Now is the time to make a statement, writes Robin Kemp, Head of Creative Development at Culture Liverpool
Bob Marley once sang that ‘Life is one big road with lots of signs’. Today in Liverpool, the talk on the street and on social media is about one big sign.
But more on that later.
We all know Liverpool is a place that speaks its mind and wears its heart on its sleeve. A city of opinion and ideas, with an unshakeable sense of self.
Loved by people across the globe, our music, cultural attractions, architecture and football make us one of the most visited places in the UK by international tourists, which is fundamental to our local economy.
But this shuddered to a halt with Covid. It was obvious even at the start of the pandemic that the sector was in peril.
But what emerged from this threat has been both surprising and joyous.
Faced with the need to replace a huge international audience with a domestic one, we quickly realised that too many people didn’t know the story of modern Liverpool. Not just people from the other side of the world, but also those on our doorstep.
The Beatles, football and a great night out – had moved from being short hand – to being the enduring idea of what Liverpool was all about.
These are all iconic things no doubt, but they are the tip of the iceberg. A picture of Liverpool, constructed by an algorithm.
Covid forced us to change.
It gave locals the chance to rediscover their city. It gave visitors the chance to see this is not just a weekend destination, but a holiday destination. Not somewhere you come just for a night out but where you come for a week.
To explore history and architecture, take in incredible theatre and galleries. Dine at breath-taking restaurants and revel in views good enough to eat.
To walk on the beach, hike in the countryside, peruse our parks and lose track of time.
People across the UK – from nearby and faraway – fell in love with Liverpool (some, all over again), discovering a place of heart, depth and beauty – beyond the stereotypes.
A new cultural campaign launched this week to tell the same story, of a city bursting with ideas and energy waiting to be unearthed.
The changes to the city forced by Covid have been devastating, in so many ways. But from the despair has grown some positives. A new appreciation for community. A new, stronger sense of who we are and what we stand for. A renewed vigour for the joy this city brings to people who live, work and visit here.
This city has a spirit and an energy that is unique. It is not just another dot on the map – same shops, same buildings, same opinions etc etc.
The national debate about who we venerate in statues, inspired by the BLM movement, is a case in point.
Most cities talked. In Liverpool, we dressed ours up. Artists reimagined them. Our past became a playground. And a classroom.
That’s why Liverpool is different. It’s influences and inspirations are global, fostering an open outlook which has fused creativity into our DNA.
As the light installation at St. George’s Pumping Station says: “From Here, All The World’s Futures.”
And that is why overnight, just a few hundred yards from there, we unveiled a new sign.
This new installation at Liverpool ONE (pictured above) is an expression of renewed confidence. A simple statement, yet conveys so much.
Big. Bold and as the year goes by, ever changing.
Literally and figuratively – a sign of things to come!
