for a new the developer’s aspirations. Anything the Granby Four Streets Market, at people now are doing their own thing Even better, places like The Brink from under investment, but nonetheless, stories. A city that loves a tall tale but the loss of privacy and personal commission that was presented as else the community produces – well, carnival, in Toxteth Town Hall, Toxteth economically. Rather than moving away, and The Florrie create night-time we must be careful that we keep the hates the injustice of lies. There are autonomy faced by the little people part of Liverpool Biennial 2016. He the community will pay for. And pay TV and in the local shops and chippies. they are congregating in Liverpool’s environments that design in social best of the old while we build the new. few places where art and culture thrive when confronted with big plans. Its walks in the footsteps of numerous they did. We had received local and national Baltic quarter where start-ups and inclusion. Regeneration of the soul City centre residences cannot push out with public support in the manner that performative aspect (the work exposed photographers, among them Mark press for years, but nothing glued us social enterprises are not just using of our city, as well as its economy. space for music and art, and we have to it does in Merseyside because of what the household to the street by lighting Loudon & Sandy Volz (commissioned together and drew us out and drew new technology, but are rewriting the But this regeneration brings risks balance our gratitude to those who wish art and culture has given us: a sense them) was as uncomfortable for the by Welsh Streets Home Group), Rob AFTER PARTIES us together as well as culture did. rules of business and enterprise. It is and rewards. to now invest with a serious requirement of ourselves. viewer as it was for the viewed. Rather Bremner, Peter Carr, Peter Haggerty A community of supporters had made a wholesale regeneration of ambition, Liverpool and Merseyside must that they do not fundamentally change Art is truth, so they say. Well, over than sit by and become the invisible and Ciara Leeming, who included us Cultural output from the broader themselves visible independently, as much as it has brought old buildings be allowed to choose our own path the character of our culture that has the past 30 years, art was the means Welsh Streets resident artist passed over in her comprehensive photographic community followed the net curtain. creatively and repeatedly. The media back into use. that keeps our city true to itself. kept us strong. to truth. For the city I love, anyway. by powerful external interests, I created journal of the HMR process. Kambalu There was an extraordinary outbreak coverage of threatened communities This is also true for the night-time We do not want design – of buildings The cultural infrastructure built, a piece that engineered super visibility. will join countless press photographers, of unsolicited, unfunded and sometimes and their homes in the Welsh Streets economy. The visitor trade that came or of culture – planted in from elsewhere not just over the past 10 years, but Without a doubt I was emboldened TV cameramen and bloggers. All un-legal cultural intervention in and was unabated; four TV features in 2008 has never left, giving rise to but rather, grown up from our own roots. over the past 30 years, has allowed by the support of my community. welcome, all walking the wasted around the contested Welsh Streets. supplemented considerable print The ‘Nothing is Private’ net was made Welshies, pointing cameras at our Playwrights, community theatre groups, and radio coverage. and toured as part of the ‘Mechanical homes while we twitch our nets. poets, photographers, graffiti mongers, Liverpool Biennial began projects Drawing’ exhibition produced by the And me, I’ve taken thousands choirs, bands, filmmakers, animators, in Anfield and Bootle, both areas stalked Embroidery Department at Manchester of photographs here too, because as stitchers, photographers, seed-sowers by the bulldozers. As the renowned Photograph by Nina Edge Metropolitan University. So it was campaign spokesperson, I found that and yarn bombers passed through the Homebaked Anfield project went enabled by another community: the a picture speaks a thousand tears. Welsh Streets each leaving a small mark. from strength to strength, TV foodie embroiderers, textile makers, lace The net curtain ‘Nothing Is Private’ Mark of respect maybe. To residents Jay Rayner arrived to judge a baking PASS THE workers and academics in the North is a direct action that harnessed each small work marked a small survival. contest. I entered a loaf of bread in West who view me as a radical textile art as both a shield and a decoder Morale was super-boosted with every the bake-off, for which I made special artist, and a bona fide member of in a war of information. It can be contribution. It blew over the road commemorative packaging. It was their community. So they visited too, contextualised among other cultural into Granby Four Streets, who were, a throwaway thing. Merchandising PARCEL travelling to the Welsh Streets mostly resistances that renegotiate imposed according to them, quite sparked up survival. The wrapper read ‘RISE UP from the North. I put out a visitor’s book narratives. Here the flimsiest, lowliest by the Welsh Streets tin sheet drawings ANFIELD’ in red and ‘Greetings from the and people wrote in it, thus becoming media articulated the experience of and daffodil planting. They were to go Welsh Streets’ in green. I took a picture Art, Agency, Culture part of the archive of commentary dread and degradation experienced creative in grand style – with paintings and tweeted it. It pinged – appearing about the