City joins together for Spectacular

Groups in Liverpool are joining together to make sure April's 'Giant' event is the most successful in the city's history. Sea Odyssey will be the largest street spectacle Liverpool has ever seen, and for the first time in the city's event history, a mass participation programme has been developed which encourages every resident, organisation, charity and community group to get involved.

 

Around 70 organisations have already taken up the challenge and are in the process of creating an event which supports the unique theatrical show taking place across the city from 20 - 22 April.

 

The Isla Gladstone Conservatory is planning a fringe festival with other partners which will celebrate the arrival of the Little Girl Giant in Stanley Park, encouraging families to enjoy a picnic while taking in the unusual sight of a 30 foot girl exploring the area.

 

Beautiful North, which represents 40 public and private businesses in North Liverpool, will literally be hitting the streets and working in partnership with the city council's street cleaning teams by making sure the roads in the area are clean and tidy.

 

Cut to the Chase Productions in collaboration with The Aspire Trust are planning 'Treasured' an inspirational, multimedia experience to be staged at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. It is a moving homage to the Titanic focusing on the stories of people from Liverpool.

 

And it's not just businesses getting involved.

 

Inspired by Sea Odyssey, every primary and secondary school in the city has incorporated the theme of the Titanic into the curriculum. Pupils are using creative writing, art and drama to recreate the experiences of those onboard the ill-fated vessel.

 

Older students are also embracing all things Sea Odyssey and Liverpool Community College has dedicated an entire term to the subject. They are planning to put on a fashion shoot, designing all the clothes themselves which will be showcased on board a Tall Ship. Arts Costume students are also designing outfits for the West Kirby Light Operatic Society’s production of Titanic which is taking to the stage of the Empire Theatre.

 

Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for culture and tourism, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: “To say this event is going to be huge for Liverpool is an understatement, and we want to make sure that local people are at the very heart of Sea Odyssey.

 

“The cultural diversity and creativity of the people of this city are one of its biggest assets and it's only right that they should take centre stage to showcase their vibrant communities during Sea Odyssey, while welcoming visitors with the warmest of welcomes.

 

“It’s wonderful to know so many diverse businesses are involved and that young people are being given the opportunity to connect with such a tragic but compelling subject as the Titanic in a unique way.

 

“I look forward to seeing the results of all the hard work which will go towards making Sea Odyssey one of the most memorable events in the city’s history.

 

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Liverpool Football Club, Everton Football Club, City Central BID and The Reader Organisation are also in talks about how they can be part of the event and the numbers of other businesses who want to be involved is on the up.

 

Culture Liverpool’s Arts and Participation Manager, Alicia Smith, said: “One of the legacies of 2008 has been the vital role of the community in many of our cultural projects – but the role of participation for Sea Odyssey is on a whole different level.

 

“We’ve been holding regular meetings and the excitement and positivity around what is going to take place in this city in April is really overwhelming. People want to be part of it and the ideas which different groups are bringing to us are fantastic, making the whole project even more exciting!”

 

Liverpool Primary Care Trust is working with the city council and has given funding for the participation programme.

 

Gideon Ben-Tovim, Chair of Liverpool Primary Care Trust said: “This is shaping up to be a real once-in-a-lifetime event for the city, and I’m delighted that Liverpool Primary Care Trust has been able to help create opportunities for our communities to get actively involved.

 

“Sea Odyssey will bring people together and provide an opportunity for young people across the city to learn new skills – both things which can help people to follow the five ways to wellbeing and so have an enormously positive effect on personal wellbeing – which makes it a great fit with our Decade of Health and Wellbeing programme.”

 

Other organisations already working with Liverpool City Council are:

 

National Museums Liverpool, Everton FC, Liverpool FC, Liverpool John Moore University (LJMU), Beautiful North, Isla Gladstone Conservatory, Liverpool Irish Festival, Liverpool Lighthouse, Liverpool One, The Reader, Writing on the Wall, 20 Stories High, LIPA, LJMU Art and Design Pod, Rotunda, Liverpool Community College, Blackburne House, Hope University, Cut to the Chase, The Windows Project, Rice Lane City Farm, Collective Encounters, Urbeatz, Open Culture, Liverpool Personal Services Society, Ykids, Liverpool Housing Trust, Riverside Housing, Arena Housing and City Central BID.

 

Sea Odyssey is being brought to the city by the world’s leading street theatre company, Royal De Luxe (RDL). They will present a magical story of how the human spirit triumphs over the Titanic tragedy - starring the 30 foot tall Little Girl Giant.

 

The star of the show will explore North Liverpool and the city centre, taking in some key city spaces.

 

Funding is in the final stages, but will be a mixture of public and private investment. There is already support from the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the European Regional Development Fund and Sea Odyssey is the final event which will use European legacy funding from the city’s Capital of Culture year in 2008.