From FACT...

FACT are seeking enthusiastic, hard working interns to work specifically on the Liverpool Biennial 06 exhibitions at FACT from June – September 2006.

Artists exhibiting at FACT during the Biennial 06 include Matthew Buckingham, Sissel Tolaas, Anu Pennanen, Kelly Mark, Shilpa Gupta, Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

Intern candidates must have an enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, contemporary art, some experience of working in the arts - ideally of coordinating an arts project, exhibition or event - and have excellent communication and organisational skills.

Candidates should be available for a minimum of three days per week, starting as soon as possible, until the opening weekend of the Biennial (September 16 and 17 2006).

This is an excellent opportunity to work within a friendly, dynamic team and organisation and gain first hand experience of working within the arts.

Please note these are voluntary positions but travel costs will be reimbursed within the Merseyside area.

To apply please send a CV, with covering letter outlining why you are suitable for this position and what you hope to bring to the post and FACT during the internship. Please also provide two referees.

For more information please contact:
Sheindal Cohen, FACT, 88 Wood Street, Liverpool. L1 4DQ
Tel: 0151 707 4444
Email: admin@fact.co.uk
Closing date for applications: Monday 12 June 2006
Interviews in Liverpool: Monday 19 & Tuesday 20 June 2006
www.fact.co.uk

We welcome applications from any individual regardless of ethnic origin, gender, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation or age. All applications will be considered on merit.

I like the phrase 'a penumbra of smaller scale exhibitions'

from liverpool08.com...

Countdown to Liverpool Biennial 2006

It's exactly four months to go until the Liverpool Biennial.

For 10 weeks every two years, several hundred of the world's most exciting visual artists show their work in over 40 locations across Liverpool city centre, from major gallery spaces to unexpected temporary locations.

The fourth Liverpool Biennial launches on 16 September 2006 and continues until 26 November and promises some examples of "reverse colonialism" and to release the city's energy channels, all through the power of art!

Paintings selected by Tracey Emin, pavements of shattered glass from Mexico City, work by the cream of Britain's art school graduates, a football pitch designed as an obstacle course situated on banks of the Mersey, and Panamanian Bus Painters transforming the city's public transport - just a taste of what can be expected throughout Liverpool this sutumn.

In 2006 the character of the Biennial is shaped by the rapid development of Liverpool's centre, as this 'city in transition' gears up to its position as European Capital of Culture 2008.

These are the core programmes:

* Urban myths and the bittersweet success of regeneration are strong focal points in the International 06 exhibition. Inspired by Liverpool's people, history and built environment, the exhibition promises 35 new commissions, half of which will be sited in the public realm, by some of the most current artists from across the world - a uniquely crafted 'total experience' of new art in a specific cultural context. The personality of the exhibition will be as lively, diverse and quick-witted as Liverpool itself. It will be an extraordinary opportunity to see art engaging with global issues through the specifics of its cultural context.
* John Moores 24 Exhibition of Contemporary Painting is the UK's most prestigious and longest-running national open painting competition. Organised by National Museums Liverpool and supported by the John Moores Exhibition Trust and the aFoundation, the exhibition has been hosted by The Walker Art Gallery since 1957. Celebrating the vitality of contemporary British painting, it is open to artists living and working in the UK and offers a first prize of £25,000. This year's jury comprises of artists Sir Peter Blake and Tracey Emin with former John Moores prizewinner Jason Brooks, curator Ann Bukantas and Director of Visual Art at the British Council, Andrea Rose.
* Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2006 is the annual exhibition by students and recent graduates of Fine Art colleges throughout the UK. Established in 1949, New Contemporaries is recognised for supporting new work and artists at the start of their professional careers. The selectors are artists Alison Wilding, Angus Fairhurst and Paul Noble.

In addition, there will be a penumbra of smaller scale exhibitions, some of them organised elsewhere and making use of the Biennial as an international platform, some organised specifically by local and regional artists in order to play their part in the exchange of shows and studio facilities that characterises artistic practice today.