streets, the houses. A new by communities in clearance zones and planters that far exceeded our in ghost form when Liverpool Football and Community dimension was added to the cultural and became a testimony to that Welshie productions in scale and quality. Club used a similar wonky red text tourism package that Liverpool is so experience. It was documented The genius Granby neighbourhood to repeat my slogan on a 12 x 24 ft Nina Edge proud of: the ghetto tourism of the in art and academic publications. campaigners founded a community hoarding outside the ground, opposite tinned-up terraces. Could it have been commissioned by market that included music, art, food the Homebaked bakery. So ‘RISE UP’ left They were followed by Heritage a community arts organisation? None and stalls. That meant a financial, the bread wrapper, travelled via social The following is an excerpt from the is primarily concerned with promoting tourists, UNESCO walking tours, Jane’s that I know of. community art tends social and cultural exchange mechanism media and landed on the hoarding of Warming up for the Brouhaha International Festival on the corner of Kelvin Grove, 2013 Liverpool Biennial’s ‘Stages’ #5. a Promised Land, the other is focused Walk town planners, law and social to avoid controversy. The work toured was operating across two clearance (one of) our famous football club(s).

on surviving the external investment, Photograph by Tom Lox science departments, urbanists, artists, Northern cities where large-scale sites, one on either side of Princes You’re welcome LFC. Community arts is an area of work that and the social cleansing or gentrification drama, art and composition students, demolition was also being unrolled, Avenue. It was a community, and it at its best, catalyses creative action that might come with it. historians, archivists, architects and by coincidence of economic history was art – but unique, self-directed The full piece originally appeared in the – and at its worst, exploits and makes The task of shining a light on journalists, TV crews and animators. and the demise of textile production in and un-administered. We (that is, the Liverpool Biennial online journal ‘Stages’ #5 titled ‘Community Arts? Learning from fools of us all. The most successful and the displacement and dismay of All visited the Welsh Streets and as the region. The regeneration consortia Welsh Streets Home Group or WSHG) the Legacy of Artists’ Social Initiatives’. admired work I’ve made in the field the people designed out of post- campaign spokesperson I spoke with have a commissioning agenda and PR swapped campaign news, traded ideas falls outside the existing frameworks demolition development is not going and expectations of community art. to be supported by the developers Its scope, longevity and ambition and regeneration officials. Such visions went beyond anything facilitated by run contrary to the interests of the arts administrators and well beyond development partnerships. By chance, anything I imagined possible. I joined one of many communities (finely chopped), 1 small bunch fresh 7. For the pastry put the flour and 11. Roll out the dough to the destined for demolition in 2004, SHANKLEY PIE Tarragon, 1.5 tbsp Vegetable Oil, salt in a large bowl and add marge thickness of a one pound coin and when my home and neighbourhood 500ml Beef Stock, Cornflour and shortening. Use your fingertips cut out round pieces, for example GATECRASHERS in Liverpool were scheduled for Homebaked Chefs to thicken, Seasoning to taste. to rub marge and shortening into the using a saucer or pie cutter as destruction. I translated my experience flour until you have a mixture that template. The size is dependent As well as commissioning permanent as a piece of human spoil into an For Pastry: 650g Plain Flour, resembles coarse breadcrumbs with on pie case you use. After you fill public realm and rebranding artworks, artwork that was appreciated by the 125g Margarine, 125g Shortening, no large lumps of butter remaining. out the case there should be a small regeneration companies routinely local community and others like it. It Contravision: Repeat patterns for Condemned Housing, Liverpool Biennial Fringe, 2016 generous pinch of Salt, 200ml Water Try to work quickly so that it does rim hanging over the sides. hire community artists for targeted was reviewed in the art press, covered in not become greasy. 12. Roll out the leftovers to make direct contact with communities the academic press and was toured in a actually come with the sweetener of of the scheme presumably needed to 8. Using a knife, stir in just enough pie lids with a smaller pie cutter. where regeneration plans are afoot. North of England textile exhibition. The an official artist-in-residence, Moira prevent me from articulating dissent METHOD of the cold water to bind the 13. Fill the pies with four filling, Artists are brought in to aid goodwill, work ‘Nothing Is Private’ – a net curtain Kenny, who came and worked in an amongst a local audience. In protest, dough together. then use egg wash to seal the lid on. engender trust, involve people, and with audience-activated security empty house in Powis Street for a a reputable local community art group 1. In a hot pan seal off the pieces 9. Alternatively using a food Trim the excess and crimp the edges. mediate change, as much as to make lighting was shown and promoted number of weeks in June 2006. The refused to apply for it themselves as of braising steak and set aside in processor, put the flour, marge, 14. Cook pies in a preheated oven art. The kind of art that might change as part of Liverpool Independents residency, funded by the local Housing a response to my exclusion. So they a large casserole or baking dish. shortening and salt in the food at 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7 and perceptions of an area, adorn the Biennial in 2006. So it straddled many Market Renewal (HMR) company New filtered themselves out in solidarity. 