That's good news, don't all rush to apply for grants which can help towards costs of transporting artworks abroad.

From Design Week...

The British Council will announce later today that it is to abandon its restructuring proposals put forward earlier this year, and almost double its global arts budget.

In what appears to be a complete U-turn regarding its original restructuring proposals set out in January, today’s announcement will also outline the organisation’s intention to retain all of its specialist staff and create a new media function, as part of a new vision in response to its recent consultation period.

‘One of the issues frequently raised during the round-table discussions was that there was a failure to exploit new technologies in the arts fully. With the addition of a new media function, we are addressing this gap in our arts offering,’ says a British Council spokesman.

Additionally, a ‘reinvestment’ in the council’s international network of professional expertise will entail developing ‘closer strategic partnerships with relevant Government departments and agencies, and new organisations’, says the spokesman.

The organisation will also ‘commit’ to re-establishing an external advisory function for the arts.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/arts.htm

The excellent Go Pink exhibition at CUC has been extended to 10 August 2008.

Gives you more time not only to see it but also to put in a bid for some of the artwork.

Proceeds from sales go towards improving treatments for breast cancer patients at the Linda McCartney Centre.

A Superlambanana originally captured by creative consultancy Uniform and caged on Arthouse Square for all to see and ponder, has managed the unthinkable and escaped.

A security check at 8am on Wednesday 23rd July revealed that the animal had forced the steel bars open and sneaked gingerly out of the space while no-one was looking. It is not known why the animal wanted to escape, having previously played up to the crowds that have been to see her.

No sightings have been made as of yet however the Uniform team is keen to make sure the animal is located ASAP for her own safety as well as others.

Posters and flyers to aid a quick recapture will be distributed throughout the city over the next two days.
Anyone with any information on The Great Superlambanana is requested to advise us via The Great Superlambanana blog at
http://thegreatsuperlambanana.typepad.com

The shortlist for the John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize – the UK’s largest contemporary painting competition with a first prize of £25,000 and total fund of over £35,000 - is announced today.

The forty shortlisted entries demonstrate that far from being ‘old-fashioned’, an artist’s decision to paint is exciting and challenging. The paintings have absorbed the legacy of conceptual art and incorporated it into the work; they are not in opposition to it. The works, selected from a record 3,222 submissions, represent the best of the UK’s current and future painting talent. Over the last 50 years, this biennial competition has given prominence to artists including David Hockney and Richard Hamilton, who went on to find fame and acclaim after winning the prize, and Peter Doig, who described winning the John Moores in 1993 as a pivotal moment in his career.

Reyahn King, Director of Galleries at the Walker Art Gallery comments:

“The John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize this year provides an up to the minute report on painting today. The record number of entries demonstrates the excitement and importance of the John Moores as Britain’s pre-eminent painting prize. The judges sought to select works that most reflect contemporary practice, and the resulting selection makes clear that far from being old fashioned, an artist’s decision to paint is exciting and challenging.”

Graham Crowley, artist and juror on the John Moores 25 judging panel adds:

“There’s no art for airports or corporate foyers in this show. There is a great range in subject matter and context, and an urgency to the exhibition that I hadn’t anticipated.”

This year’s impressive selection ranges from portraiture, landscape and still lives to abstracts. The subject matter draws inspiration from the animal kingdom ('Oportuno III' by Georgia Hayes) to childhood experiences ('The Baptism' by Neil Rumming, who once witnessed a horrendous car crash and 'Nought Lovely but the sky and stars' by Kit Poulson, who found what he thought was a UFO as a child). 'Woman surprised by a werewolf' by Stuart Pearson Wright is inspired by the film An American Werewolf in London, whilst 'Cadet Congo Ganja' by Tim Bailey draws from both Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now. The shortlist includes previous John Moores exhibitors and first time entrants.

Now in its 50th year, this year’s biennial prize has seen the highest ever number of submissions, reflecting the continued interest in painting and the John Moores’ position as Britain’s most important painting prize.

The judges for John Moores 25 are artists Jake & Dinos Chapman, art critic Sacha Craddock, and artists Graham Crowley and Paul Morrison, both former John Moores Prize winners. Almost 100 people have sat on the judging panel over the years, including Jarvis Cocker, Germaine Greer, Sir Peter Blake and Tracey Emin.

