It’s always the way that when you do two enormously successful events side by side, one will inevitably become overshadowed by the other…..and so it was with Liverpool Resurgent.
Me and Ken Dodd at Liverpool Resurgent, 24th Sept. 2010. Williamson Sq, Liverpool
Taking place the week before James Carling in Williamson Square, Liverpool and involving 6 artists in the creation of Britain’s largest ever piece of Italian Street Painting over 4 days. The work measured approximately 15ft wide by 60ft long and was originally conceived for 8 artists but two just ‘chickened out’ I think the sheer scale of the thing was a bit too much for them 🙂
Me and Ken Dodd at Liverpool Resurgent, 24th Sept. 2010. Williamson Sq, Liverpool
But I’ve always liked a challenge and although it wasn’t the biggest piece of art we’ve ever created it was certainly one of the most technically complicated.
The idea was simple…..imagine if Michelangelo was a scouser commissioned to paint an imaginary ceiling at St. George’s Hall….what would it look like and what would he feature today?
Me and Ken Dodd at Liverpool Resurgent, 24th Sept. 2010. Williamson Sq, Liverpool
That’s it….a perfect subject for a piece of street art.
So OK, I had the concept, the basic structure now I/we had to work out exactly HOW TO DO IT …..Easier said than done……. how much would it cost, where would we do it, how long would it last, which artists would be capable of such a thing and so on!
Me and Ken Dodd at Liverpool Resurgent, 24th Sept. 2010. Williamson Sq, Liverpool
One thing I was certain about…….I wanted it to be AN INSPIRATION; one of Britain’s largest pieces of street art and billed as ‘Liverpool’s answer to the Sistine Chapel’ Could we achieve such a thing or was this just going to be a bridge too far?
Well only time would tell….the first thing was to convince our potential funders Liverpool City Central BID that firstly WE COULD DO IT and secondly it would draw people into Liverpool and create publicity and trade for Liverpool Retail & City Central BID.
Oh yes……this event was not to be paid for from the city council or tax payers but funded privately by the retail partners of City Central BID. And to be honest I think in the current climate of cuts, this is the way to go…..impressive events that attract private funding and sponsorship.
The government spending review yesterday revealed a 30% cut in funding for the Arts Council England, that’s one third of their budget. This will affect all festivals and events throughout the UK and reduce work opportunities all round.
Are we worried?
Hell No……it will take more than a few spending cuts to stop us 😉
Mike McCartney up a Ladder taking foties! Liverpool Resurgent, 24th Sept. 2010. Williamson Sq, Liverpool
Anyhow……I’ll tell you a bit more about how we got on with Liverpool Resurgent and why I’m seen here sharing a joke with Ken Dodd and why Mike McCartney is up a ladder taking foties (don’t see that every day!) in part two of this blog!
and did Ken Dodd steal the show? YOU BETCHA, diddy? of course he did! 😉
The diary of a pavement-artist 