Festival may go live for 08

Sep 29 2006 By David Higgerson, Daily Post Staff

LIVERPOOL'S Mathew Street festival could be broadcast live by the BBC in Capital of Culture year, it emerged last night.

Culture company leaders met senior staff from the broadcaster this week to try and guarantee extensive coverage of events taking place in Liverpool in 2008.

A short video shown to BBC executives was replayed to around 100 people at a public update meeting in St George's Hall last night.

The video was dominated by footage from the Mathew Street Festival, which this year attracted more than 400,000 people.

When challenged that the video included very little classical music, Culture Company chief executive Jason Harborow said it had "been created with a certain event in mind for coverage".

Mr Harborow said: "We have had a positive response from the BBC. It is important that as much as possible is given coverage by the BBC, and hopefully they are on board with that now."

The BBC has increased the number of music festivals it covers.

The Culture Company has refused to dismiss rumours it is hoping a reunion of the remaining Beatles could be the centre-piece of the Mathew Street festival in 2008, which would guarantee global publicity.

Council leader Warren Bradley said the city was determined to make sure everyone knew about 08.

He said: "In my opinion, the culture marketing is the best this city has ever had. Go to Euston station and the first thing you see is Liverpool and right across London. It's the same in Las Vegas.

The Culture Company are doing an excellent job promoting the city."

Mr Harborow confirmed that initial events for 2008 would be confirmed on November 6 with simultaneous announcements being made in Liverpool and at the World Travel Fair in London.

That will give the city the chance to make an immediate impression on travel leaders from across the globe. Mr Harborow said music, in particularly the Beatles, continued to be one of the city's best marketing tools.

He said: "After November 6, there won't be any more phoney dates. We will announce them and everything will be clearer."

Mr Harborow was the only one to mention departed artistic director Robyn Archer by name, admitting

things had been "challenging" since. But he added: "The artistic programme isn't the work of one person, it is a shared vision.

"We have started listening more and finding out what people want."

But 08 ambassador Dean Sullivan, best known for his role as Jimmy Corkhill in soap Brookside, told organisers people locally still felt excluded.

He said: "I wouldn't have known about this meeting had I not seen it mentioned in my emails.

"People need to be told about meetings and be involved."

Prof Drummond Bone, chairman of the culture company and vice-chancellor of Liverpool University, said: "We need everyone to work together and talk up the city. "There have been challenges lately, and some navel-gazing, but I believe that everything will become a lot clearer after November 6."

davidhiggerson@dailypost.co.uk