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THIS WEEK
ARTS
LIFESTYLE
October 7 2020
FROM THE HEART OF THE CITY
BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATED
Liverpool Life
WAVERTREE GETS A LITTLE LOVE EVERTON ANTHEM MAKES NO.1
RED ALERT > Campaign throws light onto entertainment industry condition
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CONTENTS THIS WEEK
3 Spirit of the Blues - 1984 Everton anthem rolls back the years
4&5 Light It in Red: Liverpool venues join in national campaign
Photos: Deanna J on Unsplash
6 Why we love Wavertree 7 Technical divide exposed by Covid 8 How has the pandemic affected members
clubs? ‘Impossible’ pub restrictions examined
9 Abuse against shop workers ARTS
10 Black History Month and the power of education
11 Galleries in the Age of Covid 12 Holocaust plays adapting to survive Photos: Mia O’Hare
LIFE
13 Fostercare in the UK 14 Turning the Green Up 15 Lockdown inspires innovation
I’m pleased to announce the return of our magazine Liverpool Life. We are a team of reporters bringing you the latest from Liverpool and the surrounding areas. From politics to poetry, we aim to be an inclusive and diverse outlet, catering for all your interests. This year our magazine will be publishing more in-depth articles. This way we can give you more insight into stories about the things
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Welcome back: Life goes on! you care about. There are many layers to our magazine, and we intend to fill every edition with a variety of stories and as many ideas as possible. As reporters, we all have our own personal interests when it comes to writing. With the magazine split into three sections, you will find all of
these interests spread throughout. Each week, as well as the reporters we also have a team of editors and producers putting all of the stories and images together to provide you with a high-quality magazine that we can be proud of. Robyn Couling, Lifestyle Reporter
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Everton anthem rises to claim top iTunes spot By ETHAN TALOR
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verton FC’s anthem, ‘Spirit of the Blues’ rose all the way to number one in the iTunes charts last week, 36 years after its original release in 1984. The song, well-known to Evertonians, was released in the run-up to the team’s FA Cup final victory over Watford in the 1984, the year before Everton went on to claim the league title and the European Cup Winners’ Cup. It is no surprise to many, then, that the song has re-emerged following Everton’s early success this season, which has seen the Toffees win every game. The surge in popularity for the club’s anthem can be attributed to the 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace just over a week ago, which left them sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League. After the win and the good start to the season, a movement began on social media spearheaded by Twitter user @FinKitch, where he and other fans began to post videos of famous movie scenes and popular internet memes with the song, ‘Spirit of the Blues’ playing in the background. Liverpool Life spoke to @FinKitch to get some insight on how the movement first began. He said: “It was @ adamsg1878 that started the whole thing. He put the song over a Coldplay video and it was really popular. A week or so later, @ParkoEFC put the song over the video of the little lad dancing and it got loads of attention. I reposted it after a win and the reaction to it was crazy. It just became a thing to post it after the game.” Getting a 36-year-old club anthem to the top of the iTunes charts, knocking “Midnight Sky” by multi-award-winning artist Miley Cyrus off the top is a huge feat for football fans and Everton fans in particular. But when did the fans start to realise that getting the song to number one could be possible? Who even came up with the idea to start downloading the song and pushing it in the charts? @FinKitch told us: “@neillafferty had come up with the idea that we start downloading it and the fans took up the challenge! I kept getting tagged in tweets and the chart position just kept going up. Once it was in the top ten, I realised that it could get to number one.” No matter which team you support, you really have to admire the effort of the Everton fans and the desire they had as a community to push a club anthem all the way to number one in
the iTunes charts. It shows that results on a football pitch don’t always just have an impact of football, it can have greater implications. The results have most definitely bonded the Everton fans closer together and they have ultimately affected the music industry in the process. But the momentum didn’t just stop there after ‘Spirit of the Blues’ managed to reach the top spot in the iTunes charts, as more Everton anthems began to start rising. By Tuesday afternoon, Everton fans had managed to push ‘Z-Cars’ to number two and ‘Here We Go’ to number three in the iTunes charts, as well as ‘Forever Everton’ claiming the number one spot in the album charts.
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he impact that the Everton fans have managed to have on music just shows the power that football fans and tightknit communities have, probably a bigger impact than most people would have expected. @FinKitch said: “This fan base is incredible. The togetherness at the moment is something I’ve never experienced before. Put that with this young, talented team and it’s the most exciting time to be an Evertonian.” It’s not just the pop charts that fans are having an impact on either. The recently released film, ‘Howard’s Way’, which shows an Everton team at the peak of its powers in the mid1980’s, also ascended to Number 1 in the iTunes Movie charts as part of the movement. Everton FC later announced that all proceeds from the ‘Howard’s Way’ film would go towards their plans to build and operate a permanent mental
Goodison Park
CHART-TOPPING: Goodison Park health facility across from Goodison Park. Not just this, Everton FC also released a limited edition seven-inch ‘Spirit of the Blues’ vinyl record, costing £10. The club have announced that all proceeds from the sales of the vinyls will go directly to the club charity, Everton in the Community, which runs more than 40 programmes for people of all ages in the city. The club as a whole can definitely be proud of themselves for taking this opportunity, started by the fans on social media, to give even more back to the community and give back to the fans too. The club released an official music video for ‘Spirit of the Blues’ which included some of their top players,
Photos © Ethan Taylor
like James Rodriguez, dancing to the song. They have also been active on Twitter, interacting with the fans as much as possible and really playing along with the ‘Spirit of the Blues’ movement. Even the chairman, Bill Kenwright, personally called @FinKitch yesterday to tell him how excited he is about what the fans are doing for the club on social media. Not a bad call to get on a Sunday afternoon, is it?
