Four Corners comes full circle
The Bluecoat should be renamed ‘the Greencoat’ this week as it showcases a special environmental exhibition.
Liverpool’s 2009 Four Corners exhibition launches on Wednesday (22 July) and marks the start of a week’s worth of free, environmental activities for everyone to enjoy.
For the past six months community groups across the city have been working on environmental projects in their neighbourhood as part of their contribution to Liverpool’s Year of the Environment.
Groups have adopted plots of neglected or forgotten land and transformed them by planting flowers or creating a vegetable patch, made life-size scarecrows out of recycled materials, used podcasts to tell stories about Stanley Park, taken part in one of the UK’s biggest tea parties in Toxteth, given outdoor performances of urban legends and grown their own vegetables, fruit and herbs.
Highlights of this work will be on display throughout the week.
Liverpool City Council’s executive member for the environment, Councillor Berni Turner, said: “I’m extremely impressed by the creativity and hard work invested by residents in our five neighbourhoods and this exhibition is an important event in this year’s green calendar.
“And there’s so much more on offer as well as the exhibition – there are performances, workshops, food, films and advice on how residents can make their lifestyles more environmentally friendly.
“There really is something for everything and I hope as many people as possible visit the Bluecoat and make the most of this unique event.”
Artistic Director for Four Corners, Ruth Ben-Tovim, said: “Four Corners has given residents the opportunity to make connections between themselves, others and the wider natural world.
“Art can provide inspiration for how we can change the way we live our lives in order to make it more sustainable, and this is at the very heart of the Four Corners project.”
Events at the Bluecoat from Wednesday 22 July – Wednesday 29 July 2009 are:
A Little Patch of Ground
A group of residents ranging from 6 to 84 years old re-tell stories using plant life and the environment as inspiration.
When: Fri 24 July, 7pm and Sat 25 July 3pm
Dr. Carbon, Eco Fool and workshops
Take part in practical living workshops including DIY from recycled materials, wine and cordials from the wild, healing salves and remedies from plants. Dr. Carbon will also be on hand for a tailored prescription for a carbon reduced lifestyle. Visitors will also get to meet the Eco Fool who’ll make people laugh and cry about the future of the planet.
When: Sat 25 and Sun 26 July, 12 noon to 5pm
Swap Shop Sunday
Everyone is encouraged to bring along clothes, seeds, books, vegetables, furniture to swap with others (electrical items cannot be accepted)
When: Sunday 26 July, 12 noon to 4pm
The Age of Stupid
One of the highlights of the week will be the FREE screening of the ground-breaking docu-drama The Age of Stupid. Starring Pete Postlethwaite, the film looks back at the world from 2055 and asks why we didn’t do something about climate change when we had the chance. The screening will be followed by an informal discussion about the issues raised in the film.
When: Tuesday 28 July at 6.30pm.
Now in its fourth year, Four Corners links residents, cultural organisations, artists and the city council’s neighbourhood services team and is one of the main legacy projects from the city’s Capital of Culture status.
The project is produced by Culture Liverpool.
This year cultural organisations involved with working with the communities are Arts is Regeneration, the Bluecoat, Encounters, the International Centre for Digital Content, and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse.
For all the details about the exhibition, or tickets for A Little Patch of Ground and The Age of Stupid go to www.thebluecoat.org.uk or call 0151 702 5324.
