Mayor salutes City Region's 'year of transformation' as he eyes deeper devolution to:- 'truly unleash potential'

ON Friday, 19 July 2024, Mayor Steve Rotheram described the last 12 months as a:- 'year of transformation' for the Liverpool City Region, but has said that deeper and wider devolution was needed to truly unleash its potential.

Introducing the Combined Authority's Annual Review, the Mayor pointed to the thousands of jobs, training, and skills opportunities created over the last year and vital investments made to transform people's lives.

The report highlights the opening of the £80m Headbolt Lane Station, serviced by a new 1st of their kind battery powered trains, completion of the 214km LCR Connect ultra fast digital network, a landmark decision to take back control of the Region's bus network, and the ordering of a new Mersey Ferry.

The 56 page review also shines a light on work to forge a more prosperous future through world-leading innovation, targeted support for pioneering businesses, and major initiatives to attract inward investment, including the creation of a Life Sciences Innovation Zone.

It details the formation of new private sector led boards to harness the expertise of business leaders in policy making and a new partnership to take the City Region's world famous visitor economy to the next level.

The review also highlights progress towards becoming a net zero City Region by 2035 and the important work of the new £2.3m Race Equality Hub, the City Region's 4 equality panels, the Youth Combined Authority and the impact of the Mayor's Fair Employment Charter.

Introducing the Annual Review, Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "While we recognise there is much more we want to achieve alongside a new government, this past year has been one of transformation for the City Region. From the thousands of jobs, training, and skills opportunities we've created, to the vital investments we've made to support our residents through the cost of living crisis, I'm incredibly proud of the progress we've made to transform people's lives for the better. We've put an end to four decades of decline in our bus network by taking back control, opened a brand-new train Station served by 1st of their kind battery powered trains, and we saw the completion of LCR Connect, our publicly owned joint venture, offering local businesses unrivalled digital connectivity. Looking to the future, I want to take advantage of our strengths; and potential; and turn them into profitable businesses, creating better, greener jobs and bringing greater prosperity to local people. With further devolution of powers and funding, we can go even further to truly unleash our potential. We are home to the fastest growing city economy, have the country's most ambitious net zero plans, massive housebuilding aspirations and a plan to tackle the productivity crisis that holds our Region back. Make no mistake: this is a place on the rise. As its Mayor, I want to build the most vibrant, growing and inclusive Liverpool City Region possible for the 1.6m people who live and work in our area to succeed."

A joint statement on behalf of the Combined Authority Cabinet Members who are also leaders of the City Region's six local authorities, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, says:- "We are all extremely proud of the places that we lead and that our work together in partnership is enabling our Region to create a prosperous future for our residents. Prioritising growing our economy, jobs, skills, improving transport, housing, equality, delivering social value and dealing with the climate emergency are important to all of us. This Annual Review once again demonstrates what we can achieve by coming together at the Regional level, making the most of devolved powers and funding, and the difference it can make for our residents."

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Chief Executive Katherine Fairclough says:- "This annual review captures the highlights of 2023-2024, the third and final year of the 2021/24 corporate plan. Devolved powers and funding play their part in these successes, but the magic ingredients are the strength of partnership, collaboration and good humour that play out in our relationships across Liverpool City Region, which result in a stronger economy and thriving communities, where no one is left behind."

Solo Show "Duality, Colours and Patterns" by Henrietta Ackah Joyce

BORN in London, Henrietta Ackah-Joyce (known to her friends as, Rita) didn't have much encouragement from those around her growing up in Hull and then Liverpool:- "Throughout my School years I believed that I was a failure at everything so was destined for a dreary life of drudgery. However, my detractors were proved wrong, as I have enjoyed a long, varied career teaching, counselling, writing and delivering courses."

Although finding time to pursue her artistic leanings often had to take a back seat from the demands of her workload as a Primary School Teacher, it is only recently that Rita has been able to step away from education and devote all her energies to following her passion:- "Since retiring 5 years ago I have been able to focus on my own artwork and enjoyed attending numerous virtual and in person training courses. My art has evolved over time into mixed media techniques incorporating:- fluid art, found items, prints, photography and recycled objects."

Her enthusiasm to seek out new artistic challenges not only took over her life but also her house:- "This resulted in a very cluttered home filled with art canvases, paints and paintings. Fortunately, I found studio space above the Southport Contemporary Art Gallery and discovered the Southport Contemporary Arts community of fellow artists that has been a Godsend. Joining SCA has opened a wonderful world of inspirational, supportive, like minded fellow artists."

Naturally gregarious, Rita continues to challenge convention as her freewheeling spirit directs her own distinctive handwriting:- "Through different art forms I aim to create abstract art that reflects the world around me. My latest artwork was inspired initially by a gift of a beautiful West African costume. Subsequently, my interest was further ignited when visiting Brixton market in London, where I wove in and out of African clothes stall ablaze with beautifully patterned vibrant coloured, shapes and textured fabrics. This led to the creation of my current art collection in which I utilised my favoured mediums of acrylics, resin with natural and found fragments such as shells, stones and recyclable objects."

This heady artistic mix is well to the fore in all of the work on display at the ArtHouse where Rita's exploitation of her cultural references stretches her skill base even further:- "Despite looking like embellished dress fabric, my green embossed pattern was created by painting a gradient base of acrylic paint onto canvas. After this dried, I stencilled a pattern on the canvas using modelling paste and paint. I was experimenting using this technique to create patterns similar to the patterns used in traditional West African batik fabrics. The colours I used were influenced by the colours traditionally used in West Africa, however I muted the palette for a European audience."

Liquid art has increasingly become an investigative means of translating her research. Rejoicing in the endless creative possibilities, it is the spontaneity and unpredictability of the brushless technique that fascinates Rita:- "This technique involves the use of a pouring medium mixed with acrylic paint or mica pigments or inks. The acrylic paints react with each other when combined to make interesting and visually organic motifs. For my diptych paintings I used a combination of fluid art techniques. Firstly I created a gradient background. Secondly I drew a circle and painted around the circle. Thirdly, using a Dutch pour technique, I created the foreground by pouring on a transparent base paint. The amazing thing for me is the reveal when the painting is completed. Often, it doesn't look like I envisioned, but that is all part of experimenting."

The serendipity of much of Rita's artwork has become totally addictive and shows no sign of letting up:- "Moving forward I plan to experiment further by combining other fluid art techniques coupled with West African influences in colour and pattern."

Evidence of Henrietta's latest free flowing exploits will be on view at the:- ArtHouse, Eastbank Street, Southport, from:- 6 August to 24 August 2024.

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