Museum of Liverpool themes and displays
Creative City will explore the unique and creative character of Liverpool. The gallery will explore why this city has produced such an amazing roll call of writers, performers, comedians and sportsmen. It will show how Liverpool’s strong cultural identity is perpetuated by the extraordinary number of creative people who come from the city.
The gallery will also examine the development of the language, scouse, and how this is an identifier for the city. It will explore introspection and why Liverpool considers itself to be unique, and whether there are other similar places, perhaps port cities, which also think they are different.
The displays will tell the history of music making in the city, drawn from the diverse cultural influence of its people. The story of the Beatles is one way of looking at the social impact of Liverpool in the late 20th century - the band, hugely influenced by their place of birth, changed popular music and culture on a global scale. Key objects in the gallery will include some unique Beatles objects, including the original stage on which John Lennon’s band the Quarrymen played in 1957.
Creative City will demonstrate that supporting sport, and particularly football, is an important form of expression that represents the spirit, attitude and identity of the city. In the football and sport section a special immersive experience will capture the excitement, passion and intensity of football in Merseyside through the fans’ eyes.
The displays within Creative City will include:
The fourth in a series of public forums giving people the opportunity to hear about and have their say on the main themes of the Museum of Liverpool. was held on Wednesday 20 February 2008 at Merseyside Maritime Museum lecture theatre. The programme included:
Ray Physick, author of 'Played in Liverpool', was born in Norris Green, raised in Kirkby, and is a former lecturer in history at Liverpool John Moores University. He graduated from the University of Northumbria in 1996 and is currently researching his PhD on the development of swimming in Liverpool from 1846-1914. His previous publications include papers on professional golf 1945-75 and sport on Tyneside, plus entries in various encyclopaedias. He is also joint editor of a forthcoming book on Liverpool history and culture, to be published in late 2008.
Paul Du Noyer was born in Liverpool and educated at the London School of Economics. His music books and journalism cover almost 30 years of direct involvement with the music scene. His work began with seven years on the NME and he was a member of the launch teams of Q, MOJO, Heat and The Word. He has edited Q and was the founding editor of MOJO. He has written the definitive history of his home town’s music scene 'Liverpool: Wondrous Place' and a highly successful study of John Lennon’s solo music, 'We All Shine On'. He oversaw the launch of several music websites including Q4music, Mojo4Music and Kerrang!. As a freelance writer his outlets have included The Sunday Times, GQ, The New Statesman and many more. A major strand of his work is editorial consultancy. Since 1989 he has worked on numerous projects with Paul McCartney, including all Paul’s tour programmes. He is now associate editor of The Word. He sits on the board of Liverpool music venue The Picket and is a visiting fellow in journalism at Liverpool Hope University. Paul divides his time between Liverpool and London.
Phil was born in Liverpool and brought up in Huyton. He originally trained as a quantity surveyor before concentrating on a career as a writer in 1972. Phil founded Mersey Television in 1981 as a way to produce his own work. He had already created the innovative BBC children's series Grange Hill in 1978 before setting up Mersey Television and devising the pioneering drama serial Brookside. In 1995 Phil launched the young person's serial drama Hollyoaks for Channel 4. Phil is a fellow of Liverpool John Moores University, where he is also a member of the board of trustees and honorary chair of media. He is also chairman of the International Centre for Digital Content that he was integral in establishing in 1997. In 1988 he was instrumental in setting up the Liverpool Film Office, the first of its kind in the UK, to capitalise on the talent and economic and architectural potential of the city. He was a founding member of the first regional branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in Manchester, as well as a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He was awarded the CBE in 2004 and is currently deputy chair of Liverpool Culture Company, responsible for creative direction.