All shortlisted entries will be shown in a major exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool from 20 September 2008 to 4 January 2009. The winner of the 25th John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize will be unveiled on September 20. The first prize is £25,000 with plus four runner up prizes of £2,500.

In celebration of Liverpool’s year as Capital of Culture, this year’s popular visitors' choice prize will be increased to £2008.

John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize at the Walker Art Gallery runs from 20 September 2008 to 4 January 2009. The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue.

The full list of 2008’s shortlisted artists is:

1. Georgina Amos – No Place
2. Tim Bailey – Cadet Congo Ganja
3. Richard Baines – Mickey’s Trailer
4. Christopher Barrett – Pirosmani in Tbilisi
5. David Bowe – Obst & Gemuse
6. Julian Brain – Special Relativity
7. Tom Bull – Black Flag
8. Louisa Chambers – Mechanical Coat
9. Clare Chapman – Still Life, No. 2
10. Jake Clark – Cornerways
11. Sam Dargan – Middle Management Meltdown
12. Geraint Evans – An Ornamental Hermit
13. Damien Flood – Uncharted (Island II)
14. Grant Foster – Hero Worship
15. Jaime Gili – A132 (AKIKO)
16. Gabriel Hartley – Dog
17. Georgia Hayes – Oportuno 111
18. Gerard Hemsworth – Frightened Rabbit
19. Roland Hicks – Sometimes We Sense the Doubt Together
20. Ian Homerston – Four
21. Neal Jones – Bruegel Camp
22. Stephanie Kingston – 252 Solitude
23. Richard Kirwan – As Above, So Below
24. Mie Olise Kjærgaard – Watchtower with Green Stick
25. Matthew Usmar Lauder – Untitled (Hole)
26. Geoff Diego Litherland - My Flag is Better than Yours
27. Marta Marcé – Flowing 2
28. Peter McDonald - Fontana
29. Michelle McKeown – C**t
30. Eleanor Moreton – Prince (titled)
31. Alex Gene Morrison – Black Bile
32. Kit Poulson – Nought Lovely but the Sky and Stars
33. Sista Pratesi – Black Farm II
34. Ged Quinn – There’s a House in My Ghost
35. Neil Rumming – The Baptism
36. Robert Rush – The Dream
37. Michael Stubbs – Virus Maximizer
38. Matthew Wood – S-CAT LRAB1
39. Stuart Pearson Wright – Woman Surprised by a Werewolf
40. Vicky Wright – Extraction 1

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Good.

Phil Redmond appointed new Chair of National Museums Liverpool
18 Jul 2008
Culture Sectretary Andy Burnham announces

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham today announced that Professor Phil Redmond CBE has been appointed as the new Chair of National Museums Liverpool. Professor Redmond will take up his new position on 1 August for a period of 4 years.

Andy Burnham said:

“I am delighted that Phil has accepted the position of Chair of National Museums Liverpool. He is a true visionary with the ability to inspire people and has shown real leadership throughout Liverpool’s year in the spotlight. He continues to be a driving force behind the city’s phenomenal success and I know that Phil’s enthusiasm and commitment to all cultural areas will help him to continue to build on NML’s fantastic reputation.

“Having worked in television and radio for so many years, Phil is perfectly placed to know what national, regional and local audiences look for, and the Chair of the NML will simply be giving him yet another stage on which to work.”

“I know that Phil has a deep passion and commitment to making the arts more accessible and relevant to the people of Merseyside and its visitors, and am greatly looking forward to seeing the new and innovative ways in which he achieves his aspirations.”

Phil Redmond said:

“I am thrilled to have been offered and delighted to accept the role as Chair. Having been closely associated with the NML for such a long time, I’m really looking forward to sharing my passion and excitement for the arts with so many people and working with NML’s committed staff.

“It’s also great for me to be taking on this position at such an exciting time in Liverpool’s cultural history. I’m also looking forward to engaging with and supporting the fantastic work NML does with all Liverpool’s communities, as well as help promote much more collaborative working with other cultural sites around the city. My experience in television, working with Liverpool John Moores University and with the Capital of Culture project has reinforced my personal belief that great things can be achieved through working with other key stakeholders.

“For a Scouser, this is one of the greatest positions you could be offered and I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to be involved in leaving behind one of the real great legacies of Liverpool’s time as European Capital of Culture: the building and opening of the new Museum of Liverpool.”