2. In another pan, fry off the bacon processor and pulse until the fat is place a flat baking tray in the oven. pages of an annual report, be used in communities and resonated in multiple Heartlands and their partners Plus Dane, A closed tender process selected until crispy, add chopped onions rubbed into the flour. With the motor Make a few little slits in the centre of a public inquiry or add value to property contexts. It was shown in the front took place in an empty corner shop on an artist from outside the area, but and fry until tender. running, gradually add the water the pie, place on the hot baking tray, development. Artist’s residencies on window of my home. I live over the road the contested site. Applications for inside the arts community, who came 3. Add chopped mushrooms through the funnel until the dough then bake for 40 minutes until golden. regeneration projects have documented from Granby in an area similarly blighted the post were filtered. I was forbidden and made artwork in Powis Street. INGREDIENTS (Makes 10 pies) to onion/bacon mix. comes together. Only add enough Leave the pie to rest for 10 minutes. environments destined for destruction, by failed regeneration schemes and from tendering for the official Welsh I showed my work concurrently with 4. When all beef is sealed, add veg/ water to bind it and then stop. used demolition spoil for building where another grassroots campaign Streets residency, despite being a her official Welsh Streets residency For Filling: 1kg Braising Steak, 500g bacon mix to the casserole. 10. Wrap the dough in cling film as This piece originally appeared in the artwork, and collected The Hopes of has succeeded in rescuing homes from Welsh Streets resident and an artist. work as part of Liverpool Independents Steak Mince, 200g Smoked Bacon 5. Add steak mince and stock. before and chill for 1hr before using. Liverpool Biennial online journal ‘Stages’ #2 titled Homebaked: A Perfect Recipe. a neighbourhood. The Fears though? the bulldozers. As secretary and spokesperson for Biennial 2006. I suppose I effectively (cubed), 180g Shallots/Onions 6. Cover with foil and bake in oven The pastry can be made up to two Not so much. The creative agenda for When my home and studio in the local campaign group seeking infiltrated the programme of creative (peeled and finely chopped), at 180C for two hours and 150C days ahead and kept in the fridge community art projects funded by the Liverpool’s Welsh Streets was threatened alternatives to demolition, I had a work visible in the district, made a local 180g Button/Chestnut Mushrooms for a further four hours. or frozen for up to a month. regenerist will likely differ from that with demolition in a regeneration area, national media profile, my opinions dimension available and overcame the of the local artists or residents. One the Compulsory Purchase Orders did were known, and the protagonists ban by simply being a) a resident and 14 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018 15

of a city that has felt the impacts of in discussions around the WHS and on the ‘Politics of Plants’ – exploring up their impact. As of yet there hasn’t from a wide range of sources that way would be impossible, when we first global, national and local social, political a lack of communication locally of political themes about land, resistance, been any investment in strengthening they and the council can’t. It’s also started. All our planting is out in the and economic change. the diverse values and meanings of it. survival, knowledge. and rebuilding the infrastructure in ideally placed to be more imaginative, open, not behind high fences and locked TRADING Heritage is on the one hand often Recent debate has at least served to this neighbourhood. try out new things, experiment, gates – and people thought it would exalted as an economic driver, used in bring these issues into the foreground Why is the Winter Garden important The Winter Garden alone isn’t take risks. just be vandalised and/or robbed. And city planning and marketing brochures and foster a wider discussion. to Granby? going to resolve this – but it will although this has happened, it hasn’t as a driver for investment, tourism, It would be a shame for so many provide a unique practical and What have been your motivations done to the extent that was predicted VALUE(S) or global brand creation. Other times reasons if Liverpool lost its WHS status. In this area, over the last few decades, beautiful space, which will be behind the street gardening? – and it’s always been manageable. heritage is portrayed as an obstacle, That the buildings will survive and still the focus has always had to be on sustainable and community-owned. So our planting has gone from strength standing in the way of aspirations of form a vital part of the city beyond housing – which isn’t really surprising I think you can use creativity to make It’s always hard to answer – I think in to strength. The Locations and Dislocations progress and development. The two UNESCO de-listing is not the issue. because we’ve been under threat things that are useful and beautiful – the very beginning it was a reaction The gardening and reclaiming issues of development or preservation World heritage status is not only the of demolition for over 20 years! But and there’s a real shortage of that. to years and years of inaction while of the streets have been mainly, though of a World Heritage Site are not, as is sometimes presented, maintenance of a particular set of alongside the loss of houses, there It can