Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced that:- "The World Re-imagined" is coming to the Liverpool City Region

LAUNCHED in May 2021, The World Re-imagined is a national art education project that works to transform our understanding of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its impact on all of us to help us make racial justice a reality. 1m+ people will engage with sculpture trails in host Cities:- Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, the Liverpool City Region, London and Swansea.

Participating artists and icons include:- 2004 Turner Prize nominee and The World Re-imagined's Founding Artist Yinka Shonibare CBE, as well as Lina Viktor; Zak Ové; Sir Trevor McDonald; Lakwena Maciver; Maxim (The Prodigy); Nicola Green and Kimathi Donkor. Community Coordinators will work with local community organisations to co-create meaningful spaces for conversations, highlight and celebrate local stories; and host their own activities and events as part of The World Re-imagined.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has now announced that, as part of his Race Equality Programme, the Liverpool City Region will be a host:- 'City for The World Re-imagined' a national art education project that works to transform our understanding of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its impact on all of us to help us make racial justice a reality.

In development since 2019, The World Re-imagined will see trails of large globe sculptures in Cities across the UK, from August to October 2022. The sculptures will be created by artists to bring to life the reality and impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade; responding to the themes ranging from:0 'Mother Africa' and 'The Reality of Being Enslaved' to 'Still We Rise' and 'Expanding Soul.' The globes will be created by both established and undiscovered artists, alongside unique collaborations that bring together national and international icons and communities with local and global artists.

The base globe sculpture that will be the canvas for all participating artists was conceived by Yinka Shonibare CBE. Shonibare also, vitally, conceived and created:- 'The World Re-imagined' - the 1st globe sculpture that will be featured in the trails, after which the whole project of The World Re-imagined has been named.

Speaking about the project, Mayor Rotheram said:- "As part of our programme of work on race equality, I am delighted to welcome The World Re-imagined to our City Region. Our port played a prominent and shameful role in the slave trade and, as a Region we are still coming to terms with its legacy today. Learning from the mistakes of the past is essential to stop them being repeated and, in that regard, our International Slavery Museum is an invaluable resource for local Schools and visitors to our Region alike. These days, our Region's diversity is one of our great strengths. It enriches our culture, economy and the very fabric of our society. It is depressingly clear that there is still much work to be done to tackle racial inequality in this country. In the Liverpool City Region, we are taking practical, proactive and positive action to level the playing field and overcome bigotry and discrimination through the Race Equality Programme I launched last year. Bringing The World Re-imagined here will be an interesting and interactive way to build on that work and I'm certain our Schools and community groups will have an active role to play in shaping the wider programme over the next few months."

The trails will be the centre of a broader learning and community programme; with Schools, community groups, sporting and cultural institutions from across the Liverpool City Region taking part; that will deliver significant, proven community benefit as well as economic and visitor uplift as the City Region continues its recovery from COVID.

The World Re-imagined team will work closely over the next year of development with people, organisations and communities across the Liverpool City Region to ensure that the final trails and activities are deeply connected to the Region's communities and place.

Alongside the Liverpool City Region, The World Re-imagined will see trails in 6 other Cities across the UK, with 250+ Schools and Colleges participating in an experiential learning programme and 1m+ visitors will actively engage with the trails.

Confirmed participating artists and icons so far include:- The World Re-imagined's Founding Artist Yinka Shonibare CBE; Lakwena Maciver; Zak Ové; Nicola Green; Maxim (Prodigy); Sir Trevor McDonald and Lina Viktor.

Artists who sign up to the Open Call will be able to access Masterclasses and have their designs considered by a Jury that features Turner Prize winning Artist Chris Ofili CBE; as well as:- Senior Curator Renée Mussai; Chisenhale Gallery Director Zoé Whitley; and Professor Matthew Smith, Director of UCL's Centre for the Study of Legacies of British Slavery.

