Artwork wows the public and highlights road technology
Photo by:- Corbyn John Media.

Reskate Studio, comprised of artists Minuskula and Javier de Riba, have created the artwork in Liverpool ONE.

A massive glow in the dark painting has been unveiled at Liverpool 1 in the City Center. Commissioned as part of the The Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) Live Labs 2: Decarbonising Local Roads in the UK programme, the painting has been installed at the intersection of Hanover Street and college Lane in Liverpool ONE.

Liverpool City Council is a key partner in ADEPT Live Labs 2, a three-year, UK-wide £30 million programme funded by the Department for Transport that aims to decarbonise the local highway network.

The Council is pioneering the use of smart road and highway technologies with a series of experiments across the City on roads, pedestrian crossings and cycle paths.

The hope is that these new technologies will reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, alleviate congestion, and create more sustainable neighbourhoods.

The striking artwork, titled:- 'Harmony' created by the esteemed artist collective Reskate Studio, uses Luminokrom, a photoluminescent paint that can be used for highway marking on roads.

This material absorbs ambient light during daylight hours and emits a luminous glow during periods of darkness. The artwork undergoes a dynamic transformation from day to night, providing a compelling demonstration of the paint's capabilities.

The paint absorbs natural or artificial light and glows in the dark for 10 hours without any power supply or CO2 emissions.

The artwork is part of Reskate's Harreman Project; a series of glow in the dark artworks across Europe.

The design represents the poetic connection between the arts, nature and innovation on the path to a more hopeful and sustainable future.

Reskate art collective aims to foster awareness, engagement, and proactive involvement in environmental stewardship through this public installation.

Comprised of artists Minuskula and Javier de Riba, Reskate is renowned for its site-specific murals and installations that integrate with their surrounding environments. Their work is characterised by a commitment to conveying meaningful messages through thoughtful aesthetic choices.

ADEPT represents local authority county, unitary and metropolitan directors across England. Live Labs 2 includes:- 7 projects, grouped by 4 interconnected themes, led by local authorities working alongside commercial and academic partners.

Each project is testing new solutions to decarbonise construction and maintenance across the whole life cycle of the local highway network. The programme is overseen by an independent Commissioning Board, which includes:- the Department for Transport and other experts from across the public and private sectors.

Cllr Daniel Barrington, Cabinet Member for Transport and Connectivity, said:- "This is a great artwork that will bring lots of pleasure and fun to people who see it. It's really striking how the piece changes from daytime into night, and lights up in an incredible way. It's an exciting way of telling the story about ADEPT Live Labs 2 and how roads can become net zero contributors in the years ahead. I'd urge everyone to pop along to Liverpool 1 to have a look at an iconic piece of art."

Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director at Liverpool ONE, said:- "Supporting art and culture is at the heart of what we do at Liverpool ONE. This striking display now in place not only enhances the City's landscape but will also sparks conversation on important topics while inspiring visitors."

Artist Minuskula, said:- "This collaboration with our City partners is a fantastic example of how art can highlight important themes like sustainability while making Liverpool an even more exciting place to visit. This is a site-specific work that belongs to our "Harreman project", murals that feature glow in the dark paint. This mural is part a series of works, which represent youth's worries that are often silenced. We're very proud to be able to create a poetic and inspiring image that helps to make visible a better future."

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Southport local travels to Parliament to call for action on debt crisis to help world's poorest countries
Photo by:- CAFOD

ADRIAN Cannel, a retired teacher from Southport, visited Parliament with other campaigners from across the UK, to urge MPs to address the global debt crisis which is engulfing poor countries.

They are calling for a new Debt Justice Law, to create a fairer global system for low income countries facing insurmountable levels of debt. The aim is to target irresponsible:- 'loan shark' behaviour; seen in some private creditors over the years; who are able to avoid accountability but rake in profits from unfair lending to poorer countries, burdening them with debt that can never be repaid.

The result is what's being called a:- 'global debt crisis,' where some of the world's poorest countries are forced to spend more on payments to big banks and hedge funds than on health, education or life-saving climate measures. Fifty-four countries; from Sri Lanka to Kenya; are facing debt distress today.

The parliamentary reception was arranged by Catholic overseas aid charity CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development). Campaigners were able to meet MPs and raise concerns about loans being made by predatory lenders, often at extortionate interest rates.

With more than 90% of debt contracts governed by English law, MPs can play an important role in tackling the crisis. Parliamentarians could pass a law to force lenders to cooperate in debt relief negotiations and stop them from demanding payments from countries in crisis; at no cost to the British taxpayer.

Speakers at the event included Anneliese Dodds, former Minister of State for Development, and Brian Maeba, from CAFOD partner Jesuit Hakimani Center, who spoke movingly about the debt crisis in his own country.

Adrian Cannel met with Southport MP Patrick Hurley and explained why he made the trip to Parliament:- "I am passionate about this issue because the dignity and futures of 3.3 billion people are being unfairly affected by the greed of a small number of financial institutions. At the parliamentary reception it was great to find that CAFOD's campaign has support from MPs from many parties. It was moving to hear from Brian Maeba of the Jesuit Hakimani Center in Kenya, about the people's struggles and worries for the future."

Adrian is the CAFOD Parish Volunteer for Holy Family Catholic Church in Soutport, a retired teacher and currently works as IT Technician at Great Great Crosby Catholic Primary School.

Pope Francis has called for Catholics to be:- "pilgrims of hope" this Jubilee year, urging them to push for rich Governments to cancel debts:- "of countries that will never be able to repay them." Jubilee years have been moments marked by the cancellation of debts since Biblical times.

Thomas Delamere, CAFOD's Government Relations Adviser said:- "It is great that so many people could come to the event to campaign about tackling the global debt crisis which is engulfing poor countries. Taking action on unfair debts would not cost the UK taxpayer anything but would make an enormous difference in the lives of the most vulnerable people around the world."

CAFOD is encouraging anyone concerned about the global debt crisis to write to their MP, asking them to call on the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to pass a Debt Justice Law.