Spirit of the Blues sitting top in iTunes
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RED-Y, SET, Liverpool venues have joined a national fight to save the future of the arts, as PAUL MCAULEY reports
SPECTACLE: City landmarks lit up in red Photos © Paul McAuley 4
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CAMPAIGN ‘ ’ T he last time Liverpool lit up in red was in celebration of LFC winning the Premier League. However, this time, it was not for a celebration but rather
for a crisis. With no set date for live events, shows, festivals or performances to return, iconic venues and landmarks around the city showed their support for the creative industry by turning ‘emergency red’ and joining the #LightItInRed Campaign. Liverpool now stands as one with other cities from London to Manchester to Belfast all illuminating in red over the last few months to draw attention to the critical condition the live event and entertainment industry finds itself in these unprecedented times. With the industry having the largest proportion of the workforce furloughed, the campaign is striving to grab the attention of the government with the hope that they will realise the importance of the Arts, a sector which the economy relies so heavily on. According to DCMS figures, the creative industries alone contributed
James Jarman.
£111.7bn to the UK economy in 2018. Like millions of others across the country, local playwright and actor James Jarman shares the mutual feeling of frustration towards the government’s handling or, in his eyes, the lack of with the on-going pandemic. “The government will offer the hospitality sector furlough schemes, or ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ incentives, but fail to do that to an industry that helps provide billions more towards the economy. “Even other sectors, such as hospitality, are heavily reliant on the performance industry as it helps draw people out of their homes to be social. “How many times have you been asked to the theatre to see a show and gone for a meal or a drink beforehand? Possibly, even both! The arts are everywhere; at the theatre, on the radio, on the television, and I think people forget how much of an impact the arts have on day-to-day life.” A glimpse of hope was given to Britain’s art industry back in July when a £1.5bn rescue package was pledged by the government, despite this, with having two projects cancelled and no sign of being back on centre stage anytime soon, James is
Photos © Barrie Mills
People forget how much of an impact the arts have on dayto-day life
feeling the impact. “I was meant to direct an original piece for the Liverpool Fringe this year which was to happen in June/ July, but unfortunately got cancelled. I was also meant to be involved as an actor in another play in August, but that also got cancelled. “As I work in hospitality, I am lucky that I have another source of income, however, that doesn’t make it any less heart-breaking.”
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aving graduated from Liverpool Theatre School with a diploma in Professional Musical Theatre, James has since continued to star in productions such as ‘Vinegar Tom’ and ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ but recently has had to turn other various means to satisfy his creative urges. “I managed to write two pilots for various BBC writers programmes, alas both got rejected, however, I was happy that I had this time to create
something - I am hoping to develop the ideas more for the future. “I wrote some short monologues that were filmed by actors online. I was thrilled that I was able to share my work with other performers and witness their interpretation. I think the actors were happy to be involved in something.” Over the weekend hundreds were set to take to the streets of Liverpool to rally in a march. This was quickly cancelled in order to follow the latest guidelines. “Not to be defined by the circumstances, the March For The Arts protest became virtual with many showing off their creative talents on twitter. The official account tweeted; “24 hours since we found out we needed to change our plans for today and we still can’t believe what we were able to achieve so quickly. We really couldn’t have done this without every single person who has supported us. Thank you all. A small rest and then we carry on.”
Cast of Vinegar Tom 5
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Loving Wavertree
STEPH COLDERICK meets a community group that is making a difference
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wo years ago Wavertree was seen by some as merely a road in and out of Liverpool and nothing more. Now due to the dedication of the LoveWavertree community, Wavertree is a bustling, active and thriving area. In just over a year the community group LoveWavertree has grown from strength to strength, proudly showing off this part of Liverpool with community effort and hard work. From Winter Wonderland to their own shop, to becoming finalists in community awards, Wavertree has dropped its negative reputation and bloomed into a wonderful and active suburb. In July 2019, LoveWavertree met for the first time, and while there was tension, it became clear this group was about local people helping local people. Lynsey Wilson, who has been involved in LoveWavertree from its very first meeting said: “It was about local people making a difference.” LoveWavertree’s first event was their car- free day in September 2019 when Picton Road and Wavertree High Street were closed. Ms Wilson described the event:“It was just like a massive street party… there was just this real swell of local support and local effort.” After that there was no stopping LoveWavertree. Ms Wilson said: “That kind of kick started it all and it certainly raised the public awareness very, very quickly” and began defying the less positive reputation of Wavertree. Next was Winter Wonderland which included a Santa’s grotto and creating Christmas hampers for less fortunate families in the area. Ms Wilson explained: “We asked people to contribute not just basics not just baked beans, but your special food, your special biscuits and your nice crackers and they were all distributed through local primary schools.”
Following that came litter picks, then the impressive opening of their new shop ReLoved which has been open for nearly three months. Wavertree is also in bloom with planting going across the area and many different clubs from running to book clubs for residents to enjoy. But what makes LoveWavertree so successful? How did this community manage to come together to create a new thriving suburb? Ms Wilson credits the diversity of the group, she said: “I think one of its strengths is that it is local people but it is very, very diverse.” The best part for Ms Wilson is that everyone wants to help:“There are lots of people across the area with the same thoughts and aspirations of what we want Wavertree to be like. Of course, we do not agree on everything but it is just this real wave of positivity.”
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oveWavertree also attracts other groups and community ethics across the city. Ms Wilson said: “The beauty about LoveWavertree is that it provides a bit of a focal point for these other groups to be able to lend support and come onboard.” These groups include Scouse Flower House, who are helping to maintain The Mystery (a local park) with LoveWavertree. The focus is always on helping the local community, with the ReLoved shop stocking local school uniforms at a highly discounted price, of which Ms Wilson said: “It really fulfilled the ethos of locally trying to help local people.” As Christmas approaches in this strange year that 2020 has thrown at us, LoveWavertree are already looking ahead to try to plan a Covid safe event and hope to celebrate Christmas in some way. It is hard to remember that this is only LoveWavertree’s second year of running when you look back at everything they have achieved and as Ms Wilson said: “All of sudden I think Wavertree might have a slightly different reputation than it had before.”
