I’ve just caught up with this article, in the Independent last week, applauding the success of Capital of Culture.
It’s not as if the UK has been awash with good news of late – but before we head towards year’s end with those round-ups of all that went awry in ’08, we shouldn’t forget to celebrate one big success story: Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture.
Recently the Daily Post reported that Liverpool’s tenure as the UK’s European Capital of Culture 2008 has generated an £800m boost to the regional economy.
Another assessment in the Daily Post stated ‘Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture has been an unprecedented success – and cultural leaders say it’s in the communities where it has had its greatest impact’.
Many expect to see the legacy of Capital of Culture in the new Museum of Liverpool, the new-look Pier Head with its canal link to Leeds, the Kings Dock and the Liverpool One shopping centre. But, in an interview in the Daily Post, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham sees it in the eyes of the children he met through the Liverpool Arts Regeneration Consortium (Larc), an experience which proved the power of art and culture to change lives.
In another piece, Samantha Parker looks at the impact Culture Year has had on Merseyside’s communities and what it means for the future.
And in another piece of good news – it looks as though the original Superlambanana is to stay in Liverpool. The BBC is reporting that Taro Chiezo, the designer, is in town and is likely to sign a deal for it to stay.
P.S. 5 January: It had 7,000 events, involving 10,000 artists and 60 premieres. But was Liverpool’s year of culture a success? Alfred Hickling gives his verdict, Guardian
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