CAPTIAL OF CULTURE: Europe’s youth floods into city

Sep 28 2007 by Catherine Jones, Liverpool Daily Post

INTERNATIONAL delegates will flood into Liverpool next July as the European Youth Parliament is held in the city for the first time.

The 13-day event will be held from July 16-27 at venues including St George’s Hall.

Nearly 300 young people from 30 European countries will meet to share ideas, culture and experience. The event will culminate in the announcement of 15 resolutions to be sent to the European Parliament.

The parliament is being co-ordinated by Michael Leyland.

He said: “Liverpool is going to be one of the biggest European Youth Parliaments ever. We’d love to get backing from Gordon Brown.”

Meanwhile, a 10-day festival at the beginning of August will encourage young people and their parents to use their imagination and creativity.

Imagine, from August 1-10, will take place in the St George's Hall/William Brown Street area run by Brouhaha.

Highlights include the firework folk story the Emperor and the Tiger, created by Walk the Plank, and Kinetika with Brouhaha, a Samba School, and the opening of the Imaginary Festival organised by Liverpool Children's Festival on Friday, August 8.

Young performers will also take part in Shakespeare 24, a Festival of Shakespeare competition that will culminate in a finale night at the Liverpool Playhouse.

On April 23 – Shakespeare's Birthday – two schools will perform as part of an international celebration of Shakespeare.

And, in October, the Liverpool ECHO Arena and Conference Centre will play host to a Generation 21 conference, part of the European Capital of Culture programme.