Photos © Lynsey Wilson BELOW: LoveWavertree Events
‘There are lots of people with the same thoughts and aspirations of what we want Wavertree to be like’ LITTER PICK: Photo © Lynsey Wilson
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ABOVE: Merchandise
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Locked out
How technology is leaving the elderly behind By MARIANNA OWEN
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n such a small amount of time, coronavirus has revolutionised the way we use technology and communicate. Lockdown has forced us to find new ways to work and interact, whether this is exchanging work meetings for zoom calls, or online classes for those at universities. Online shopping has reached a new popularity with an extra 32% of people saying they now order their grocery shopping online since the pandemic (Statista, 2020). Our health is also reliant partly on technology, with the new NHS track-and-trace app utilising the use of Bluetooth to make people aware of when they have been in contact with someone who has coronavirus – a new way to asses risk and raise awareness of possible symptoms. With older people more at risk of coronavirus, it’s ironic that these are the people who are more secluded from this newfound technology.
Photo credit: Unsplash The Office for National statistics has reported that 100% of 16 – 24-year olds have access to a mobile phone with internet, compared to only 40% of over 65s. Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said: “While we welcome any new technology that helps tackle the virus, it’s important that no-one is disadvantaged or locked out of services simply because they don’t have a smartphone or aren’t on the internet. A substantial group – including the majority of those aged 75 and over – are not online and most of them never will be.” Reasons for older people using less technology include a lack of technological knowledge, fears or concerns about security, and the cost of internet and smartphones. Caroline added: “It’s important that the millions of older people without smartphones or the internet should be able to access services and support in a way that suits them, to avoid them
being treated like second class citizens.” Older people have also become victims of scams. With criminals taking advantage of their lack of technological skills and knowledge surrounding coronavirus testing. Age UK have said: “Our advice is to be ultra-cautious about any calls or other communications you receive linked to coronavirus. For example, the Test and Trace service will never ask for bank details, payment, pins and passwords over the phone. “If you suspect a scam or are worried that the call is not genuine just say that you will call them back and hang up.
details for your local Age UK to see what support they can offer. If anyone wants to inspire and motivate older people to get online, Age UK has a Digital Buddy training video, which provides guidance on supporting older friends and relatives with digital technology and how it could benefit them.
Ways older people can get digital support: Age UK support includes one to one support as well as tablet loan schemes. Visit Age UK’s website: www.ageuk. org.uk or call their free Advice Line on 0800 169 65 65 to find out the
City centre booths in bid to beat Covid
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uman sanitation booths designed to combat the coronavirus pandemic, received their first public trials in Liverpool at the weekend. The booths were created by the NOVID Team by repurposing an initial design for other viruses from 2019, after the coronavirus breakout earlier this year. Proven to be 99.999% effective, the booths are capable of eradicating traces of COVID, influenza and norovirus. Desribed as a “walk-through fogging device” by the company, users simply have to walk through the booth and within a matter of seconds come out the other side free of viral bacteria on their bodies and clothes. The booths do not leave any residue or marks, and any user should be completely comfortable with the atmosphere inside. They are also fully
biodegradable and environmentally friendly. Over this weekend, the booths will initially be trialled on Liverpool hotel guests, and there are also booths situated at Grand Central on Renshaw Street. If successful, these booths could be used in the future at sports stadiums, nightclubs and other public venues where mass amounts of people gather, as well as smaller places such as restaurants and bars. These booths may prove to be the government’s next method of getting creative to tackle coronavirus after the introduction of a nationwide track and trace system, which has been the centre of controversy this week due to an IT failure in Public Health England’s system causing thousands of potential cases to go unrecorded. The success of such innovations as the NOVID booth will be seen as vital in the battle to fend off the threat of a full lockdown once again.
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By CHARLES BAKER-MULLINGS
A walkthrough fogging device
We at Liverpool Life asked members of the public what they thought of the NOVID booths and whether they would be happy and willing to use them. Childminder Sally James, 43, from Allerton, was complimentary yet pessimistic about the booths, saying: “They look like a good idea, but I do wonder what we’re actually being sprayed with (in the booths). “Before using them, I would want a bit more clarification from the company making them about what actually happens in there, and if there are any side effects afterwards.” Former construction worker Simon Beardsley, 58, from Chester, was extremely on board with the invention, saying: “I like it. I’d be happy to use one if it keeps the pubs, restaurants and bars open and makes them safer. “The world needs to go back to normal as quickly as possible and if these are going to help us get there, then I think they’re worth trying at least.”
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Private clubs snookered by lockdown restrictions By SARAH TAYLOR
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ith the new localised restrictions in place, many hospitality businesses are having to cater to a Covid-safe workplace whilst also trying to generate an income. However, whilst pubs and restaurants are at the forefront of the news, private members’ clubs seem to be forgotten. Private members’ clubs have to heavily rely on their members in order to make an income. Measures, that came into effect on October 3, indicate that any hospitality venues must close from 10pm until 5am, and that people should not meet or socialise with people outside of the family in any indoor setting. The previous restrictions also still apply, including having track and trace and all staff wearing face coverings. This means venues like the Hoylake Conservative Club are having trouble making money. HCC mainly focuses on funerals and christenings, but the changes mean that there cannot be more than six people at the wake - and the handling of utensils means buffets can be an issue. Caroline Taylor, the secretary of Hoylake Conservative Club, explained how COVID-19 has impacted the club financially: “We have been financially hit quite hard. We’ve had hardly any customers. “We have only been open six to
Clubs and social venues are hard-hit by the latest moves eight weeks, and we are only getting two or three customers a night. We used to get around a dozen a night as well as the snooker league. “It won’t be financially viable to keep the club open during the winter because of the cost of heating and lighting.” The snooker league is another cause of major financial loss to multiple clubs across the Wirral. Ian Hawes, the chairman of Deeside Amateur Billiards and Snooker league, captain of Hoylake Conservative Club team ‘A’, and a snooker player himself, explained how the restrictions have severely affected snooker: “There are currently no matches allowed. This includes both league and
cup matches, so there is very little playing. The new local rules mean players can only play people from their own household which is impossible. “The league is trying to restart the programme in January, but the restrictions will need to have been lifted by then in order for it to go ahead. “The league was originally due to start in August but it got pushed back so the league will have to be shortened this year. “Hopefully this will just affect us in the short term, but it could have long term effects if this season doesn’t happen. “Some players might lose interest so teams fold as a result.”