link up with Granby Street Market living in such an incredibly degraded not completely, carried out by women. simply two flipsides of a coin. They are buildings or a specific vista. It is a link has been asset-stripping of a whole and Granby Workshop – and can be part and neglected physical environment. It has been a process of moving out of Tamara West interlinked, addressing the fundamental across geographies and generations infrastructure of shops, social/meeting of creatively building this area. It’s just I think it just enraged me that the interior domestic space into external Institute of Cultural Capital question of how we want the spaces in and the recognition and upholding of a places etc, community organisations one aspect of thinking big for the vision community was so dispensable, of communal space – a creative care- which we live to look, to function, and set of shared responsibilities. It is about have disappeared, and those who but thinking smaller and smarter for so little value. It was as if we didn’t taking of space that has also made to bridge across our pasts and our inviting – and in some cases re-inviting have hung on, on the whole are hugely ways to achieve it. exist – as if no one still lived here. But it a woman-friendly street, where In 2004 Liverpool Maritime Mercantile national boundaries and because futures. Most importantly they both – the local and the global to explore how underfunded. There used to be about I’ve learnt that taking care of and women and kids can and do, sit and City was listed by UNESCO as a World of this is of importance to all peoples force us to ask who the city and any lives, histories and practices intersect 80 shops in Granby when I first moved What is the CLT’s role in rebuilding ownership of public space is incredibly chat. So from being a place that was Heritage Site (WHS). The six areas worldwide. For a site to be included heritage or new developments within and progress within a certain place. Just here – and now there is a handful at Granby’s infrastructure? important. It affects the whole demonised and nearly destroyed, it’s and associated buildings that make on the list it must meet several criteria, it belongs to and benefits. Planning as the physical nature of heritage sites either end. Houses alone are not going atmosphere in a street – turning rather now a place where you can imagine up the site are spread across the city, demonstrating its outstanding and and conservation are also two areas can be in danger, so too can the spaces to rebuild a community. If you look at The housing associations have haunting, derelict streets into green, bringing up children, putting down stretching from the Pier Head and the unique nature, and provide details of and processes which people can and practices that exist around them. what it takes to rebuild areas and local refurbished houses – but in terms of safe, sociable places, not threatening roots, helping to rebuild and recreate world famous waterfront buildings, how the site will be protected alongside increasingly feel alienated from, The everyday things such as memories, infrastructures – it doesn’t happen all at investing in people and infrastructure, ones. People thought to plant in this a great place to live. the Stanley and Albert Dock areas, an in-depth management plan. World even though they affect our everyday stories, interactions and activities that once, it happens gradually and different so far they just haven’t done so. I see Lower Duke Street and the Rope Walks Heritage status therefore brings with lives today and in the future. anchor heritage to place and people to levels and forms of investment build the CLT as being able to access funding area, Castle Street and the historic it a responsibility to preserve and Conflicts arising in heritage sites heritage can often become fragile or commercial district, through to William protect the site for current and are often due to dislocations between overlooked. The fate of a world heritage Brown Street and the cultural quarter. future generations, and with this to how the sites are presented globally as city is as such no different from the fate To get from one part of the WHS to communicate the meaning(s) of the opposed to how they are experienced of a city itself. The same questions of the other you walk through and see OUV both locally and globally. Liverpool’s or communicated locally. People, what is valued, how, and by whom have GRANBY HERBARIUM the different layers of the city in which buildings and innovations tell complex for varying reasons, may often not to be asked. The sharing of, education they are embedded. stories of Empire, colonialism and slavery see their own concerns or narratives around, and the importance of finding OF RESILIENT PLANTS OF The site was judged by UNESCO to and the multitudes of people and goods encompassed within the heritage ways of listening to and negotiating be of ‘outstanding universal value’ (OUV) arriving and departing though the port dialogue. As a report into the impact a balance for sometimes necessarily RESISTANCE WORKSHOP due to Liverpool’s role as a major world and the wider city. They also tell of of losing WHS status undertaken here contesting narratives help ensure trading centre of the British Empire in creativity, innovation, and of local at the Institute of Cultural Capital heritage – and cities themselves – live Led by artists Corinne Silva and Eva Sajovic the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. people’s everyday lives, movements in 2013 demonstrated, there has and survive as something that is vital Photographs by Silva Sajovic The OUV is something that transcends and practices, reflecting the fortunes often been an unnecessary binary and that belongs to everyone.

