Work begins on plans for future as culture capital’s confidence grows

Jul 2 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Phil Redmond,founder of Mersey Television _320

CULTURE Company deputy chairman, Phil Redmond, says the first six months of 2008 have built up the city’s confidence as the Liverpool of the 21st century starts to emerge. He says now the work begins to move things forward into 2009.

He said: "All these things we have been thinking about for years are rapidly dropping off the radar now. The year’s racing by.

"Obviously, it’s gone a lot better than some people were thinking – it’s gone better than most of us were thinking. But we’ve got to keep our feet on the ground. Six months in and £5m visitors doesn’t mean we’ll end up with 10m by the year’s end.

"In the first six months, the wraps are coming off and people are now beginning to see what the Big Dig was all about.

"So the built environment is one legacy – including the importance of Liverpool One, and the other legacy is that level of confidence, that buzz of well being in the city."

Redmond says he is enjoying the community events engaging schools and groups in culture year activities, including projects like Alt Valley’s Got Talent and Generation 21, the most of anything in the programme.

He said: "You can’t mount this kind of event without having artistic and cultural foundations. There have got to be those cultural networks, and people from outside are realising Liverpool has always celebrated the arts in a big way.

"Now everyone is figuring out what the legacy plan can be. In autumn we will be in a position to say ‘this is what’s happening next’, and that will be the key to what will come out of the Culture Company."

"So we’re trying to get all the stockholders, including the city council, to all work out exactly how people can continue to co-operate. Everybody is finally talking to each other at the right level – so now, how do we carry it on."