Photos © Sarah Taylor
Local pubs struggling with measures
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By WILL RAYMENT ubs have been faced with new restrictions which many owners say will be impossible to enforce. A local politician has called for additional help for the hospitality sector as their struggle continues to intensify. The recent restriction of no mixing of households has been added to the 10pm curfew and the ‘rule of six’ that was introduced a few weeks ago. Owners of pubs are no longer receiving financial help while the trade continues to struggle in the current climate, having to adapt to meet current requirements and restrictions. Co-owner of The Bridewell Fiona
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Hornsby said: “This latest round with no mixing of households is going to be impossible.” The Bridewell, owned by Fiona and her husband Dominic was nominated for Liverpool pub of the year by Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards for 2020 and also won Liverpool Echo’s pub of the year. The number of visits to Britain during the coronavirus outbreak has dropped by 54% between March 2019 and March 2020, according to VisitBritain. In order for pubs and restaurants to obey these rules smoothly, customers must also take action. This involves wearing masks, following the ‘rule
of six’, track and trace and to socially distance. Mrs Hornsby said: “Our customers have been really good, 99% have been absolutely fine.” City councillor Richard Kemp said: “Pubs are not getting any help at all at the moment and the point the council is making to the government is that this will pull people out of business. “It has to be the government because the council has no reserves to put into this.” The Bridewell owner told LL: “We have lost furniture, we have lost seating because we’ve had to move things around a bit. We’ve lost seating which means we’ve lost customers.”
APPEAL: Coun Richard Kemp
‘Abuse is not part of our job’ LL THIS WEEK
JORGE CAPERA investigates the worrying trend of attacks on shop-workers
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ncidents of abuse against shopworkers have increased since the start of the pandemic and union officials fear the situation will get worse following the introduction of new restrictions in Liverpool. Jo-Anne Welbourne, the North West area coordinator for the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) said that her members are routinely shouted at and threatened, especially when they are refusing to sell alcohol to someone who is already intoxicated. “We’ve had instances where retail staff have been spat at for refusing to sell alcohol,” she said. “We’ve had people jumping over the counter to attack them physically. “They are verbally abused on a regular basis and I think abuse is not part of their job, so that should not happen.” She added: “After the (introduction) of the Covid-19 curfew at 10 pm, we’ve seen this abuse
double in most of our retailers and obviously affecting our members.” She referred to the results of a survey of nearly 5,000 shop-workers published by USDAW earlier this year and showing that the average shop-worker has been assaulted, threatened or abused every 6.5 days since the start of the pandemic, which is more than double the rate of incidents they registered for 2019. “A lot of my members and union reps that work for USDAW particularly have concerns about working in the city centre and the surrounding areas of Liverpool in regard to the 10pm curfew because they understand that that’s going to be a busier time,” said Jo-Anne. Another survey from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) shows that while 57% of their members had been verbally abused in 2017, by 2020 this proportion was of 83%. The Home Office argues that there are several reasons as to why this is the case. It surveyed 20 key
members of the retail industry in 2019 – including USDAW and the ACS – and found that respondents to the survey thought the issue had grown because of ‘an increase in shop theft and greater willingness among offenders to use violence and abuse when challenged by staff, an increase in drug and alcohol abuse among offenders, and, a decline in the number of security guards working at premises.’
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n response to the issue some have called for the introduction of more legislation protecting retail workers. An online petition to Parliament summited by USDAW’s General Secretary, Paddy Lillis, aims to create a specific offence of abusing, threatening or assaulting a retail worker and it has been supported by 67,623 signatures, with almost 400 of them coming from Liverpool. “We need the consideration of the government and the local authorities to understand that this is going
potentially to put more pressure on our members and staff in this retail stores,” Ms Welbourne said. The government says it will address some of the issues that underpin the recent rise in violence against shop workers and will implement new measures with the help of the National Retail Crime Steering Group – a joint enterprise between the government, members of the retail industry and the police – to deal with the situation. ’ In the meantime, Ms Welbourne hopes for a fundamental change that will halt violence and abuse against shop workers in Liverpool for good; an ethical one it could be argued. She said: “I think that by not serving that person they shouldn’t be abused. “It’s not part of their job to take the abuse and I really hope that people would think twice about doing so. “Regardless of whether there’s laws, I think people shouldn’t do it anyway.”
Food volunteers on the front line
By JORGE CAPERA
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ittle did Mohammad Hassan know that he would need to protect ten bags full of food from two men in the centre of Liverpool when he said he would deliver the groceries to a student from LJMU who was in quarantine. The 20-year-old student from Pakistan had answered a call for help posted by Sarah Latham on the Facebook group for quarantine volunteers organised by the Student Union of Liverpool John Moores University (JMSU). The first job given to the volunteers was to pick up food from Tesco and take it to the student in their flat in the city centre. The deliveries are one way in which the university is trying to
support students who are selfisolating. It was the first job posted in the group, which needed a volunteer to go to the Tesco located on Allerton Road, pick up some food and deliver it to a flat in the city centre. Mohamed said: “Volunteering is very important. It does good to society. “It helps society in these tough times, I think, especially for students who are in isolation. “I am an international student. I understand that feeling when you are in isolation for 14 days. You need help, obviously.” He was surprised when he saw how much food he was going to deliver but managed to get to the student’s accommodation with it.
