Independents Liverpool Biennial 18 September – 28 November 2010

The Independents is one of the largest and most exciting contemporary visual arts festivals in the UK, with an exhibitions programme that runs in parallel to the Liverpool Biennial.

This year the Independents will showcase more than 500 artists in 129 events at 62 venues in Liverpool and the Wirral. It is an open access contemporary art event that showcases young blood and emerging new talent alongside established international artists, throwing up unexpected and genuine surprises in extraordinary and sometimes unusual venues.

Despite the setback of no funding from the Arts Council in a year of stringent public finances and cultural sector funding cuts, the Independents Festival will carry on thanks to revenue and support generated by hundreds of participating artists and galleries.

Mark Willcox, Chair of the independents Board, said:

“Artists and galleries have rallied to help the Festival fight on against all odds this year because they realise the importance, the potential and the value that the Independents has for them. In the current economic climate their support really is something to celebrate”.

With a mix of local, national and international artists, the Independents continues to be a major event that provides opportunities for artists to showcase new work specifically created for the festival.

There is no specific theme for the Independents; some artists create work in relation to a particular space.  For example, 17 artists on the MA photography course at the Royal College of Art will be showing new site-specific work at the Wolstenholme Creative Space using both the interior and exterior of the building.

Established names include the British abstract painter, John Hoyland RA, who will be showing at 3345 Parr Street. Hoyland is part of Abstract Amigos, a series of four separate shows running from 1st September through to 5th December 2010.

The 2006 John Moores Painting Prize winner, Martin Greenland, is showing New Fiction, at the Cornerstone Gallery, a unique take on the meaning of landscape.

Found a Pound is a quirky Liverpool city-wide event in the form of a creative treasure hunt that will take place in art galleries, public spaces and on the street.

Franchon Fröhlich is a long-established international artist based in Liverpool who is showing a collection of drawings, paintings and writings related to the artist’s friendship with the writer Beryl Bainbridge.

At the Six Rooms Gallery, Argyle St, Birkenhead, there are three eclectic group exhibitions encompassing art, craft, design and architecture by more than 25 Wirral artists showing for the duration of the Festival.

With more than 500 artists taking part this is an exciting opportunity to spend the next ten weeks to search out and see work across all disciplines by individuals and groups in a range of places and spaces.

The Independents Liverpool Biennial is an established ‘not-for-profit’ Contemporary Arts Festival established in 2004. The Independents Liverpool Biennial is a free event, taking place from 18th September to 28 November 2010. Full details about all events can be found at www.independentsbiennial.org

Meet one of our latest Charity Members…

The  C.E.L.L.S Project is a Merseyside based charity formed in 2010 to meet the need for youth crime prevention on Merseyside and the UK. We facilitate innovative crime educational programmes to young people, who otherwise would be unaware of the consequences of crime.

We deliver a series of bespoke presentations and packages, the flagship of which is our mobile prison on wheels experiences HMP Turnround. This is a preventative visit to prison, incorporating governors receptions room, holding area and replica functional prison cell. All our presentations are undertaken by our highly trained and experienced team consisting of rehabilitated ex-offenders, ex-prison guards and victims of crime, all with the same aim of making young people aware of how crime effects all it touches.

Prison in the UK is a punishment for people who choose crime.We aim to use our prison as a deterrent by educating young people on prison life and the misery that comes with it. We believe every child deserves to know what may lie ahead if they choose negative lifestyles.

Our programmes are widely acknowledged as being a unique and proven crime deterrent with staff that young people can relate to, because we have this unique approach the young people listen and learn. When they have an understanding of crime & its consequences we signpost them to alternative activities including vocational training and entrance to employment.

What we have is basically a double edged sword of crime prevention for young people and rehabilitation for ex-offenders whose career prospects would otherwise be limited. The benefits of these events within the community are endless, what we are trying to offer is not just crime education but a reduction in anti social behaviour also initial & reoffending within our communities.

If anyone would like to view The CELLS Project please feel free to attend an employment event we are attending at the Devonshire House Liverpool on the 20th October.

The event is being held to raise awareness for employers into  opportunity and benefits of employing rehabilitated ex offenders, and will be held from 1700 to 2200, buffet lunch and entertainment will be provided and will be a fantastic networking opportunity.

Or contact;  

Shaun or Sarah on Tel 0151 709 8687  Mobile 07912 516350  Email sg@cib-uk.com

Tuesday 16th November 2010, Central London, 09:00 - 16:15

Vincent Cable urged his colleagues not to introduce new border controls that would harm economic growth.

The government plans a cap on immigration, but as a European Union member it would only be able to cap immigration from outside the EU.

Damian Green, the immigration minister, pointed out the unexpected rise in net migration this force the government to examine new policies on immigration system.

With this in mind, this forum will discuss the impact of migration on the UK economy and society and what developments are expected under the new government. It will give stakeholders the opportunity to discuss the future challenges facing the immigration system and border security teams.