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Yes, I was one of the many thousands of Liverpool schoolchildren who stayed at Colomendy and walked to the summit of Moel Famau.
As climbs go, its pretty easy, should be a good day.

From Helen Mrowiec at Denbighshire Council...

Clwydian Range / Liverpool 08 Celebration Walk to Moel Famau

The biggest walk this year will take place on the 16th of August 2008 as hundreds of people will hopefully make their way up to the summit of Moel Famau, to celebrate the landscape and the cultural connections between the north east Wales and Liverpool.

The Clwydian Range has a strong cultural connection to Liverpool, as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the city’s doorstep, which offers an escape from the pressures of modern life.

On the 8th of July 1926, the Crosville bus company started a service from Liverpool to Loggerheads, via Runcorn, Chester and Mold. The bus service brought thousands of day trippers, creating a link that still exists today. During the war the area also provided a home to many evacuees. More recently, many Liverpudlians have spent a time at Liverpool County Council's Education Centre at Colomendy and will have walked to the summit of Moel Famau and the Jubilee Tower as part of their stay.

There will be a walk on the 16th of August to the summit of Moel Famau to celebrate this connection. A superlambanana will be temporarily placed on the top of Moel Famau to link to Liverpool 08 that has been decorated by children. Entertainment will also be arranged for people to enjoy at the end of the walk on the summit of Moel Famau. Organisers are hoping to attract 500-1000 people to the event.

We are asking people to book, so that we can have a rough idea of the numbers by calling 01352 810614. A free park and ride transport service has been arranged from the County Hall Offices in Mold which will be clearly sign posted. If groups can fill a mini bus or coach we can provide assistance with transport costs on a first come first served basis. Transport arrangements will need to be made by the arranging group or individual.

When the foundation stone was laid for the Jubilee Tower 3,000 people came to celebrate the event. We hope that we will be able to go someway to recreating the spirit on top of Moel Famau in 1810 in 2008. It will be a day to remember, I hope that you might join us.

Liverpool artwork of the week 28. 'Somatic Sense' 2008 by Anthony Francis in the Super Cilia exhibition at Royal Liver atrium 18 July to 29 August 2008

'Super Cilia' is an exhibition of works by 10 artists curated by Anthony Francis who also has works in the show. This 'Somatic Sense' is one of them. It has a lovely luminous quality possibly because it is oil and resin on perspex.

'The paint in the work is modelled by direct tactility. Through 'skin in skin' interplay an interface between exteriority and interiority is assimilated. Consequently the paintings result in a frenzied synthesis in which metamorphic shifts in state and chromatic mutations occur'

'Super Cilia' at Royal Liver

The Ceri Hand Gallery is an exciting new commercial gallery in Cotton Street very close to Stanley Dock. The inaugural exhibition 'These Living Walls of Jet' is on from 4 July to 2 August 2008 and is an excellent start for what, hopefully, will be a successful venture for Ceri. Liverpool needs and deserves more places like this.

I especially like Hayley Lock's miniature collages, Samantha Donnelly's black sculptures and Broersen & Lukacs large wall drawing but they're all good really.
Shame its beyond my walking distance but well worth the extra effort.

Artists: Craig Atkinson, Henny Acloque, Eleanor Moreton, Rebecca Stevenson, Martyn Cross, Hayley Lock, Petros Chrisostomou, Samantha Donnelly, Mimei Thompson, Persijn Broersen & Margit Lukács

www.cerihand.co.uk

Spent the day at the Albert Dock (for the short & medium sized Tall Ships) and then Wellington Dock for the really tall Tall Ships. A rain free day thank goodness but really windy - apparently if its this windy tomorrow it may be too much for the sails so the Parade will be just a bit less spectacular.

As well as the ships we saw people and more people queuing - mostly without complaint as (unlike the Liverpool Sound concert) the queuing was all very well organised and relatively fast moving. We also saw several stalls selling nautical goods and people and street entertainers and people and we heard a bit of shanty music but several times over the weekend as soon as we got close enough to see, they stopped - very frustrating.

We also boarded one ship, the Brazilian Cisne Branco whose flag was nearly as big as the ship and had a band playing Brazilian music.

So its the Parade of Sail tomorrow - Monday. Hopefully these details are still correct from the Tall Ships website...