But while waiting for it to be collected two men approached and asked could they have the alcohol. “They said ‘It looks like you’re piling up’. “And I said, ‘it’s not for me mate, it’s for one of the students who is in self-isolation!’.” Eventually they gave up and he was ready to complete his delivery This is not Mohammed’s first experience of volunteering. In Pakistan he has been involved in building schools for vulnerable children, but he is pleased to be able to help somebody in the UK too. “I feel great. Sometimes, when you’re capable, you should help society. “And times are tough now. Times Food parcels © Mohammad Hassan are very tough.”
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City’s pride in its Black heritage
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By MIA O’HARE
ome to the oldest Black community in Europe, Liverpool is celebrating Black History Month with free events at the city’s museums. Throughout the month of October there will be talks, workshops and performances at the International Slavery Museum, Martin Luther King Jr Building and the Museum of Liverpool. Black History Month has been marked annually in the United Kingdom every October since 1987. The aim is to use the month as a chance to remember important events and people from the black community. It puts focus onto the history of the African diaspora, which saw the historic movement of people from Africa to the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In particular, the descendants of the Africans who were enslaved and taken to America in the Atlantic slave trade.
The International Slavery Museum is putting on a range of events for all ages. Talks will be given throughout the month including presentations on British boxing, lost childhoods and about the black soldiers at the battle of Waterloo. During half term, the museum will be encouraging children to take part in musical events as part of their ‘Celebrating Sound’ theme. Every Wednesday the education team will be on hand throughout the museums to talk about the collections and objects on display. October also sees Anti-Slavery Day marked on October 18. The day was created by a UK Act of Parliament to raise awareness of modern slavery and to inspire people to eliminate it today. The day will be celebrated at the International Slavery Museum with a Hands of Change event. People are encouraged to bring their own artwork to place on big hands in the museum. Dr Richard Benjamin, Head of the International Slavery Museum, said: “The International Slavery Museum
not only covers transatlantic slavery and modern forms of slavery and enslavement but African and Black history more generally too. “These subjects should be obligatory aspects of world and British history, but we are not there quite yet, so in the meantime, let’s get behind October Black History Month events nationwide.” He said: “I wonder how many people know that Black boxers were banned from becoming British boxing champions until as recently
as 1947, or about the contribution of Black soldiers at Waterloo? “Anti-Slavery day also falls at this ime - a time to raise awareness of modern slavery and to inspire people to eliminate it.” The Museum of Liverpool is showcasing the contribution the Black community have made to the city through a history trail. Visitors can explore the museum’s collection of artifacts and displays whilst being aware of the contribution Liverpool has played to Black history.
‘Everyone should have the same chances’
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By LAUREN HUGHES ace and learning came under the spotlight in an online discussion to talk about the importance of education and the significance that it has in changing race relations within the UK. The event was created and organised by Urban Circle, an independent youth arts organisation, in just three months after a survey found that education was important to the tackling of racism. It was hosted by their Youth Justice Minister Andrew Ogun and Umulkhayr Mohamed. The first speaker, Dr. Foluke Adebisi, a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Bristol, began firstly by reading a self published poem titled ‘Time and Place’ in which she begins by referencing the death of George Floyd and speaking on injustice. Adebisi, talks mainly about the importance of decolonising the educational system and explores the relationship between race and power structures. “The most decolonisation efforts that are going
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on in UK higher education fall short of actual decolonisation, sometimes they are in direct opposition with decolonisation because they are driven by colonial logics.” she said. The second speaker was Abu-Bakr Madden Al-Shabazz, historian and comparative Sociologist who has led the Black History Studies at Cardiff University for nine years and is now Black History officer for Race Council Cymru. He gave a brief overview of black British history and where racial problems stem from, saying: “Don’t be surprised when you see the amount of black children that are failing in our British Schools.” “The educational system needs to change in order for white society, Welsh and British Society, to acknowledge and to realise and recognise that we are people of substance, we are people who created Empires and Civilisations, and we created university systems and college systems, way before Europeans did.” He continued: “Every pupil should have the same chances; teachers should have the same expecta-
tions for every student.” The third and final speaker, Rapper, Activists and Author of the 2018 memoir NATIVES, Akala, began talking about his own personal experience with the educational system, briefly touching on subjects mentioned in his book. “GCSE entry should be based solely on SAT scores. There should be external blind monitoring of the way children are assessed in the classroom. University placements should not be related to predicted grades, they should be based solely on how you score in your final A level grades, because what happens is private schools massively overestimate, state schools massively underestimate. “The whole system is rigged in favour of mediocre posh kids”. The event is just one of many within Black History Month bringing awareness to the lives and experiences of black people, whilst also offering food for thought on how the British education system is teaching children of different ethnicities, race and class backgrounds and bringing to attention the structural discrepancies that need to change.