Sessions will focus on the impact of the coalition government’s immigration policy and consider the human rights and legal issues surrounding migration. Stakeholders will discuss the benefits of migration for the economy and education sector and will examine the challenge for community cohesion.

View agenda

Book Online or call 0845 666 0664

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS* (include)

• Ian Macdonald QC, President, Immigration Law Practitioners Association
• Sir Andrew Green, Chair, Migration Watch UK
• Professor David Metcalf CBE, Professor of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, and Chair of the UK Border Agency Migration Advisory Committee
• Suzanne McCarthy, Immigration Services Commissioner, The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC)
• Tim Finch, Head of Migration, Equalities and Citizenship, Institute of Public Policy Research
• Dr Phyllis Starkey, former Chair, Communities and Local Government Select Committee
• Professor Ted Cantle, Associate Director, IDeA and Professor, Institute of Community Cohesion
• Sean Bamford, Policy Officer, European Union and International Relations Department, Trades Union Congress
• Donna Covey, Chief Executive, Refugee Council
• Dominic Scott OBE, Chief Executive, UK Council for International Student Afairs
• Ann Swain, Chief Executive, Association of Professional Staffing Companies, APSco

*ALL presentation slides of the speakers will be sent to all delegates for FREE after the event.

Here is this week’s Highways Progress Update. There are a few key items to note this week:

• All the City Centre Movement Strategy schemes are progressing very well with full details in the update.
• The Everton Valley gas works are nearly complete however more remedial work will be necessary in the area soon so I will update you as soon as the information is available.
• The works to the high mast lighting around the Rocket Interchange continues over the weekend and into next week with lane restrictions.
• We have included details of closures of the Queensway tunnel in October which includes a full weekend closure and there will be lane closures on Sefton Street from Wednesday of next week, subject to the works receiving approval on Tuesday.

Roads Affected by Works
Aigburth Road / Baltic Triangle / Commercial District (Dale Street & Old Hall Street) / Edge Lane / Everton Valley / Hall Lane / Kingsway Tunnel / Knowledge Quarter (Mount Pleasant area) / M62 (including The Rocket Interchange; Queens Drive; Bowring Park Road) / Queensway Tunnel /  Riverside Drive / Sefton Street

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The 6th Liverpool Biennial festival sees a host of sponsors and partners in support of this year’s festival.

Alongside welcoming back our National Media Partner, The Independent, we are delighted to have Official Hotel Partner, Novotel Liverpool and Visitor Services Partner, John Lewis on board for the first time. 

You can read more about our partnership with the Independent here.

Read about the partnership with Novotel here

John Lewis chose to sponsor the Liverpool Biennial 2010 Visitor Centre based at the old Rapid Hardware store on Renshaw Street. As Visitor Services Partner, John Lewis will be providing a series of training events for both Liverpool Biennial staff and volunteers.

Liverpool Biennial 2008 welcomed 450,000 visitors who in total made 975,000 visits to Biennial exhibits or sites. The Visitor Centre acts as the hub of the festival, welcoming visitors from all over the world, and we are delighted to have the support of such a well-established, quality brand and look forward to working with John Lewis closely on the development of this year’s Visitor Services offer.

We would also like to welcome Project Sponsors BAM Construction who have chosen to sponsor Hector Zamora’s State of Strain: Displacement based at one of their current development sites, Mann Island.

In addition to BAM Construction, Verso Books have kindly offered their support towards the realisation of Alfredo Jaar’s The Marx Lounge, providing upwards of 800 books for the exhibit.

As Project Sponsors, both BAM Construction and Verso Books will enjoy benefits associated with the their chosen project and the opportunity to be partnered with Liverpool Biennial’s prestigious International exhibition, the world-class focus of the Biennial festival.

Members may have noticed an unusual bike parked up around the city centre as new Chamber member Cartridge World lives up to its green credentials by using a Pashley delivery cycle to deliver their recycled Printer Cartridges to their growing number of customers.

Cartridge World have a new store in Moorfields in Liverpool City Centre which was officially opened by Berni Turner, Liverpool City’s Environment Councillor.

Cartridge World is a UK network of stores which refill and remanufacture Inkjet and Toner Cartridges and this store is the first franchise to open in Liverpool City Centre.

The Manager, Malcolm Sibson, said “We think our business will be particularly welcomed in Liverpool. Refilled & remanufactured cartridges are 40-50% cheaper than original manufacturer’s cartridges and save consumers and businesses significant amounts of money in these days of the credit crunch.

“The carbon footprint of a refilled laser cartridge is up to a third less than a “new” cartridge and avoids sending empties to landfill which then take 450 years to breakdown. Our location in the city centre is perfect for the business and home printer user.

