Funding boost for much loved Liverpool events

12 of Liverpool's much loved grassroots organisations are being given a financial boost as part of the City's 2018 culture anniversary celebrations. The City Council has awarded more than ₤180,000 to cultural businesses, which will enable them to stage events with the most eye catching and ambitious line ups to date.

The events still to come:-

►  Africa Oyé 16 June to 17 June 2018; This massively popular free event returns to Sefton Park for its biggest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture to date. This year the event features headline performances from international afro roots star and humanitarian activist Rocky Dawuni as well as reggae legends Inner Circle. AfricaOye.com.

►  Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, 5 July to 15 July 2018; Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, LAAF will enjoy an enhanced programme which will see a wealth of globally renowned artists from the Arab world delight audiences throughout its 2018 edition. The festival will open with performances from Bachar Zarkan, Emel Mathlouthi with a DJ set from U-Cef and a co-headline gig featuring:- 47SOUL and TootArd, who will be joined by Jacques Malchance for a special DJ set. Even more exceptional musical talent will bring LAAF 2018 to a close, with performances at LAAF's Family Day, from:- Simona Abdallah, Simo Lagnawi and Gnawa London and the London Syrian Ensemble featuring special guest vocalist Osama Kiwan. ArabArtsFfestival.com.

►  Brazilica, taking place over 12- July to 14 July; The UK's biggest celebration of Brazilian Culture will take place on the Per Head, with an extra special carnival parade, on Saturday, 14 July 2018. There's a packed programme of fringe events, films and exhibitions, with highlights including the internationally acclaimed Brazilian singer Agathe Irecima and the raw carnival energy of Muntchako from Brasilia. BrazilicaFestival.Co.UK/Brazilica-2018.

►  Liverpool Biennial 2018, from 14 July to 28 October 2018; As part of the Citywide exhibition Beautiful world, where are you?, Ari Benjamin Meyers is creating a special film installation featuring four famous Liverpool musicians. The film 'portraits' tell Liverpool's musical history, representing its major musical movements while relating back to the City's industrial past. The project will be presented on the stage of the Playhouse theatre as an immersive installation. Biennial.com.

►  International Weekend of Wellbeing, 15 September to 16 September 2018... Run by The Comedy Trust, this weekend will see Liverpool's St George's Quarter become a celebrity endorsed hub for a cutting edge and compelling conversation on mental health and wellbeing. High profile appearances from star comedians will sit alongside health professionals from the international community, along with performances, Q&A's, panel discussions and debates. TheComedyTrust.Com.

►  Liverpool Mental Health Festival 2018 (10 - 14 October) - Liverpool Mental Health Consortium present a programme of free events bringing together arts and mental health in creative ways, including: an extravaganza of music, dance and spoken word, with acts including:- David Hoyle, Nachda Sansar, Bring the Fire Project, Liverpool Comhaltas, Kasai Masai and Barbara Brownskirt; a Film Night featuring short films by local film makers, plus:- 'Adult Life Skills;' 'The Art of Falling Apart' art exhibition; 'Feel Good Friday' - including:- yoga, drumming, music, dance, capoeira, parkour, open studio, Baby Book Club and information:- 'Articipation: a Wellbeing Forum for the Creative Industries; 'TranScripts'' - a showcase by local Trans writers. LiverpoolMentalHealth.Org.

►  INDIKA, runs over 17 October to 3 November 2018...  Organised by MilapFest, this is the largest festival of classical and contemporary Indian music and dance in Europe. In a huge coup, it will feature 3 world premieres, taking place in venues across the City it will feature international musicians and dancers, including flautist Pravin G, and stunning dance artists Abhimanyu and Vidha Lal. MilapFest.Com.

►  Liverpool Irish Festival, 18 October to 28 October 2018, bring Ireland and Liverpool closer together through arts and culture. #LIF2018 is proud to welcome Deborah Frances White's The Guilty Feminist to the City for the 1st time ever (Liverpool Playhouse, 2pm, 20 October 2018, as well as world music music spectacle Kíla (Arts Club, time TBC, 19 October 2018. LiverpooIIrishFestival.com.

►  LEAP Dance festival 2018, 2 November to 12 November 2018, - MDI presents its annual festival in a new time slot marking the dance company's 25th birthday. The festival's theme is Suffrage, commemorating 100 years since some women won the right to vote, and will look at how the power to bring about change inspires us. It will feature work by some extraordinary female choreographers and performers and will predominantly take place under 1 roof at The Creative Campus and Capstone Theatre, supported by Liverpool Hope University. The festival will close at The Epstein Theatre with Fagin's Twist presented by award winning dance company Avant Garde for a unique production inspired by Oliver Twist - creating a new female protagonist. MDI.Org.UK.

►  DaDaFest International, November; This innovative and cutting edge disability and D/deaf arts organisation hosts this critically acclaimed and award winning festival every 2 years. The festival showcases high quality and exciting work in key arts venues across the Liverpool City region which challenge stereotypes and celebrate disability and D/deaf cultures. DadaFest.Co.UK.