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And say the animals responded? REVIEW By LAURA WOODING at FACT, Liverpool
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Galleries open up again
By LAUREN HUGHES
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useums and art galleries across Merseyside have begun to open their doors again to the public, after months of closure due to Covid 19. With it we’ve seen the arrival of new exhibitions and innovative ways of viewing with the introduction of VR. As part of a track and trace scheme ‘National Museums Liverpool’ have asked people to book in advance, as they are allowing minimum capacity at one time, while other galleries are limiting their opening hours. The Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, Wirral, re-opened just last week, operating on limited opening times Wednesday to Sunday. Assistant visitor experience manager, Nicola Hill, told Liverpool Life: “It just gives us a chance to feedback, I mean everything is an ongoing experience, so we feedback amongst our team about how certain things are going and if we think certain things might need tweaking then that’s the opportunity to discuss, so that’s really why we do that and also because we can do deep cleans on the days when we are closed.” She added: “Within the next few coming months there are going to be more things available at the Lady Lever Art Gallery. Although not everything is ready yet, I can certainly assure you that behind the scenes there is a lot of work going on, looking into all that sort of digital presence. Around Merseyside some galleries have taken to digital creation, using Virtual Reality to bring their exhibitions to a wider online audience. Theese include the World Museum, The Slavery Museum, as well as the in-
dependent not-for-profit photography gallery the ‘Open Eye Gallery. Sorcha Boyle, responsive programme coordinator at the Open Eye Gallery spoke to Liverpool Life about the gallery’s plans for using more VR: “Some people prefer visiting a space and some people maybe use more digital technology but we are kind of hoping that people do both, but obviously it’s good to have the option there for anybody who can’t come into the space.” The current exhibition, which opened at the beginning of September, called ‘The time we call our own,’ showcases the work of six artists, looking at different underground music scenes and sub-cultures and how people find their own sense of community. The exhibition also has an online programme to accompany it, with VR in development. “We have done VR in the past, for an exhibition called ‘Where Love is Illegal’ last year, so it is something we’ve tried before and were interested in, but I suppose now it’s becoming a bit more of a focus for us.” The Open Eye Gallery is currently functioning with the minimum amount of staff needed to keep the gallery open, with the wider team working from home and a reduced capacity of people allowed in the space at one time, following all the safety guidelines. As well as limited opening days. Covid may have brought a new way of living to the world, but galleries are making creative decisions to keep up with the changing times and bringing a new online world to those stuck at home.
his art exhibition stimulates all the human senses in the greatest way, while feeding into one's wonder of animal senses. Artists from all over the world have delivered a brilliant collection of a deep dive into various species and their responsive ways, from those already extinct to imagining what our world would be like if others were to go the same way. This walk around FACT in Liverpool, all while fitting perfectly into the vibe of the independent art house, pleased my ears, eyes and my animal loving heart. A fascinating collaboration between Amalia Pica and Rafael Ortega spies into the everyday life of apes, by way of a video that captures the longest surviving population of chimpanzees in north east Nigeria. Through using camera traps, we get to see their movements without them being aware of our presence. It quickly became quite clear that they were aware of being watched in some way as they just sat and stared back to us almost mirroring our absolute awe. We want to know how they move and communicate in their simplest form, yet we watch them being equally intrigued by us in the form of the technology being used. It’s funny how differently they are shown in a choreography video showcasing a dance piece that tributes the way all types of apes may express themselves with gestures, with the blank stare of a chimpanzee that your met with in all her glory. The stand-out artist for me in this exhibition is Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, who presents a double whammy from rhinos to birds. She was inspired by the death of Sudan, who was the last remaining male northern white rhinoceros, bringing him back to life using biotechnology. He stands on a big screen transforming before our eyes from pixelation to full form, correlating the process of learning and adapting to new territory. We see him coming to terms with his new environment, giving us an insight into the importance of evolving with what surrounds us. It makes me more happy than scared that technology could bring me face to face with
A Nigerian ape displayed through video a rhino as I just watch him be. Along the same lines, Ginsberg also gives you a generous sending off as you finish exploring the exhibition with a chorus of birds. This is my favourite piece of them all, as you embody an experience that is very familiar to our everyday life. She highlights what our cities might sound like if we didn’t hear the sounds of the birds communicating with one another. Many bird species do not evolve and become extinct and it makes us wonder how many more will follow this path. You feel the outside breeze in the room while hearing a whole ten-minute chorus, all the while making you realise that birds are recognisable to us humans but we do not stop and take notice of them. She successfully displays a fragile and diminishing relationship between us and them. In the unfamiliar and distant circumstances that we live in today, this exhibition left me realising that we are not the only living things on this earth and I think it is the perfect time to get in touch with the other side of the living. A fully recommended experience if you’re a sucker for what feels like walking through a satisfying nature documentary on Netflix. It definitely leaves you more connected and aware of the world we live in today, so before you enter and make eye contact with the chimpanzee, just know they are an endangered species and go on from there.
Pixelated rhino, one of the exhibits at FACT
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Holocaust plays adapt to survive STOLEN LIVES: Playwright Karen Kennedy (left) and the Princes Road Synagogue.
