FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) has been awarded £250,000 by the Arts Council England’s Ambition for Excellence fund for the site-specific project, Rewire.
FACT will work in partnership with Culture Liverpool, interactive arts studio, Invisible Flock, and Dingle 2000 to co-design interactive artworks with local people at the iconic Toxteth Reservoir in Liverpool.
This large-scale event will explore the power and effect of individual agency in the connected digital and physical world. The work will use cutting edge technologies to conjure dynamic and digital landscapes, allowing audiences to play in an urban space and transforming the Internet of Things (IoT) into a participatory rIoT. From robotic lights to interactive storm clouds overhead, the experience will erupt from beneath Toxteth to play itself out across Liverpool’s skyline.
Taking place in Autumn next year, Rewire will be part of Liverpool 2018 , a year long programme of cultural projects to mark the tenth anniversary of Liverpool being European Capital of Culture, and will welcome international artists to collaborate in its creation.
Alongside funding from Arts Council England, the project will also be supported by Liverpool City Council with additional contribution from other partners.
Mike Stubbs, CEO, FACT said “FACT isn’t about being a venue which is a cathedral for art. It is about creating new spaces for genuine encounter, whether that is reimagining how digital space can be reclaimed for critical dialogue, or making public realm works that speak not only about the heritage of a place, but also its future. Working with Culture Liverpool, Invisible Flock and Dingle 2000, Rewire will do that rare thing of creating something spectacular which will leave a legacy in Liverpool for a long time, particularly as we are inviting the people of Liverpool to help us create it. I can’t think of a more fitting celebration, or a more skilled team to deliver this new commission.”
Jane Beardsworth, Director North, Arts Council England said “I’m delighted that we are supporting FACT through our National Lottery funded Ambition for Excellence programme. Rewire is an exciting project bringing large scale physical and digital experiences in unexpected places to audiences in a diverse part of Liverpool. It will coincide with FACT’s 15th anniversary and the 10th anniversary celebrations of Liverpool’s 2008 Capital of Culture year. I’m very much looking forward to experiencing the event.”
Claire McColgan, Director of Culture, Culture Liverpool said: “ Rewire is wonderfully ambitious and we are excited about it transforming Toxteth Reservoir. This project is an embodiment of the scale of creativity and ambition which we will be presenting throughout Liverpool 2018 – our celebration of the city a decade after being European Capital of Culture.”
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Christine Nip
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