With a range of partnership opportunities available, The World Re-imagined calls on businesses across the UK to sign up and make a powerful commitment to a future of racial justice. Sky are The World Re-imagined's Official Presenting Partners.

The World Re-imagined trails are being delivered in partnership with global public art producers, Wild in Art, who have a proven track record of creating world class events which entertain, enrich, inform and leave a lasting legacy. Previous work includes Superlambanana in Liverpool, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic mascot trail, the award winning Bee in the City in Manchester and The Big Hoot and The Big Sleuth trails in Birmingham.

Michelle Gayle, co-founder of The World Re-imagined, said:- "If we're going to make racial justice a reality for all, it calls on us to courageously face our shared history with honesty, empathy and grace. If we do that, we can create a future in which everyone can say I'm seen. That's the mission of The World Re-imagined and we're so delighted to work with the people and communities of the Liverpool City Region. Given the City Region's deep historical connections to the Transatlantic Slave Trade, it was very important for The World Re-imagined to take place here, enabling us to work in partnership to build upon the powerful dialogue being had in the City around our shared history and racial justice. We hope you will join us."

The UK's top 10 most romantic Cities revealed

DID you know, Norwich is the UK's most romantic City? That is what is the findings of new research by The Leadership Factor, who conducted the survey, looking at 2,000 UK adults, on TripAdvisor. The results also put Liverpool, in 4th Place! The study, that was commissioned by Foxy Bingo, ranked the nation's 100 biggest Cities on the number of romantic Hotels, restaurants, along with things to do per square kilometre.

The study found that Norwich had the best average ranking across all the categories. The City scored especially highly for things to do as a couple, with 70 activities. Norwich Cathedral, the Broads National Park and Felbrigg Hall are all rated highly as date locations. But, Watford takes the top spot when it comes to romantic dining, with 5 romantic restaurants per square km.

Oxford came in 2nd, with 11 romantic hotels and 72 activities deemed good for couples. Why not take a walk round Oxford's Natural History Museum or grab dinner by the river?

The seaside City of Brighton was third. The Royal Pavillion and The Lanes are just a couple of the 74 activities to choose from. There are also 137 charming eateries, leaving you spoilt for choice!

The top 10 romantic destinations in the UK are:-

1. Norwich.
2. Oxford.
3. Brighton.
4. Liverpool.
5. Blackpool.
6. Hastings.
7. Cambridge.
8. Manchester.
9. Lincoln.
10. Cheltenham.

Unsurprisingly, London topped each of the categories, with 158 romantic hotels, and over 1,000 couple activities and romantic dining experiences. However, once the study accounted for size by combining the TripAdvisor data with information from the Office for National Statistics, the capital plummeted down the leaderboard.

Due to its enormous land area, London's romantic assets are spread out over 1,572 square km, leaving the capital only scraping the top 20, ranking 17th overall on the romantic UK hotspot list.

Alongside this research, Foxy also surveyed the nation to find out what they look for in a romantic retreat.

Romantic dining is the most sought-after factor for a romantic trip, followed by a coastal location, and an overall air of luxury to the getaway.

With this in mind, couples should consider taking a trip to Worthing, Salford, or Stockport if they are looking for a romantic evening meal, or Brighton and Blackpool, as they are the highest ranked coastal locations.

Interestingly, men and women have slightly different priorities when choosing a location, as despite romantic dining ranking 1st for both genders, men favour privacy, while women look for luxury.

The top 5 things people look for in a romantic holiday are:-

► Romantic dining experiences - 51%.

► Coastal location - 37%.

► Luxury - 37%.

► Privacy - 37%.

► Rural/country location - 32%.

Anna Venturas, Brand Director at Foxy Bingo, said:- "Location is so important when booking a romantic getaway and it's been fascinating to see which Cities topped the list in our research. Hopefully our study can provide a little inspiration if you're looking to book a trip with your partner, no matter what you look for in a romantic holiday!"