By MIA O’HARE
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theatre company is determined to bring stories of the Holocaust to a wider audience despite restrictions. Playwright and director, Karen Kennedy hopes to educate the younger generation as her plays have now been moved online. 4 Life Productions Ltd (4LPL) aims to make plays to inform people on the atrocities of the Holocaust. Written and produced by playwright and director Karen Kennedy, the plays were performed at Princes Road Synagogue in Liverpool and will be the location of the recorded plays. She said: “The plays are under the
© Princes Rd Synagogue Facebook
marketing banner of Stolen Lives, as I am standing up for freedom against all forms of racial hatred and discrimination. People’s lives are stolen through wars and genocides, whether they are in the Military, fighting for their country, or on the home front, working jobs for the war effort, or fleeing from their country as a refugee.” Ms Kennedy told Liverpool Life: “Sadly, because of the global pandemic of Covid19, live theatre has been postponed, put on hold and quite frankly is in serious danger of collapsing, both in the UK and around the world. Therefore, I have had to adapt and change the business model for 4 Life Productions. “We are now living in a virtual, more isolated world, therefore I am planning to have my plays filmed, live, albeit without a live audience, while the cast and crew are social distanced, while filming.” To adapt her production company in a Covid-secure way, Karen is also planning on publishing her plays. She said: “There will be eight plays in the Stolen Lives collection series and they will be converted into a Holocaust Education Book, which will be included in the Teachers Holocaust Education Pack. “Whether the teachers will be teaching the children online or in a classroom setting, the Teachers Holocaust Pack will inspire debate and discussion between the teacher and the students. It will show children the
‘I am standing up for freedom and against all forms of racial hatred’ value of freedom and how fortunate they are not to be caught up in a war or genocide today.” The 61-year-old, from Allerton, also plans to turn her plays into films so they can be more accessible: “Students from the age of 11-16 in UK high schools and students at universities or colleges, will see movies/ documentary films, made from the Stolen Lives plays and learn about genocides around the world from the 20th and 21st Centuries.” Ms Kennedy, alongside Princes Road Synagogue won the ‘Best Community Focus Award’ for the North West earlier this year for their efforts towards Holocaust education. To keep up their work, an infomercial is being made which will be sent to the Government, Labour party and Liverpool City Council to help generate funding. About the future of theatre Karen said: “Unless the general public continue to demonstrate in a social distancing way, petition online and send letters to the Government, Arts Council, local city councils, city officials, their MP’s etc. live Theatre is
Photos © Mia O’Hare very much in jeopardy. That is why I am adapting the business model for 4LPL to ‘Virtual Theatre’.” She added: “My career in the United States of America was as a Senior Vice President of sales and marketing in the New Homes Building Industry and Real Estate business. “When building a master-planned community, or a new home, the infrastructure must be correct. In Southern California, because of earthquakes, many new home developments and communities have to have what’s called a ‘Post Tension Slab’, for the foundation, so that when an Earthquake occurs the structure of the home will flow with the earthquake instead of against it. Therefore, I am building 4LPL like a new home, slow and sure, with the right infrastructure and foundation for the corporation. “My ultimate dream is to make movies from the plays and take those movies and my Holocaust Education Books globally so that we can make sure a Holocaust, like WWII, never happens again. “Utilizing ‘the Arts’ platform, with the ‘Stolen Lives’ plays, incorporating music into the plays, which is a universal language, will transcend my message of standing up for freedom, against all forms of racial hatred and discrimination. “My aim, through education and literature is to let the youth of today and the youth of tomorrow never forget what happened in our history, so that history does not repeat itself.”
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Image: Unsplash.com
Give the children a home LIAM KENNEDY meets foster care expert, Philip Watson, to find out how the city’s vulnerable children are coping
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n expert in foster care believes that the difficulties COVID-19 has caused within families will see even more children finding their way into care services. Philip Watson, who recruits foster carers for Liverpool City Council, said: “The pandemic has caused tension in more homes, which is going to cause more kids to go into care. “It has increased levels of poor mental health, substance abuse and domestic abuse which means more children are living in difficult domestic circumstances.” Barnardo’s, one of the UKs largest fostering agencies, declared a state of emergency as the rise in foster referrals increased by 44% during the pandemic, with the figure increasing to 2,349 between March 1 and 23 April, compared with 1,629 for the same period last year. Even more worryingly is that over this same period the number of people enquiring about looking to become foster parents for the charity fell from 302 to 161, which is a 47 per cent drop, meaning hundreds of children who have been referred to the agency will not be placed with a family. Mr. Watson said that problems within families will become more apparent now that schools have reopened “What we will see with schools now reopening is a lot more children going into foster care because schools and nurseries will be able to report if a child looks particularly anxious or not fed properly.” This comes after new restrictions in Merseyside were put in place which include a ban on mixing
with any other households in any indoor setting. Which means further struggles for children currently living in an unstable and unhappy family environment. Mr. Watson said: “Nowhere in the country has got enough foster carers and Liverpool is no exception. Everywhere needs more foster carers. One thing I can say is that the council is doing everything it can to increase the number of foster carers and if people are interested, they should contact the council.” Research carried out by the Independent Foster Carers’ Alliance (IFCA), which represents and campaigns on behalf of foster carers, conducted a survey with 600+ foster carers. The results found eighty per cent of people who answered the survey said they had not accessed extra financial support during lockdown from their local authority. “Me and my wife became foster carers 11 years ago, we know we’ve been blessed with a house and a spare room and great family and we just want to share it with other people.” The 50 year old went on to say: “For kids in care, the pandemic has been good for some of them because they have not had to go to school, they haven’t had to deal with a lot of changes which for some of them is favorable. But for many of them the lack of ‘normal’ routine, such as school time, what time they go to sleep and wake up etc. is very disorientating and during the pandemic they have not been able to have this routine to stick by.” Social distancing has also disrupted visits between foster children and their biological families, with
Image: @philwatson184 these visits often being essential for maintaining family connections and preparing children and their families to reunite successfully. This, along with the economic implications that millions of people across the country have faced during lockdown, like being put into furlough or just released from their job all together, has made it almost impossible for wannabe foster carers to look after a child in need. Former University of Liverpool student Mr. Watson talked about his own personal experiences of being a foster carer during the pandemic. He said: “The little kid who lives with us, he’s actually really enjoyed lockdown. He finds new situations
and meeting new people quite difficult, he’d rather be at home where he feels safe, so actually for us personally it’s been ok. He has got something called attachment disorder, it means meeting new people and new situations is very, very stressful for them so sometimes not going to school is sometimes easier for them.” The former teacher is urging for any potential foster carers to not be swayed by the fears of coronavirus. He said: “If you’re just remotely interested or got a tiny bit of interest please get in contact with the council, we have regular zooms and virtual events and people should come along to one of them and they can find out more.”
Image: Unsplash.com 13
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Turning the Green UP! STEPH COLDERICK explores how Liverpool is going from the red city to green in a new bid
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iverpool is famous for many different reasons, from The Beatles and football to ferries and the River Mersey - and now the city is also one of three frontrunners in the URBAN GreenUP project. As a result of winning the bid, Liverpool City Council has been able to implement green schemes across the city that are more than just pretty features. Have you noticed how greenery is beginning to creep into the city, from the green walls to the trees on the Strand? This is all part of the EU-funded project. Dr Juliet Staples, Senior Project Manager for URBAN GreenUP Liverpool, explained: “Frontrunner cities will trial and implement nature-based solutions which involves assessing the benefits of different types of green planting or water-based planting. “We will be particularly looking at I SEE WALLS OF GREEN: vertical the environmental, social and ecogreenery saves precious space nomic benefits that different types of © Steph Colderick (above) planting can bring to city centres.”