“Every year, millions of printer cartridges needlessly end up in landfill.  At Cartridge World, we are doing everything we can to reduce that impact. We provide an alternative so that customers like you can opt for printer cartridges which support sustainable development for our planet’s precious resources. Every cartridge refilled is one less cartridge going to landfill - and that’s a choice you can feel proud of. ”

Last year Cartridge World saved its customers over £8.3 million and saved almost 2.5 million empty cartridges from landfill through refilling them. Mark Holland, UK General Manager of Cartridge World said, “The credit crisis has encouraged businesses and consumers to seek alternatives to the expensive original manufacturers products. You don’t have to be a company CEO to know it doesn’t make sense to pay inflated prices when there is another option. With the start of a new financial year businesses are putting operational costs under the microscope. They may be surprised by the amount of money they can save simply by having their empty printer cartridges refilled at Cartridge World. The UK’s market leading retailer of refilled and remanufactured printer cartridges, is helping businesses and retail customers to make substantial savings by refilling their empty printer cartridges rather than purchasing expensive original manufacturers products. “

Three new “green” jobs have been created  in their Moorfields store fulfilling government’s expectations that the future lies in low carbon technologies and greener business, and further jobs will be created as the business progresses and sales build up.

Cartridge World Liverpool City Centre
61 Moorfields, Liverpool, L2 2BP
Tel: 0151 227 1357  Fax: 0151 236 2677

Learn how to invest in Bank Repossessed Property at the Bold Spirit Conference taking place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Liverpool on the 18th September 2010.

Subjects to be covered include “How to find and secure bank repossessed property”, “Property Tax Mitigation” and “The Outlook for the Merseyside Property Market”

Bold Spirit has an outstanding track record of finding and securing outstanding value financially distressed property. There will also be the opportunity to network with like-minded professionals during and after the event.

The Distressed Assets Conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, adjacent to Liverpool City Centre.

If you have any questions please call Daniel Hunter on 0151 243 5431

Cost: £97

We are offering a 50% discount for chamber members using the code “livchamber” on booking.

Get all the details and book your place here

Merseytravel are offering residents of Merseyside the chance to showcase their work to thousands of commuters and contribute toward enhancing the journey experience.

This year’s competition, which is not restricted to a transport theme, is open to all Merseyside residents aged 16 and over.

The competition will be judged by internationally renowned contemporary artists THE SINGH TWINS, and two submissions will be chosen, the winner will receive a £500 cash prize and the runner-up £250. Both pieces of artwork will go on permanent display at locations across the transport network.

You can pick up an entry form from any of the Merseytravel Travel Centre’s and Mersey Ferries Terminals as well as various rail stations across the Merseyside network.

Artwork must be submitted in a digital format and sent in to Merseytravel along with a completed signed entry form by 21 September 2010.

For more details on how to enter the competition or to download your copy of the entry form, please visit the Art on the Network competition page.

Here is this week’s Highways Progress Update. The main item to note this week is that it is the Mathew Street Festival this weekend with many city centre road closures, including the full closure of the Queensway Tunnel.

All the current city centre highway improvement schemes are clearing their sites for the festival and will recommence work next week.

Another item to be aware of is work on high masts around the end of the M62/Rocket Interchange next week with the main works on Sunday, 5th September.

The scheduled works on Speke Boulevard have now been postponed because of the recent bad weather and we’ll update on a new start date as soon as it is available.

For more information on these and other highway schemes, please visit www.liverpool.gov.uk/highwayprojects.

Roads Affected by Works
Aigburth Road / Baltic Triangle / City Centre Events (Mathew Street Festival) / Commercial District (Dale Street & Old Hall Street) / Edge Lane / Everton Valley / Hall Lane / Knowledge Quarter (Mount Pleasant area) / M62 (including The Rocket Interchange; Queens Drive; Bowring Park Road) / Queensway Tunnel /  Riverside Drive / Smithdown Road / Speke Boulevard / Speke Road

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You are invited to an eLive event …find out how you can be a part of bringing electric vehicles to Liverpool City Region

What is eLive?
eLive is the Liverpool City Region and Cheshire West and Chester’s bid to the ‘Plugged-in Places’ programme.

eLive will support the region’s plans to encourage the use of electric vehicles through installing charging infrastructure at workplaces, transport interchanges, car parks, leisure and retail sites across the region.

The project will run for 2 years from April 2011- March 2013.

Why get involved?
Through eLive we could provide 50% funding towards the cost of installing electric charging points at your premises. Charging points could be used for your organisations fleet vehicles, for employees and visitors, or to attract new customers to your business.

Organisations throughout Merseyside, Halton and Ellesmere Port could be eligible.

If you want to find out more about new vehicle technologies, input into the future provision of alternative fuel infrastructure, or get involved in the project, then please come to one of our briefing events

We are holding a number of events throughout September.

Thursday 16 September, 2.30-4.30pm

Friday 17 September, 9.30-11.30am

Wednesday 29 September, 9.30-11.30am

All meetings are at Room C, 24 Hatton Garden, Liverpool, L3 2AN

To register please email info@transportmerseyside.org stating your name and which date you would like to attend. Alternatively please contact Sarah Jolly on 0151 330 1156.

Who should attend?

Organisations who would like to find out about the advantages of using electric vehicles for their fleet or pool vehicles:

• Hotels and tourist attractions
• Leisure and retail outlets
• Shopping centres
• Car park owners
• Property developers