This fringe contributes energy and unpredictability - and often a great deal of fun - to the pervasive and contagious buzz already created in the city. Liverpool Biennial's 2006 programme is delivered in association with The Walker (National Museums Liverpool), New Contemporaries, as well as smaller city centre galleries and alternative spaces.

International 06 partners include Tate Liverpool, FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology), and Open Eye Gallery. The Bluecoat Arts Centre will be closed for development during the Biennial, but contribute through the Connect and Live Art programmes.

Yikes! I'd better get started on my project, things are starting to move!

From Mike Noon (Arts Council NW)....

Colleagues

As he is still working on setting up channels of communication I have agreed to distribute the following message from John Brady, Creative Facilitator, Liverpool Biennial Independents:

Quote: 'The catalogue for the 2006 Independents will have a listings section with a copy deadline of August 16th. The editorial element will include comment, polemic and artwork. Catalogue space for editorial is limited and subject to selection. Materials and proposals for editorial content will be accepted for consideration in the period June 15th to August 3rd.' End quote.

It is also John's intention to make a public presentation to disseminate his approach to creatively facilitating the 2006 Independents in Liverpool on or around June 14th. To this end, this mailing list is now being permanently handed over to John in his role as Creative Facilitator, in order that he can keep you up to date with news and information as necessary, including the exact details of his public presentation when they have been clarified.

Best wishes

Mike Noon

From Mike Noon at Arts Council NW....

Dear Colleagues

Following interviews last week, we can now announce that a Creative Facilitator for Liverpool Biennial Independents has been appointed. The successful candidate is John Brady, who some of you will know from his previous work in Liverpool. John is currently setting up ways to contact him, including a telephone number and e-mail address, and will be working out of an office in Greenland Street in Liverpool, thanks to the generosity of the afoundation. Further details will be circulated imminently, including a message from John.

The appointment of John is one which we hope will be a good one for the artists and the artistic communities of Liverpool, visitors to the Independent and the north west as a whole. Having worked with John some years ago I can vouch for his dedication to detail, artists and the city of Liverpool, and expect that he will unite all three within this work.

As agreed when this mailing list was being set up earlier in the year, it is now being bequeathed to John in his role as Creative Facilitator, so that he can contact you as necessary. If you now wish to be taken off the mailing list, please let me know (mike.noon@artscouncil.org.uk) as soon as possible and I will make the necessary changes.

In the meantime, the search for a board continues; some nominations have already been received. More are welcomed, especially from those with strong business skills and a non-arts background. Please continue to direct them to myself at Arts Council in the first instance. If you require a copy of the board specs and board nomination form, please let me know.

Best wishes
Mike Noon

From Chris Turrell....

Myself and Jola Kurjeza - Ryan are organising a show during this year's Biennial in September and we are looking for anyone that makes ceramic sculpture to take part.

This is specifically for non functional work in ceramics only and can be open to fine art/ ceramic students in the North West area.

We have secured an exhibition space in Liverpool town centre and are looking for potential exhibitors to send us images and a statement about their work to us.

For further info send an email to itschristurrell@hotmail.com

From Cath Shea....

More on the Proposal to film Liverpool Biennial Independents selection panel?

At the Liverpool Biennial meeting on 5 May, those attending were given questionnaires and asked, by artist Catherine Shea, if they would kindly take time to respond to her proposal to film the Liverpool Biennial Independents selection panel. The artist proposes to show this unedited video footage during the Independents Liverpool Biennial 2006.

Approximately 60 people attended the meeting.
10 people completed the questionnaires.
5 respondents said that they are in support of this proposal.
4 of those supporting the idea are willing to email the Liverpool Biennial Independents Board to support this idea.
4 respondents said that they are not in support of this proposal.
1 person was not sure if they supported the proposal.