Parade of Sail, Monday 21 July 2008 2pm - 4pm

Vessels will depart from Albert Dock ready to form up for the parade from 11.30am on Monday 21 July.

Liverpool's sail trainees will be at the head of the parade on Stavros S Niarchos, right behind HMS Argyll.

Please note that the Ships at Wellington Dock will be closed to the public on Monday 21st July.

The final Parade of Sail is on Monday July 21st at 2pm and lasts about one and a quarter hours. The best viewing points for the parade on the Liverpool side are from the Britannia Pub, northwards along Riverside Drive, Riverside Walk/Kings Parade, Kings Dock/Albert Dock; Princes Parade north of Pier Head (although Royal Navy ships including RFA Lyme Bay berthed at the new Cruise Liner Terminal landing stage could obscure views) Wirral side viewing from Woodside Ferry, Birkenhead, New Brighton/Wallasey Promenade. The veteran excursion ship m/v Balmoral, of Waverley Excursions, and the Mersey Ferries will offer Parade viewing cruises.

Watch the Parade of Sail via the internet:
www.cam.icecreates.com

This webcam belongs to Merseyside based: ICE - Intelligent Marketing and Communications - www.icecreates.com

www.tallshipsliverpool.co.uk
 

Just managed to see the Richard (Dick) Young retrospective at Cornerstone before it finished today and am so glad I did.
I'd heard a lot of good comments about the artist who died in 2003 aged 81 but this is the first time I've seen much of his work.
The gallery manager, Jason Jones, needs to be congratulated (again) on managing to gather 46 artworks from the various collectors, owners and friends of Mr Young and assembling such a good show.
Dick Young had been drawing, painting and exhibiting since around 1948 but did not study formally until after retiring from his job as an electrician, he obtained a first class honours degree in his 60s.
There are quite a few portraits, self-portraits and life drawings. The paintings are often of simple things like a chair (chair seems to be his favourite object) or a cat on a roof, a view from a window.
I find it difficult to explain why I think they are so good, they just are. Dick Young was very much part of the Liverpool art scene and a real artist.

'Quite Charming' at Cornerstone 27 June to 18 July 2008

This is quite a contrast from the last show at View Two. James Cummins dark and minimal palette has been replaced by the dazzling multicoloured works of John Baldwin.

John has devised his own secret method of mixing paints and laying them onto small square coloured canvases. The results have plenty of energy and texture, some say the small 'blobs' of colour look like tropical fish. Several canvases are put together to form bigger shapes but I think I prefer the single or smaller groups.

John is a self-taught painter who attended Art College in the 1960’s - where he stopped painting. He then worked variously as a designer, rock promoter, teacher, potter, factory worker, gardener and managing director, before returning to painting.

Also on the second floor of the gallery are some new large paintings by Joe Hesketh. That's her in the picture next to John. She's wearing a silk dress that John painted. She says "With my paintings I start with a network of lines traced over the first layer on the canvas, then go with the thought and the feelings from when I started the piece to scratch and manipulate the paint mainly using sticks and fingers My aim is to create an energy of colour and to develop rich multi-layered and textural images."

View Two Gallery

There's some fantastic large scale charcoal drawings by Colin Holmes in the gallery space at Gostins at the moment. Some familiar but now demolished or refurbished buildings from the Hanover Street area, such as the Casartelli Building and the Henry Street Warehouse.

Also in the show which opened this week is a series of 10 'Leopardettes' by Natalie Russell - a sort of fictional girlband who dress in leopard skin outfits. Painted in acrylic on paper - the frames are patterned to match the clothes, which is a nice touch.

Also some Pop art paintings by 'Sonny'

Gostins

I don't mind advertising Becks, I drink enough of the stuff.
See the artwork and artists details on the website. You can get the new arty bottles of lager after 1st August.

http://www.becks.co.uk/canvas.html

The Finalists for Beck's Canvas
Riitta Ikonen
http://www.riittaikonen.com/

Tom Price
http://www.tompricestudio.com/

Simon Cunningham
http://www.simoncunningham.com/

Charlotte Bracegirdle
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/yourgallery/artist_profile/Charlotte+Bracegirdle/29409.html

From Culturepool...

Our next event is not only something completely new but it’s at the other end of the M62 in Manchester!!

Manchester? In this, Liverpool’s much vaulted Capital of Culture year???

We know it might seem like a bit of a trek but it'll be worth the journey as we’ll be flying the flag for Liverpool writers...

