Front Page -- Back "European Capital of Culture" Liverpool has joined the race for the world�s attention, and is aiming for the prosperous title �European Capital of Culture�. This will attract huge amount of attention to the city, which is planning a massive cultural program to reach its goal. The city council is determined to show the rest of the world that there is more to the Liverpool than The Beatles and Liverpool F. C �The European Capital of Culture� competition is an opportunity for one European city to celebrate all that is best about its cultural identity � its past, its present and its future. I 2008 it will be the UK� s turn to nominate one city. The deadline for submitting an application is March 2002, and the board committed to the contest is working hard to piece together Liverpool�s application. The UK government will announce a shortlist in September 2002. These will get the right to call themselves �Centre of Culture�. The overall winner will be announced in March 2003. Liverpool City council are determined to win and claims that the battle will be between Liverpool and Newcastle. Liverpool�s bid to become �Capital of Culture� will form a fundamental element of the newly launched culture strategy for North West England. The North West Consortium plans to maximise the economic benefits available from the region�s cultural assets. The general consortium was set up by the Government�s department of Culture, Media and Sport last year to draw together the region�s cultural agencies. Liverpool�s neighbour city Manchester is hosting the Commonwealth games as well as the �Top of the Pop�s awards�, which will be broadcasted to 19 nations. The show features stars like Shaggy, Westlife, Mariah Carey and Kylie Minouge. This is all part of the culture strategy for the North West that Liverpool is an important element in. �Liverpool�s bid to become Capital of Culture in 2008 is an integral part of the cultural strategy for our region and it is obviously high on our agenda, as is Manchester�s hosting of the Commonwealth games� NWCC chair Felicity Goodey says. �Bidding for a major, internationally important cultural event such as �European Capital of Culture� allows us to turn the spotlight on Liverpool and acclaim all that is great about the city�, she adds. Liverpool strives to be a versatile city and is proud to have been the shooting location of a big Hollywood movie that is going to be released on December 7th 2001. The movie �51st State� casts stars like Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle and MeatLoaf, and has been shot entirely in and around Liverpool. The city is also host of the star-studded charity premier of the �28 million blockbuster. Film Office manager Lynn Saunders, who were responsible for ensuring the film was shot in Liverpool, was determined to raise the city�s profile by holding the event in the city. In its campaign for the world�s attention, Liverpool has also joined the biggest relay in the world. The city is the host for the Queen�s Jubilee Baton Relay, which will span over 20 Commonwealth countries. The baton will travel around the world in 80 days before a Liverpool representative receives it. It will then be ceremonially given to the Queen in Manchester to open the Commonwealth games in 2002. To spread awareness of Liverpool�s bid for the �Capital of Culture� title, a web site has been launched. The site contains information about the contest and some remarkable cultural facts about Liverpool. These facts and the festive arrangements held are some of the key elements in the bid for the title. Liverpool wants to share its rich cultural history with the world, including facts like the invention of the radio was really made by Sir Oliver Lodge of Liverpool University, and Liverpool Cathedral is the largest Anglican cathedral in the world. Liverpool also has one of the oldest Chinese communities and the largest arch in Europe. There is also a big percentage of Scandinavians in the city. It is proud to be a multi cultural community. The city is also very proud of its famous waterfront. It provides the perfect landing stage for the city that is full of architectural wonders, stunning vistas, unique icons and other attractions. The great docks has been a central part of city life with all its trade and cultural exchange throughout the years. This is also where the Liver buildings with the huge monuments of the city�s symbols are situated. |