The Winter Garden is just the most What is the artist in residency brilliant project. It creates an amazing programme? set of spaces from two-up two- A CREATIVE down Victorian terraces on Cairns The arts development programme Street – properties which were utterly started in October – and combines a derelict. They were originally due to be horticultural commission to design the refurbished as houses by the CLT, but indoor garden, and a pre-launch arts CARE-TAKING they were in such poor condition it was development programme – and they’re just not financially viable to do so. So running alongside each other. Nina Edge they have been reimagined. One house is our first artist in residence who is becomes a public indoor garden, that working collaboratively on designing OF SPACE stretches right up to a glass roof – it’ll the garden and also creating an artwork be a green and peaceful space as well for the garden itself. Hannah Martin in conversation with as a resource for the garden, and street The arts programme is a test bed Eleanor Lee, Granby 4 Streets CLT planting that takes place all around. for us – to experiment and embrace The other house will become a combined a range of art forms working with local, community and creative space. It will national and international artists. The On 14 October 2017, we led a stories, memories and knowledge Eleanor Lee has been a resident of ones and then whole families turned house an artist residency space for first workshop was by Eva Savojic and one-day workshop with Granby around the plants gathered. While Granby since 1976 and was one of out to create a wildflower meadow about six months of the year and Corinne Silva from London who work on Four Streets CLT for local the fabric cyanotypes were taken the founding members of Granby Four on the vacant land where houses had an Airbnb for the other six months, a project called The People’s Bureau in participants of all ages, with the home by participants, those on Streets Community Land Trust (CLT), been demolished. to make it financially self-sustaining – the Elephant and Castle – they created intention of creating a Granby paper have been bound into a book set up in 2011. For well over a decade, Today as new residents begin to and all year round it will be a community lovely cyanotype prints using sunlight, Herbarium of Resilient Plants of available for visitors to the Granby Eleanor and her neighbours have been inhabit the previously vacant properties, meeting place – a social and skill- plants and flowers from Granby. We’ve Resistance. Walking in the local Winter Garden. devoted to keeping these vacant streets and with the Turner Prize firmly sharing resource. also had spoken word poetry workshops area, we took cuttings of plants, Our long-term aim is to further of Granby alive with guerilla gardening under their belt, the Granby CLT and Most of the meetings which made led by the brilliant Amina Atiq and Levi many of which were planted by develop this herbarium by including – planting flowers, fruit trees, herbs, architecture and art collective Assemble things happen on our streets, were not Tafari, and Karen Guthrie from Grizedale community activists in the personal and collective narratives vegetables and climbers in the midst are continuing to work together to the big public meetings – but lots of Arts who ran a hydrosols workshop – campaign to save Granby. The and knowledge around each plant of boarded-up properties. Initially, their develop a winter garden for Granby, with little ones in between them – where making flowered waters from plants, cuttings were brought back to the included. As Granby grows, it will work was an attempt, as they describe the help of members of the community, three, four and five of us got together. which was extraordinary. Vicki Opumo workshop and pressed onto paper also make links between more it, to create green links connecting and artists from Liverpool and beyond. The Winter Garden will be a sustainable ran a fantastic workshop producing and fabric to create cyanotypes. established and newer residents, the houses of handful of remaining community owned and managed marbled paper and bookmaking – and During the day, participants shared their homes and gardens. neighbours – but this spread to the Hello… tell us about the Winter resource and a driving force for Sandi Hughes and Michelle Peterkin- whole street, moved into the adjacent Garden in Granby community creativity and activities. Walker ran a brilliant film-making one 16 THE — UNLIMITED — EDITION ISSUE VII — LIVERPOOL — MARCH 2018

