NEIL BUCHANAN LAUNCHES ‘OUR CITY’
Neil Buchanan presenter of ITV’s Art Attack today launched Our City with the help of over 50 school-children and the artist Patricia Lee.
Listen to my interview with Neil here.
Our City is a project to create a digital map for display in the Museum of Liverpool opening 2010. People from all across the city are invited to get involved by submitting details and images of places that are special to them in Merseyside.
Students from Holly Lodge Girls School and Roscoe Junior School have made 3-D models of their favourite places which will be placed on a topographical base depicting Liverpool’s urban landscape at the launch.
The places they have chosen include their homes and local community buildings which will be photographed and geo-referenced to form part of the digital map.
Local-lad Neil Buchanan grew up in Aintree before going on to find fame creating giant works of art on Art Attack. He is spearheading the project with National Museums Liverpool because of his feelings for the city.
Neil says: “You often hear it said that the thing that really makes Liverpool is its people. Well we thought it would be a great idea to interpret that literally and get the people to make Liverpool!                                                                                             Â
“We want to build a huge map of our fab city and all scousers can get involved – teachers and schools, mums and dads, celebrities and dignitaries and of course the real stars of the show – the kids themselves. Oh yeah, and me! And the great thing is – you don’t have to be a great artist to join in.
 “I am starting it off by creating a slot cardboard model of my ‘special’ place in Liverpool – LIPA. I went to school there when it was the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys. In fact, it was in the art room there that I was first inspired to create Art Attack – so it really is a special place for me.”
Artist Patricia Lee has created a number of Liverpool’s landmarks including the Liver buildings, football grounds, cathedrals, and the new Museum of Liverpool.
Our City is one of a series of community projects that will run over the next three years to develop content for the Museum of Liverpool.
Information submitted by the public will be included in the interactive digital map which forms part of a hands-on gallery called History Detectives.
The map will enable local people to find out about their community and its past. Visitors can pinpoint and access information about their chosen area including historical maps, images, film and community information. Â
A number of people will be able to search the map at once and the information they access will be displayed on a giant wall-projection, acting as a dramatic and exciting backdrop for other visitors.
For information on how to get involved contact Lizzy Rodgers on 0151 478 4439 or visit http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/galleries/our_city.aspx