Culture Company shake-up goes on

Sep 14 2007 by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post

FORMER city council leader Mike Storey, and Urban Splash founder Tom Bloxham, have joined the slimmed down Liverpool Culture Company.

It brings to six the number of people on the board, tasked with ensuring Capital of Culture year is a success.

Last night new chairman, Bryan Gray, chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency, said the board members were all looking forward to working with the Liverpool Culture Company chief executive Jason Harborow and his team.

An investigation is currently underway into the culture company following the collapse of the Mathew Street festival last month.

Earlier this week the 14-strong board voted unanimously to replace itself with a slimmed down body, with all members made up of existing board members.

University of Liverpool vice chancellor Prof Drummond Bone stood down as chairman, though he stays on the smaller board.

City council leader Warren Bradley and Brookside creator Phil Redmond have both been made board members, each acting as deputy chairman.

Mr Gray, Cllr Bradley and Mr Redmond said on Wednesday they would meet quickly to decide on two other board members.

The decision to slim down the board was taken to ensure it is able to react more quickly and fast track decisions for the 08 schedule. The new board says its will focus its efforts on ensuring a quick response approach to two key areas, finance and creativity.

Mr Gray said: “We have moved quickly to complete the formation of the new board in order to focus our attention on delivery of the 2008 programme which was agreed earlier this week. This is a very strong board which will work hard on behalf of the people of Liverpool, the wider region and the country, to deliver European Capital of Culture 2008 on behalf of the UK. We all look forward to working with the Liverpool Culture Company chief executive Jason Harborow and his team over the coming year.

“I wish to thank publicly everyone who has served on the Culture Company Board since Liverpool won the nomination. We are keen to continue benefiting from their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm through the Cultural Group, which Phil Redmond will lead.

“We will also work with all sectors of the community and all our sponsors and supporters to ensure Liverpool delivers the best possible year.”

larryneild

Redmond pledges second look at ‘ignored projects’

LIVERPOOL’S art world was last night hopeful forgotten projects could be revived after assurances from the Liverpool Culture Company’s new deputy chairman Phil Redmond.

In his first major announcement in his new role overseeing the Culture Company, former Mersey TV leader Mr Redmond pledged to give funding to hundreds of community projects.

Mr Redmond said: “We want anyone who thinks they’ve had a great idea overlooked, or anyone who feels their offers of help haven’t met with the enthusiasm they deserve, to get in touch.

“We’ve had people claiming they’ve sent in fantastic ideas and haven’t had any response or haven’t been treated seriously.”

The new funding scheme is likely to be run through a website called Open Culture.

Historian and author Mike Kelly is one of the city’s many cultural stalwarts who says he has made unsuccessful attempts to work with the Culture Company.

Mr Kelly wanted to organise an event to recognise the little-known tragic artist James Carling, but his idea was thwarted by lack of funding. He also embarked on a crusade for a monument of wash-house pioneer Kitty Wilkinson, which is now being made independently of the Culture Company.

Last night Mr Kelly welcomed Mr Redmond’s pledge, and said: “Hopefully, somebody will listen to us now.”

Sculptor Tom Murphy welcomed the new approach and said he was hopeful it would get his project off the ground.

With £20,000, he could complete his bronze statue of Liverpool war hero Noel Chavasse.

The team that will make the decisions

THE Liverpool 08 Board comprises: Bryan Gray MBE DL, chairman, responsible for finance;

Cllr Warren Bradley, deputy chairman and leader of Liverpool City Council, responsible for community relations;

Phil Redmond, CBE, deputy chairman, responsible for creative direction;

Professor Drummond Bone, Vice Chancellor, University of Liverpool;

Cllr Mike Storey CBE, Liverpool City Council’s executive member for regeneration;

Tom Bloxham, MBE, Chairman of Arts Council England, North West.

Those who have stood down include:

Sue Woodward, managing director of Granada, BBC Radio Merseyside’s Roger Phillips, MP Louise Ellman, Merseytravel chief executive Neil Scales, Loyd Grossman and Sir Bob Scott.