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THE
BEAT GOES ON
60 years of
Liverpool music celebrated in new exhibition. From The Beatles
to The Zutons, Liverpool is a city buzzing with musical talent. This
summer, the city that The Guinness Book of Records has named as
World Capital City of Pop is host to an exciting exhibition
dedicated to 60 years of Liverpool music. The Beat Goes On opens at
World Museum Liverpool from 12 July 2008 to 1 November 2009.
A product of Liverpool’s edginess, energy and creativity the
exhibition explores the city’s musical identity, its success and its
continuing evolution. The exhibition reveals a rich musical heritage
beginning with the early musical influences seeping into the city
from across the Atlantic during the 1940s and 1950s, to the
phenomenal success of Merseybeat and the continuing popularity of
Merseyside musicians today. Bursting with audio points, juke
boxes and fascinating films, The Beat Goes On captures the vibrancy
and creativity of Liverpool music.
Highlights include:-
* a hoard of fascinating objects and memorabilia from the Fab Four,
including the first ever public display of the Woolton church stage
where John and Paul first met in 1957 and one of the most vital pop
collaborations was born. Other gems include the jacket worn by John
Lennon during the band’s 1964 tour and the vibrant All You Need is
Love bedcover from John and Yoko’s Bed-in-for-Peace demonstration in
Montreal in 1969. The exhibition also provides an opportunity to
look at the wealth of other bands that flourished in Liverpool
during the swinging-sixties featuring archive video footage of other
Merseybeat bands.
* an evocative look
at Liverpool’s influential club Eric’s, which opened in 1976.
Displays include a Vivienne Westwood suit designed for the cult band
Deaf School and a range of wonderful ephemera from band t-shirts,
photographs, posters and badges. One display also looks at the
plethora of bands and artists which came to prominence at the time
such as Echo and the Bunnymen, Ian Brodie, OMD, Pete Burns and
Teardrop Explodes.
* an immersive space
looks at the buoyant dance scene in Liverpool from Quadrant Park, a
legendary Liverpool night club in the early 1990s, through to the
super-club Cream. Stunning visuals combine with fond memories by DJs
and clubbers of hedonistic nights out in Liverpool.
* an interactive
exploration of the role of technology within modern music
production. Working in collaboration with SAE (School of Audio
Engineering) the exhibition features a mini-recording studio,
attached to a karaoke-style room where visitors can sing along to
classic Liverpool tunes and temporarily become the fifth Beatle or
fourth Atomic Kitten! There is also a section for visitors to mix
their own version of the OMD track Electricity and a version of
Apple Mac’s computer programme Garage Band for visitors to
experience producing their own track.
* objects from major
Liverpool artists including Billy Fury’s guitar and a dress made for
Lita Roza, the first British female artist to ever have a UK number
one hit in 1953 with How Much is that Doggie in the Window? (this
was also the first Liverpool artist’s UK number one).
* contemporary
material from the most fashionable current club nights in Liverpool
such as Chibuku and popular bands like The Coral and The Zutons, who
are populating the charts today and carrying on Liverpool’s
dominance in the area of popular music. The exhibition delves into
the secret of successful music careers by exploring how musicians
develop their skills, channel their inspiration and promote a strong
identity.
The Beat Goes On is the 1st exhibition of its kind and draws on a
wealth of material from record companies, institutions and private
collectors as well as fascinating objects from National Museums
Liverpool's own collection. The exhibition is supported by an online
resource produced in collaboration with the Institute of Popular
Music at the University of Liverpool. The exhibition also provides a
small taste of the kind of displays that visitors will enjoy at
Museum of Liverpool when it opens to the public in 2010/11. In
partnership with the University of Liverpool through the Institute
of Popular Music. Supported by the Liverpool Culture Company as part
of the European Capital of Culture programme and SAE Institute |
SURVEY POINTS TO TRUE IMPACT OF MENINGITIS ON UK POPULATION
A survey
carried out by the UK's longest established meningitis charity - The
Meningitis Trust - suggests the true impact of this devastating
disease is far greater than many people realise. Results
indicate that as many as 500,000 people living in the UK today have
had either viral or bacterial meningitis at some time in their lives,
with many of them have been left to cope with the after effects
every day.
The survey, commissioned by the Meningitis Trust in its 21st
anniversary year, also suggests that up to 10 million adults in the
UK, as many as 1 adult in every 4, knows of someone who has
contracted this life shattering disease.
"That doesn't mean they have read about it in a newspaper or
seen something on television. It means relatives or
friends, people they work with or people from their local community.
It could be their local tradesman or teacher, someone at the gym
they go to or a parent they know from the school gates. It is people
that they come into contact with every day. These survey
results reflect what we have believed for many years.
For every
individual who has fought meningitis there are many more whose lives
have been touched by it in one way or another. In many cases their
lives will never be the same again." said Sue Davie, Chief
Executive of the Meningitis Trust.
Meningitis is known as a killer disease. It kills more children
under the age of 5 than any other infectious disease. But it can
strike anyone at any time and at any age. Around 3,000 cases of
bacterial meningitis occur every year in the UK and there are
probably more than double that number of cases of viral meningitis.
"The truth is that many people do survive meningitis, but
thousands are left with debilitating after effects including
deafness, blindness, limb loss, learning difficulties, memory issues
and behavioural problems.
The impact of
meningitis may also cause relationship
difficulties and an enforced change of lifestyle. At the same
time their families may be struggling to understand and having to
take lots of time off work, friends don't know what to say or do and
the local community is scared.
Meningitis is like a pebble dropped into a pool of water. It has a
ripple effect which has an impact on more people than many realise. That's why the work of the Meningitis Trust is so important.
We are
here for everyone struggling to cope with the impact of meningitis.
We believe there are many people today suffering in silence who
really need our support and we know that without doubt there will be
many thousands more in future.
There will always be meningitis and
that means there will always be a need for the Meningitis Trust."
said Sue Davie.
The Meningitis Trust provides services, support and information
which are a lifeline for everyone touched by meningitis, as well as
raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of the disease.
Around 20,000 people are helped each year through a 24-hour helpline
(0800 028 1828), professional counselling, financial grants, home
visits, one-to-one contact & community support... anything that
will improve the quality of life.
Additionally the Trust distributes
millions of leaflets, posters, symptoms cards, information sheets
and other materials which raise awareness of meningitis.
Sue Davie added:- "All that requires a lot of money and we
rely entirely on the generosity of individuals, companies and
organisations, people who give us voluntary donations.
We want to
continue doing as much as possible to make life after meningitis
worth living again, but we need help to do that." |
