LIVERPOOL’S Biennial art festival brought over £13.5m to the city last year according to a new report, and organisers say next year’s festival will attract over 500,000 people.

89% of visitors to the 2006 contemporary art event, which featured exhibits showcased at venues all over the city, rated their visit as very good or good, but many struggled to find the attractions because of poor signage and guides, the report and survey from The Mersey Partnership (TMP) reveals.

It concludes the least popular exhibits were a giant question mark hung over Cammell Laird by artist Hans Peter Kuhn, and Priscilla Monge’s football pitch installation, which lay beside the Port of Liverpool building.

St Luke’s Church, at the top of Bold Street and FACT received the highest scores for visitor satisfaction at their exhibits in the survey, although FACT’s score was lower than in 2004’s Biennial.

Martin King, director of tourism at TMP said: “The research underlines the huge benefits associated with Liverpool Biennial 2006, and it reveals the very significant impact the event created for our visitor economy.

“Another value of market research like this, and assessing the views and experiences of our visitors, is in identifying how things can be improved and gauging critical or less than positive feedback.

“Respondents in the survey indicated very high levels of satisfaction, but there were some issues about signposting and I am sure they will be addressed when we welcome visitors to the Biennial next year.”

The report estimates 2006 Biennial patrons spent £13,563,006 during their time in the city, 24% more than during the 2004 festival.

It also shows respondents felt some of the less established exhibitions, including the Open Eye Gallery on Wood Street, Fusebox on Parr Street – which featured books and articles on Biennial artists – and the Coach Shed installation at Greenland Street gallery had improved from their showing in 2004, whilst Tate Liverpool and the Walker Art Gallery received lower scores compared to the previous festival.

Liverpool Biennial executive director Paul Smith said: “We are on target to attract upwards of 500,000 visitors to the 2008 festival.

“We are aiming to capitalise on the opportunities and increased profile gained through Capital of Culture to develop the festival as a legacy in 2010 and beyond.”

Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool City Council, a partner in the festival, added: “We knew when we introduced the festival it would bring visual arts onto the doorstep of Liverpool and the feedback shows it is not just tourists but local people enjoying the exhibits.

“It bodes well for next year’s fes- tival as part of Capital of Culture – who would have thought five years ago we would have achieved this?

“As for the signage issues in the report, we will be picking that up and making sure there is ease of access next year”.

OPINION: P10

lizawilliams