Member Article

Return of the giant puppets to promote investment opportunities in Liverpool

Liverpool’s flagship 2014 World War One commemoration event, Memories of August 1914, featuring the return of the Little Girl Giant and her pet dog Xolo, will be partly staged in the Peel-owned Clarence Dock area within Liverpool Waters.

The huge space will accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people expected to turn out to watch the story unfold.

Ian Pollitt, development investment surveyor at Peel Holdings said: “There’s no doubt that the return of the giants will be a spectacular event and will draw people to the city in their thousands. We want to be part of this remarkable occasion and provide a taste of the future we have in store for Liverpool Waters.

“By opening the doors of Liverpool Waters to key cultural events such as the giants and the new drive-in cinema at Clarence Dock, we are making the very most of the city’s greatest natural asset: its waterfront.”

The giant puppets were first seen in the city during the 2012 ‘Sea Odyssey’ event.

This year’s performances run from 23-27 July (with the main action taking place from the 25-27) and the Grade II listed Newsham Park will be the first location, as the marionettes explore the streets around Gardener’s Drive and Sheil Road.

Organisers hope that by taking some activity out of the city centre, ‘Memories’ will showcase potential development and investment opportunities in other areas.

Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for culture and tourism, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: “We have spent months looking at the route, with one of our main aims being that the visit of the giants should benefit wider communities.

“It’s also about bringing large numbers of people into a community which they may have never visited before, allowing them to see the hidden gems of the city and hopefully transform their perceptions of that area.

“Sea Odyssey had a huge impact on north Liverpool. It gave a real opportunity to showcase the area and in turn engendered pride, inspired creativity and built community cohesion.

“We hope for a similar reaction this year, particularly in the Newsham Park area, and we look forward to working with residents, businesses and community groups on how they can make the most of this amazing opportunity which will shine a national spotlight on Liverpool.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .