The RISE season will span the worlds of arts, science, business, sport and politics, shining a light on women whose impact has been felt in their community, in their home city or town, or across the world. It will include brand new artistic commissions, exhibitions, performances and world-firsts.
The full programme of events will be officially launched on International Women’s Day on Friday 8 March and run until the end of the year. However, three preview events are set to take place ahead of the launch:
- Punk in the Picton – As part of Liverpool Central Library’s punk exhibition, artist Emma Harrison will chat about her time documenting performances by punk band the Slits, in what was at the time, a very male-dominated field. She will also talk about her part in the early graffiti movement in New York and her work on pop videos for acts including Boy George and Duran Duran. Taking place on Thursday 21 February, tickets start from £6.60 and can be purchased here https://bit.ly/2GcvGQb
- Tracey Thorn in Conversation – On Monday 25 February, the singer-songwriter and bestselling author will head to Liverpool’s Central Library to talk about the female inspirations she had growing up and how they shaped the person she has become today. She will be reading extracts from her new book Another Planet: A Teenager in Suburbia and answering questions from the audience. The event is ticketed, with prices starting from £4.40. Head to https://bit.ly/2MW9PgE for more information.
- 209 Women – This ambitious all-female exhibition from Open Eye Gallery features new portraits of women MPs from across the country, shot entirely by women photographers. The exhibition was first shown at the Houses of Parliament on 14 December 2018, 100 years to the day since the first general election in which women could vote. In Liverpool, the full set will be shown for the first time, including images of Sinn Fein MPs who refused to have their images shown in Parliament. It both makes and marks history – showing the progress that has been made towards gender parity in politics, while also highlighting the work that is still to be done. The exhibition is free and open to the public, and open every day (except Mondays) from 1 March to 14 April.
The Culture Liverpool team behind the RISE programme want to hear from any artist, cultural organisation or group across the city which will be staging events or activities this year which celebrate women. Just head to www.riseliverpool.com and fill in the online form and the event could be promoted on the website as part of the RISE season.
RISE has been curated by Culture Liverpool and funded by Arts Council England. Other partners include Open Eye Gallery, Kitchen Street, Sisbis, Abandon Normal Devices, Liverpool Central Library, LIPA, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Cathedral, Scalarama and Mayoral Club.
Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for culture, tourism and events, Councillor Wendy Simon, said:
“Liverpool is a city that uses its events programme to push boundaries and provoke debate – this year’s RISE season will do just that.
“In a year which will see this city host the Netball World Cup, we felt it was important to shine the spotlight on exceptional women across the arts, sciences, business, sport and politics.
“The curators are working on a programme which educates, inspires and empowers, and will get people asking who really runs the world?
“The events taking place this month are a wonderful introduction to what we can expect throughout the year, and I encourage groups and organisations across the city to get involved and be part of this remarkable campaign.”
Tracey Thorn said:
“I’m delighted to be coming up to Liverpool to talk about my new book Another Planet – a memoir of 1970s suburbia. The book talks in detail about the specific experience of being a girl at that time, about my relationship with my mother, and about my feminist heroines, so I’m especially pleased that the event will be part of the RISE programme.”
Director of Development and Partnerships at Open Eye Gallery, Tracy Marshall, said:
“Photography has become one of the primary ways that we reflect and communicate our vision of the world. Through images, we gain a sense not only of how things are, but also how things could be. The 209 Women project carries so much potential in communicating our vision of gender parity in the corridors of power, pointing to a society where policy is made with people of all genders in mind. That’s why everyone at Open Eye Gallery is behind this national collaboration of artists and politicians, all the way: to light up the way to a future where gender is no obstacle — in art, in business, in politics and in every other pursuit.”
Categories: RISE
