04 September 2008
Northwest projects for the Cultural Olympiad
Culture Northwest is delighted to present Neon Attractors - the
Northwest’s first project to be granted the London 2012 Inspire
mark as part of the Cultural Olympiad. The Northwest is leading the
way with culture by achieving this national standard of innovation
and excellence.
Neon Attractors was specially curated by Culture Northwest for
the Cultural Olympiad and combines two light installations:
Rabbit_Liverpool Biennial in Toxteth and ThickSpace_FRED near
Coniston. The project connects the North and South of the region
and establishes a presence for the communities living in outer
neighbourhood areas of the Northwest.
Rabbit_Liverpool Biennial was created from a line drawing
by Calvin - a pupil from St Vincent de Paul Primary School in
Liverpool as part of Ron Haselden’s ‘Animal’ project. The drawing
has been transformed into a coloured neon light artwork measuring
six meters in height by seven and a half meters wide and is located
on the north façade of St James Church in Toxteth,
Liverpool.
ThickSpace_FRED is a large fibre optic cube which the public can
enter into by international artists Laura Belevica, Aaron J Robin
and Feng Gouchaun. The installation will be suspended from trees in
National Trust woodland near Coniston, Cumbria and will be
accessible by footpaths.
The two installations which combine to form Neon Attractors can
be seen as part of Open Weekend - the official start of the
Cultural Olympiad in the UK on 26-28 September 2008. They will also
feature as part of other cultural events occurring throughout the
region: Rabbit_Liverpool Biennial will feature as part of a series
of neon light installations throughout Liverpool named ‘Winter
Lights’ as part of the 2008 Liverpool Biennial and ThickSpace_FRED
will be a central feature of the Coniston Walking Festival in the
Lake District, Cumbria - a new style walking festival combining
physical and cultural activity.
"Neon Attractors is our first officially recognised Inspire mark
project. It is a fun, engaging approach to quality cultural
activity and sets exactly the right tone for the regions four year
programme leading to 2012 and beyond," said Libby Raper, Chief
Executive of Culture Northwest.
The Northwest also has two regional arts organisations involved
as co-producers of Imagination Our Nation: Germination which has
been granted the London 2012 Inspire mark as part of the Cultural
Olympiad. Walk The Plank of Salford and Lanternhouse International
of Cumbria are involved in this ground-breaking musical and dance
performance project that will culminate in a collective
presentation in London in 2012.
“The four year Cultural Olympiad will encapsulate the ideals of
the 2012 games. It has real potential to engage new audiences,
build community involvement, broker new partnerships, deliver
stronger programmes and attract visitors to the region. Our vision
is that, by 2018, the legacy from this investment will be a more
vibrant and engaging cultural life across the Northwest,” said Loyd
Grossman, Chair of Culture Northwest.
ends
For further information please contact Sarah Mcloughlin,
Communications Manager, Culture Northwest - 0161 8177406 sarah.mcloughlin@nwda.co.uk
Notes for
Editors:
• London 2012’s Cultural Olympiad is a four year UK-wide
programme of culture which will welcome the world and inspire young
people.
• London 2012 Inspire mark recognises outstanding projects
and events helping deliver the Games' lasting legacy. Part of the
London 2012 brand family, it is the badge of the wider Inspire
programme which has sport at its heart and London at its centre,
but it is more than London and more than sport. It is for London
and the UK, for sport and culture, for education, volunteering and
business opportunities. Find out more
• Open Weekend is the launch of the Cultural Olympiad in
the UK and will be celebrated on 26th - 28th September 2008.
• Culture Northwest is a thinking, networking and advocacy
organisation. Culture Northwest is the Cultural Consortium for
England's Northwest, established in 1999 by the Secretary of State
for Culture, Media and Sport, and its role is to drive the Regional
Cultural Strategy. Culture Northwest's core funding is
predominantly provided by the Department for Culture, Media and
Sport and the Northwest Regional Development Agency.
• Liverpool Biennial 2008’s Winter Lights will form part of
the opening celebrations for Liverpool Biennial 2008 and Liverpool
Capital of Culture, the Biennial Big Table commissioned a series of
light based installations for three locations in Liverpool.
Available to view at locations around Liverpool from 26th-28th
September 4.00pm - 10.00pm.
• FRED is the annual art invasion of Cumbria where
international artists from around the globe will be creating new
work in some of England's most spectacular landscapes in what has
become Europe's largest annual festival of site-specific art. FRED
will run from 26th September - 12th October 2008.
• Coniston Walking Festival will take place from 26th-28th
September.
• Walk The Plank creates arts events, fireshows, firework
displays and community-based work; and owns and operates Britain’s
only touring theatre ship.
• Lanternhouse International is a pioneering arts company
producing ambitious, innovative, collaborative, cross genre,
socially and culturally significant programmes of work.