from Liverpool Echo...

Canon cinema back in action

A FORMER Liverpool cinema is to become the welcome point for the city’s international arts biennial.

The listed art deco ex-Canon cinema in Lime Street will be used as the official visitor centre and promotions base for thousands of tourists coming to the UK’s biggest culture show.

The building, opened as the Forum Cinema in 1931, but closed for the past 10 years, is to undergo an immediate temporary transformation for use by biennial staff from September to November.

Apart from providing an information and educational unit, it will house an art work with a horror movie theme especially commissioned for the biennial.

Regeneration agency English Partnerships has given permission for the former cinema to be opened ahead of its planned long-term redevelopment by Urban Splash as a new York-style supper club and boutique hotel.

Lewis Biggs, director of the biennial said: "This is a key building immediately opposite Lime Street station.

"It’s been dark closed for many years and we are delighted to be able to open it up to the public again.

"It will also be home to a brilliant and spooky piece of art by Annette Messager, an artist who has represented France in the Venice Biennale."

The biennial visitor centre will open on September 15 and close on November 30.

Mr Biggs said: "We can only use part of the building as much of the interior of the old main screen area has been adversely affected by dry rot.

"Apart from providing a reception service for the biennial, the foyer will also house an education unit."

Opening up the cinema is part of the biennial’s stated intention of enhancing "grot spots" across the city.

Already revealed in the ECHO is the intention to build a Greek-style cinema on a former bombed site at the junction of Renshaw Street and Leece Street, opposite St Luke’s Church.

There are also plans for a traffic island garden with animated foliage in the Jamaica Street area.

www.biennial.com

International 08 Volunteers

From September to end November 08

Voluntary position; expenses up to £100 per week.

Liverpool Biennial is the UK’s largest festival of contemporary art, with a global reputation that puts the city on a par with other Biennial cities including Venice, Sao Paolo and Sydney. The International exhibition is the critical focus of Liverpool Biennial, commissioning 30-35 new works by international artists.

We are looking to recruit Volunteers to invigilate the International 08 exhibition. This position would suit a student or recent graduate keen gain work experience in contemporary visual art.

Job description and application form available from www.biennial.com or email jobs@biennial.com

Return hard copy applications forms to:

Lorna Woods Moses
Liverpool Biennial
PO Box1200
55 Jordan St
Liverpool
L69 1XB

Closing date: 28 July 2008

Biennial International 08 Production/ Installation Volunteers

Voluntary project based work (July to November); expenses up to £100 per week.

Liverpool Biennial is the UK’s largest festival of contemporary art, with a global reputation that puts the city on a par with other Biennial cities including Venice, Sao Paolo and Sydney. The International exhibition is the critical focus of Liverpool Biennial, commissioning 35 new works by international artists.

Liverpool Biennial is looking to recruit a team of technical assistants who will provide hands-on technical support for the production, installation and de-installation of artworks for International 08. These positions provide an exciting opportunity to work alongside artists participating in the International exhibition, and to contribute to the delivery of an international exhibition across multiple venues.

Further information available from www.biennial.com or email: jobs@biennial.com

Please send a CV and cover letter detailing your experience and availability to work to:
Gema Melgar
Liverpool Biennial
PO Box 1200
55 Jordan St
Liverpool
L69 1XB

Closing Date: 8 July 2008

Visible Virals - Transport and Parks launched last night at Croxteth Park

Visible Virals - Transport and Parks is a new commission by British artist Nils Norman. His campaign for Liverpool's green spaces will appear across the city and its transport system throughout the summer.

The website www.liverpoolparks.org is an ongoing photographic depository and interactive database of Liverpool’s amazing parks and greenspaces, compiled by the artist in collaboration with the city’s Park Rangers and hopefully you. Each park visited has been walked and photographed, in order to share and draw attention to the unique architecture, history, design and natural details of each.

To complement the project, a light-hearted advertising campaign draws attention to Liverpool’s unique and often little-known parks.

This playful campaign repackages each park’s identity as if it were a product or holiday destination, sometimes alluding to phrases and buzzwords of classic popular adverts. The posters will appear on buses, bus shelters, in stations and on billboards citywide during the summer of 2008. The documentation can be found on the Artwork page.

Visible Virals is part of the year-long public art programme commissioned by the Liverpool Culture Company as part of European Capital of Culture 2008, managed by Liverpool Biennial and supported by Liverpool City Council Parks & Environment Service and Merseytravel.

www.liverpoolparks.org

Between Sunday June 8th and Thursday June 12th 2008, the Kitchen Monument will take root in various locations across Bootle and South Sefton. The week long series of discussion events in the Bootle and South Sefton areas of Merseyside is in collaboration with German architect practice raumlaborberlin.

raumlaborberlin created the Kitchen Monument structure as a high profile and unique venue for local people to come together and discuss issues around the changing environment and regeneration. The programme which will unfold in Bootle and South Sefton will look at the impact specific buildings and local resources, such as the Leeds – Liverpool canal, should have on the re-imagining of an area.

We would very much welcome your attendance at one of the events as part of the week long discussions. Click here to download a pdf programme.

The Art for Places project is a three year demonstration project developed from a unique partnership between NewHeartlands, Liverpool Biennial, three leading RSL’s in Merseyside (Vicinity, Plus and Riverside), Arts Council England North West, and Liverpool, Sefton & Wirral City Councils. The project will explore how best to integrate art into regeneration areas as part of the Housing Market Renewal (HMR) programme.

This will be done through the commissioning of artworks for the public realm as part of the HMR regeneration process in each of the three local authority areas across Merseyside. The aim is to complement good urban design through a focus on the social investment in public open space and to aid the design of neighbourhood schemes which go beyond the purely functional and create places that reflect the aspirations, identity and life of a particular place or community.

www.biennial.com

Visible Virals - Transport and Parks launch
Tuesday 3 June, 6-8pm

Croxteth Hall & Country Park
Croxteth Hall Lane, Liverpool L12 0HB

Visible Virals - Transport and Parks is a new commission by British artist Nils Norman. His campaign for Liverpool's green spaces will appear across the city and its transport system throughout the summer.

As part of the launch of the project, you're invited to spend a summer evening exploring the curiosities of the Croxteth Hall estate. Parks staff will be on hand to give informal tours of Croxteth Hall, the Walled Garden and the Botanical Collection.

Visible Virals is part of a series of public artworks commissioned by Liverpool Biennial and funded by Liverpool Culture Company as part of European Capital of Culture 2008.

For further info contact helen@biennial.com

www.biennial.com