In 2008, Liverpool became the European Capital of Culture to much fanfare and acclaim, both locally and abroad. The decision to award the city this prestigious title led to the dawning of a new era for the city. A multitude of top-class businesses, ranging from top-of-the range hotels, plush restaurants and some of the biggest names in casinos, offering a range of table, card, dice and slot games to customers, began to open across the city and slowly the whole attitude towards Liverpool as an important cultural centre began to shift.
Now, it seems Liverpool has been truly welcomed as perhaps not only the European Capital of Culture, but the UK’s Capital of Culture too. Merseyside is now a hugely popular destination for weekend city breaks for visitors from the UK and Europe. Businesses and locals around the city have been quick to embrace the cultural philosophy and promote local brands and services; as a city, Liverpool is ‘happening’ once again.
This emergence of Liverpool onto the world scene as a city of culture and enterprise is further emphasised with the opening of the city’s new ‘business embassy', situated somewhat appropriately next to Liverpool Street in the heart of London. Led by Liverpool City Council and members of the city’s business community, the ‘Liverpool Embassy’ is part of the One Plan, an initiative to attract further business and investment into this growing and vibrant city now and into the future.
It is easy to see why Liverpool City Council has decided to capitalise further on the success both of the Capital of Culture year and on the great showing at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010. A £4 billion investment programme has led to Liverpool becoming something of a rarity among cities across the world as Liverpool enjoys fast economic growth.
As such, it has now become an equally popular destination for big business, as well as weekend holidaymakers out to see the many sights.
In a cultural sense, this is important. The investment that Liverpool secures from big businesses whose towering edifices fit neatly into the once empty slots of land that littered the city, all help feed into the thriving local economy. This then allows the people of the city and surrounding areas, not to mention the many visitors each year, to find plenty to do. A whole new culture springs up around this level of investment.
It is a regeneration of Liverpool, not only in financial terms, but socially and spiritually too, and this recent growth is a cultural milestone, which will, in time, become an integral part of the Liverpool story as much as the docks, Liver Birds, the Beatles and the River Mersey.
Part of ensuring that this investment is only the start of an enduring legacy is maintaining Liverpool’s high profile across the globe, and the opening of the new embassy in London is a key part of that strategy. Events like Double Take, which took place on Tuesday 29th March, displayed the work of local artists from Liverpool, as well as a performance from Delta Maid, dubbed the “Liverpudlian Loretta Lynn” by the Guardian. This helped draw national and worldwide attention for the city from those interested in investing in the city.
Director of Merseyside Arts, Culture and Media Enterprise Kevin McManus hailed the event as “an important event when we can match those from Liverpool with their counterparts from London, who can explain just how edgy, forward-thinking and dynamic a place Liverpool is for music, film, design, gaming, fashion and other technologies.”
While events like this will help promote Liverpool as a cultural centre in the future, it is worth remembering also that the cultural legacy of the city is not only dependent upon maximising the opportunities of the past, but also celebrating the rich and diverse culture that has existed in the city in the past. Indeed, a convincing case can be argued that without Liverpool’s legacy to sport, popular music, comedy, trade and commerce, politics or indeed any sphere of modern society, the UK and the world would be a vastly poorer place.
So, the real reason Liverpool will always be capital of culture is based on two things. The first is continued growth and promotion to attract new investment to the city which will spark new cultural activities and continue to attract people to the area. The second and no less important is the rich heritage and history that has made Liverpool what it is and which forms the cornerstone of what makes it truly the cultural capital of the UK.
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