►  Food for Real Festival: Winter Solstice on 21 December 2018; On the shortest days of the year join in with SQUASH, Liverpool's socially engaged art and food enterprise. Come celebrate and reflect on community, nature and wellbeing through new music, live tree planting, ritual, fire and food. SquashLiverpool.Co.UK.

►  Writing on the Wall; Liverpool's longest running literary festival took place in venues across the City, for the month of May, bringing together:- writers, performers, journalists, poets, novelists, activists, commentators, broadcasters, academics and communities in a radical programme of work exploring the theme Crossing Borders. With 42 events, an array of guests took part including:- Carmen Bugan, Mourid Barghouti, Marcello Di Cintio, Chuma Nwokolo, Stephen James Smith, Benjamin Zephaniah, Robert Webb, Richard Blair (George Orwell's son) and Beatrix Campbell. Nearly 13,000 people took part in this year's indoor and outdoor activities, making it 1 of its most successful festivals to date. WritingOnTheWall.Org.UK.

Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for culture, tourism and events, Councillor Wendy Simon, said:- "This City has an extraordinary cultural scene and our grassroots culture organisations do incredible work in ensuring we have an enviable annual events calendar.  When we were planning our European Capital of Culture tenth anniversary celebrations, we were not only committed to attracting new events to the City this year, but we also wanted to shine a light on the creativity which takes place here on a regular basis. The extra funding has allowed these local businesses to build on what are already established and popular festivals and activities, helping them to raise the bar and hopefully attract more awareness and even bigger audiences. Each of the 13 organisations have amazing, diverse programmes which are thought-provoking, entertaining and boundary pushing; things Liverpool are renowned for. I wish all of them luck with their events and I look forward to being part of as many of them as possible."

For more information on how Liverpool is celebrating a decade since 2008, visit:- VisitLiverpool.Com/2018.

Have your say on the highway

TRANSPORT chiefs with Liverpool City Council are urging people to have their say about a major new road scheme that will reduce congestion, open up the City's waterfront and create jobs.

Work on Phase 2 of the Liverpool City Centre Connectivity Scheme is set to begin this summer. The ₤20m plan will see 2 new roads created off Waterloo Road and Regent Road to the North West of the City Centre, by 2021. And the Council is launching a 3 week consultation from Wednesday, 6 June 2018, to get the views of residents and businesses.

The new roads will address the current and anticipated future traffic congestion in the area; with a planned new Cruise Terminal to go live after the scheme is completed and will also improve access to the City's World Heritage waterfront, including the new Isle of Man Ferry Terminal.

The scheme, which complements the ₤32m upgrade to Leeds Street, the A565 (Great Howard Street) and Regent Road, has been split into 2 new 'link' roads.

The South Link Road, which is currently going through the planning process, will become a key route from Leeds Street to the new developments along the dock front, whilst the North Link Road, which already has planning approval, will provide access to new developments on West Waterloo Dock.

There will be a 20mph speed restriction on the North Link Road along with other traffic calming measures, to prevent vehicles speeding.

Work on Phase 1 of the City Centre Connectivity Plan is also expected to begin this summer. This project is split into 8 developments all aimed at encouraging more people to choose walking and cycling for short journeys. They include a new 'gateway' into the City from Lime Street and an events space on St George's Plateau, a new bus hub and improved links for pedestrians and cyclists between the main shopping areas and the waterfront.

Both phases form part of the Council's ₤300m Better Roads programme and feed into the master plan for the Atlantic Corridor, which includes the 10 Streets creativity hub and runs parallel to Peel's ₤5.5bn Liverpool Waters scheme.

As part of the consultation a public information event will take place, on Wednesday, 13 June 2018, between 10am and 7pm in the Salisbury Room, on the 1st floor of The Crowne Plaza, on Nicholas Street. The event is open to all and will be a chance to view the plans and speak with Council officers and the consulting engineers for the scheme.

Residents and businesses directly affected by the works have also been sent a special questionnaire about the project.

Councillor James Noakes, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways, said:- "These are exciting plans that will prepare the City for future growth, increased visitor numbers and a move towards improved travel options for people. Liverpool's popularity as a destination for people to work, visit and enjoy is ever increasing and we have to make sure that our infrastructure can cope with future demand. We want to make travel and transport around the City as easy and convenient as possible. Crucially, by providing improved access to the waterfront area we are directly contributing to the anticipated created of more than 20,000 jobs over the next 10 years. Inevitably, as with any major highways scheme, there will be a certain amount of disruption to City Centre life, but the long-term benefits of this scheme, especially for our plans for North Liverpool and 10 Streets, cannot be overstated. The views of all residents and businesses are extremely important and will play an important part in our decision making process as the schemes progress. This is why we are opening up the plans and giving people a chance to speak with the team and have their say."

For more information about the Liverpool City Centre Connectivity Scheme and other projects in the Better Roads programme, visit:- Liverpool.Gov.UK/Betterroads.