Juliet Staples (below)
Take the trees on the Strand for example, they have been specifically chosen to help with flooding, Dr Staples said: “These trees are linked together to form a sustainable urban drainage system - they have roots that tolerate in damp soil, they do not have branches that will grow out across the road with large leaves that will fall and block drains. “Also, they do not have a sticky sap and they still look good for a major city artillery road.” Another clever twist is the green walls by St John’s shopping centre and on Parr Street - when there is no space horizontally why not go vertically? Dr Staples added: “City land is really valuable - no-one is going to give up lots of space to do planting hence the idea for things like green walls. We would never get that space on a horizontal plane, but we could maybe get that space on a vertical plane like a wall.” URBAN GreenUP are hoping that these features will help socially, too,
by bringing more business to areas, and the project is also monitoring any economic impact. The council is working alongside other well-known names in the city such as LiverpoolONE to keep the green benefits continuing. Dr Staples said: “What we want to do through this project is engage key stakeholders and large landowners so they will then replicate and champion this approach.” Not only this, but the council will also implement any benefits into their own policies: “The idea then is to use our learning and to build it into our policies and processes at the council,” Dr Staples added. As autumn sets in, more green features will pop up around the city, many of which were postponed due to Covid-19. The Baltic Hub in the Baltic Triangle will have some new soil and planting in the next few weeks which will work well alongside the pop-up park.
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Planting brings environmental, social, and economic benefits to city centres
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© Steph Colderick
Follow URBAN GreenUP on Twitter: @urbangreenUP 14
FLOATING ECOSYSTEM: Although unassuming from above the water, this raft holds a wealth of life underneath © Steph Colderick (above) Juliet Staples (below)
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How lockdown inspired a face-saving business By ROBYN COULING
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hen the UK Government announced a national lockdown, hundreds of thousands of people all over the country were forced into a new way of life. Living under extreme restrictions which meant we could only leave the house once a day for ‘daily exercise’, and ‘essentials’ forced everyone to take a closer look at home. With a nation desperate for escapism, it was no wonder people started new creative hobbies to fill the mass amount of time now on their hands. The lockdown has also brought into question the importance of time and how to prioritise that, most of it has always been catered around going to work and being in work. Digging out old sewing kits and buying fabric online, lockdown almost re-designed the fashion industry in some respects and people were turning these lockdown hobbies into international business. Diva Designs is a Liverpool based business which handmakes surgical face masks. Danii Canavan, 31, was furloughed from her full-time employment as manager at Hot Water Comedy Club in March. In order to fill her free time, Danii ordered a mini sewing machine and began making face masks to sell. She told Liverpool Life: “I actually found out I was pregnant two days into the national lock down so I didn’t start my business until late due to symptoms, but once I felt better I thought what could I do to keep me sane.”
Danii began creating her face masks during lockdown
Danii designs and sells all different styles of face masks “I ordered a mini sewing machine and with the help of YouTube, I relearned the basic sewing skills I knew from school.” Diva Designs was originally created to sell bespoke face masks and soon became a business that made all sorts of handcrafted items such as scrunchies, bags, hair turbans and purses. A large portion of Diva Designs target audience was football referees, as Danii’s husband, Anthony, 35, has a successful referee forum in Liverpool. Danii explained said: “He suggested it as a business option especially as it’s so niche.” “The English and Scottish ones have been the most popular.” When asked if she thought the business would do as well as it has, Danii said: “Did I expect to be shipping internationally within my first week of my page being live? Absolutely not.” “I was still relearning the skills… I really had my reservations that my products wouldn’t be up to standard or I wouldn’t be able to compete with large companies. “Lockdown gave us the opportunity as a nation to take a closer look at everything in our homes, the layout, decoration and furniture but it’s also prompted a massive shift in the way we think about our spare time. “Without the lockdown measures, many businesses born in isolation and hobbies that have turned into real skills would not have gone ahead. She added: “With the way you just get on with your usual routine I don’t
imagine it would have ever been something I would have had the time to begin.” The financial impact of the lockdown rules sparked by the Covid-19 crisis will have been unavoidable for many companies, but smaller businesses have been hit much harder due to the lack of international links and dimensions. The power of social media shone through during the pandemic as more people were sharing local businesses and advertising local brands. Instagram even introduced a new aspect on stories called ‘supporting small businesses’’ enticing people to share small brands. Not only has this support meant a lot to the owners of the small brands it has also raised many questions and concerns about fast-fashion and the ethics behind the big consumers and what we are really buying into. For Diva Designs, this support has been apparent through the local community but also the international support. Danii said: “I believe a lot more people are looking to support small businesses since lockdown and also being more conscious of ethical products. “It’s so easy to look at price versus how it’s made, and it feels like this has started to change in the right direction. “It’s so important to support small businesses, we are all aspects of our business and always appreciate the support.” For many people lockdown would
All photos © Danii Canavan have felt like beating the pressure to be productive, all around us we could see people learning new skills or starting new passion projects from the comfort of their homes when for a lot of us, lockdown only resulted in many days lounging in PJs, binging Netflix. For those who did start these hobbies, how are you meant to maintain them now the world is starting back up again? Danii added: “Unfortunately as expected it has been slightly side lined since returning to work. It has spurred a new energy into me and maybe something I’d love to do full time in the future.”
A large portion of Diva Desitarget audience was football referees.
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Dockside scene by MIA O’HARE