Comments written were:

“Great idea, but I’m not an artist submitting work”

“I think this proposal is unnecessary and pointless, I don’t consider such filming as ‘artwork’ and wouldn’t appreciate it being shown as such as part of the Independents Liverpool Biennial 2006.”

“I hope it wouldn’t make the selectors feel self-conscious and hold back. But then again, eavesdroppers can’t be offended by what they overhear. I do think it is a good idea but how to approach this issue?”

“Bad idea!”

“This process would probably not work as transparent in the way you suggest.”

“Sounds quite dull and irrelevant. What’s the slant? It’s not transparent who cares. A process had to put together and whether it is transparent or not it is what ACE could support. What is more interesting is whether the person in post does a good job / all the required elements of the post.”

The artist would like further comments on this proposal and would welcome hearing your views - please use the Comment forum of this blog or email cs@fusegraphicdesign.com with your thoughts.

First of all, how to find this blog:
www.artinliverpool.com/biennial06
or via
www.artinliverpool.com
or even
www.biennialblog.com

Add it to your favourites/bookmarks and subscribe to the RSS feed (see right column)

'Blog' is short for Weblog. i.e. a Log on the Web, i.e. An online diary or journal with dated entries, the more active community type blogs have several postings a day. The more personal ones, only one a day or often far less (more like a hardcopy diary)
Looking back at my 2004 Biennial Blog, I posted 160 entries, I thought it was a lot more but that's about 2 a day over the 10 weeks. Since then my Liverpool Art Blog has grown, I get so much news that I often post 6 in a day. So this year's Biennial blog promises to bigger and better than the 2004 version.
If you look at the right-hand column you will see that I've added a few 'coming soon' things.

E-Newsletter: Many of you will know that artinliverpool sends out a weekly e-mailshot to a few hundred subscribers. This is free and lists openings, viewings and other news for the week. The plan is to send out a daily (yes DAILY but maybe not Saturday and Sundays) over the 10 weeks of the festival. I will be creating a separate page on the site where people can subscribe/unsubscribe.

Contact: At present its not all that easy to send feedback or other info from the blog although you can add comments to individual posts. There will be another separate page for people to more easily send me any information about their biennial events or other comments/news.

Podcasts: These are really just audio files (mp3s), typically short interviews with artists, curators etc. You can listen to them on your PC using windows media, realplayer etc. but they are called podcasts because you can subscribe to them through Itunes so that new ones automatically download onto your ipod.

Videos: Not certain about this yet but if i can get the equipment and time, may include some short videos of performances etc.

Photos: Not a separate heading but hopefully we can include more photographs documenting the happenings, probably storing them in a Flickr group.

More Writers. Always happy to accept written contributions and images from others.

Rule Number 1 for websites (I'm sure it applies to other things too): A website is only as good as its content.

The aim is not to duplicate the info on biennial.com but to be an additional resource and a long-term source for historical reference.

A Foundation launches Greenland Street a new contemporary art space in Liverpool.

Check it out, looks really interesting.

www.afoundation.org.uk

From Catherine Shea

Proposal to film Liverpool Biennial Independents selection panel

At the Liverpool Biennial Independents Public meeting on 31 March 2006 a desire was expressed to set up a ‘transparent selection process’ to choose, from submitted proposals, which artist groups / exhibitions are to be included in the ‘official’ Independents publicity material.

In response to this desire for transparency, artist Catherine Shea is proposing to video this selection process in full and proposes to show this unedited video footage as part of the Independents Liverpool Biennial 2006.

Catherine will seek support from the Liverpool Biennial Independents Board to enable this project to happen by asking the Board to set criteria that the selection panel must be willing to be filmed during the selection process. Can’t get more transparent than that!

The artist would like to gain support / receive comments on this proposal and would welcome hearing your views - please use the Comment forum of this blog or email cs@fusegraphicdesign.com with your thoughts.

Catherine will be exhibiting as part of the Transvoyeur exhibition during the Liverpool Biennial.