suddenly there was a 3ft green wall for the little shop it was great, and all around it. A couple of us spoke to for the businesses popping up like the radio and the newspapers – the Constellations, it was good to have THE MAKING OF Biennial sorted it out in the end and a load of friendly people, on the same paid the bank a year’s worth of wavelength around. Sadly someone shot insurance for the land, we didn’t a gentrification gun all over the place, ask them to, they just did! and in came the people we were trying NEW BIRD The council purchased the land to escape, club nights spilling out into from the bank and guaranteed for it to the park, smashed glass bottles every be used as a skatepark for at least five weekend. It’s still just left to us to clean years. The council were amazingly very up and maintain in our time, with our DIY SKATEPARK supportive – they paid for the original own pooled money and donations from fence, and dropped off tonnes of surplus the odd skate company. There is a bit Craig Williams concrete from a council project for us to of conflict arising with new businesses build the first big area of the skatepark. coming in as they tend to think New As more and more skaters got Bird is a dangerous eyesore! As a result Before we started building at New Bird, guy, who turned out to be cool once involved and started going down there, a few businesses have got a few grand there was only a big block of concrete we explained what and why we were the area started to get better, the together for a new fence. there that had been a barrier of some building. We came to an agreement that shop over the road flourished, the CUC Hopefully we’re here to stay, god kind once upon a time. The rest of the if we didn’t build against the walls of (Contemporary Urban Centre) opened knows how long we can get away with site was a fly-tipping spot, pretty much the existing building, and compromise up and more arty types were exposed it though! And if the best thing that everything the tip wouldn’t take was the damp course, and we would agree to what was going on at the park – comes from it is the council committing there; like old toilets, bags of women’s to buy ice cream every time the van the area definitely had a buzz starting to something being built to replace it clothes, builders refuse, tyres – it was came past, that we could do whatever around it. I think the park being there if the site is redeveloped, then our job a real mess. So we thought why don’t else we wanted! Since then the land has contributed a lot to the area, financially has been worth it. we just clean it up and use it to skate. had a few owners, firstly Co-operative We had no permission to build so three Bank, who put fences up around it of us just went to the site wearing – they were scared about insurance high-vis attempting to look like council and someone suing them if they hurt workers! We put down the first concrete themselves. No one knew it had changed skateboard obstacle – it was terrible! hands so we just turned up to skate and What drew us to that part of Photographs by Ash Wilson town was that it was all totally derelict. The bylaw that made it illegal to skate anywhere in the city centre had just been passed and it was being over zealously enforced! The only people down there on the site were gangsters and they left us alone. There had however (luckily for us) been an urban beach-themed art exhibition on the site resulting in about 10 tonnes of sand being left there, which we ended up using to build the park’s earliest bits. We had a collection tin in the skate shop Lost Art and anyone who was around on a summer’s day, when there was building going on, would go and help. We had 10-year-old kids with trowels in their hands helping us and we’d tell them ‘just make a little bit and it’s yours’. There’d be 10 or 12 kids down there everyday helping to build it purely because they wanted to skate it when it was finished. Initially the only people we had to speak to were the ‘ice cream mafia’ – they owned the land, but weren’t using it at the time. One day this big blacked out Mercedes pulled up, the window rolls down and this guy starts beckoning us over, so we went over to speak to the

Many thanks to all our contributors: A special thank you to the Liverpool Original design template by Biennial, Mark Flynn, Mollie Griffiths, Andrew Osman and Stephen Osman Professor John Belchem, Jonathan Paul Sullivan and Oliver Wainwright Brown, Ian Cobain, Nina Edge, Mark Cover photographs by Louis Bever CONTRIBUTORS Flynn, Patrick Fox, Mollie Griffiths, Edited by Homebaked, Joseph Hulme, Eleanor Hannah Martin and Melissa Meyer The headline typeface used in this TO ISSUE VII Lee, Claire McColgan, Alison McGovern, We Made That issue is Quick Brush by Out of the Dark, Liam Peacock, Eva Sajovic, Corinne www.wemadethat.co.uk which imitates the characteristics of Silva, Karen Smith, Mike Stubbs, Paul a brush with its variable stroke widths Sullivan, Sally Tallant, Dr Tamara West, Designed by and is influenced by sign painting Craig Williams, Theo Vass Stephen Barrett and graffiti