One of our regular members, Neil Edwards, is a talented and successful writer who along with two other equally talented Liverpool writers, Graeme Flynn and Peter Collins, make up Fully House Trained (FHT).

FHT have created a unique set of comedy sketches written for the stage, which have been selected to be part of Manchester’s annual 24:7 Theatre Festival. Performed live by some of the region’s top actors, FHT is described as smart, irreverent and slightly dangerous sketch comedy – just what we like!

The festival itself takes place every year from 21st -27th July. culturepool is planning to watch FHT's sketches on Saturday 26th July @ 2pm. Following the performances we’ll meet the actors & writers for a chat.

We’ll be travelling via train from Lime Street to Manchester @ 12:20pm. Tickets are about £9 for an open return. Tickets for the show can be bought via the 24:7 festival website or by telephone (see details bottom left).

Call us on 07795 285 080 if you want to travel with us or just meet up in Manchester.

To get to The Printworks please follow this map. Follow the link to show the layout of The Printworks. The Pure bar is number 14 on the layout.

We are also planning to see other performances in the festival. Please take a look at the listings to see if there is anything you fancy and give us a call if you want to talk to us about it.

What
Fully House Trained as part of the 24:7 Theatre Festival

When
Saturday 26th July 2008 @ 2:00pm

Where
Pure: Funktion @ Printworks, 27 Withy Grove, Manchester, M4 2BS

Who
Writers Neil Edwards, Peter Collins & Graeme Flynn

How
Call 0161 236 7110 or book online. Tickets are available at £6 (£5 Conc.)

Its a long way off but should be worth waiting for...

ONLY A GAME?
UEFA football exhibition comes to Liverpool

Europe’s love affair with the beautiful game will be explored in an entertaining new exhibition at World Museum Liverpool.

Running from 11 October 2008 till 1 March 2009, Only a Game? will look at the human face of football in Europe from the classic era of the 1950’s to the modern age of global superstars.

The exhibition features rare objects from legendary matches, top European trophies and memorabilia from star players.
Michel Platini, President of UEFA and three times European Footballer of the Year, said: “I am delighted that UEFA is bringing this exciting exhibition to Liverpool during its Capital of Culture celebrations, a city that loves its football and plays such a big role in Europe’s fascination with the game.”

Lilian Thuram, official patron of the exhibition and winner of both the World Cup and European Championship with France, said: “Football brings people together across Europe. It speaks a simple language that everyone understands. Only a Game? shines a light on all the actors that play a role: fans, school kids, amateurs, as well as the professional players.”

Looking at European culture through the lens of football, Only a Game? highlights the parallels, positive and negative, between the two. Solidarity, success, participation, celebration, racism and integration will all be examined in this thought-provoking exhibition. The City of Liverpool has played a central role in this story.

Liverpool player Steven Gerrard said: "There is no city in Europe where football means more than it does to the people of Liverpool. So I think it is great that we are having a European football exhibition as part of Liverpool 08."

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), said: “As the Northwest is the birthplace of football it is only fitting that this exciting exhibition should come to the region.

"People in Liverpool are passionate about football and football makes a significant contribution to our regional economy, so I am delighted that NWDA has been able to work with UEFA, the Football Museum and National Museums Liverpool on bringing Only A Game? to the city."

Bryan Gray, Chair of the Liverpool Culture Company, added: “Sport is part of Liverpool’s heritage and football has helped to shape this city of culture, so it should be no surprise to see it feature so prominently in the Capital of Culture programme. We are delighted to welcome Only a Game? to the European Capital of Culture; I can think of nowhere more fitting for this thought provoking exhibition.”

Highlights include:

o Player memorabilia from the National Football Museum - shirts, medals and trophies of great European players such as Phil Neal, George Best, Ferenc Puskas, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore, Stanley Matthews and Petr Cech
o A display of UEFA trophies, including the Champions League trophy and UEFA Cup
o A set of giant football figures telling the evocative personal stories of players including Kevin Keegan, Bernd Trautmann and Johann Cruyff
o Key items from the Everton Collection and from Liverpool FC Museum
o Memory Zone where visitors can mix their own football highlights into a video clip and set it to a soundtrack
o Interactive multimedia football quiz
o Portrait gallery of grassroots footballers from Liverpool and across Europe

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
www.insidealbum.com