Curated by Alan Dunn for Bluecoat Arts Centre as part of The Culture Company's 'City In Transition' programme. Three groups of artists have been invited to create a set of Good Diversions for July 2006, re-routing our senses away from everyday life amidst the shifting sand of Liverpool's city centre.

18 AUGUST Mandy Romero's THE GREAT MAKE-OVER publication will be available from 1.9.06. Numbered edition of 500, 20pp full colour A4. To order a copy, email Alan Dunn

28 JUNE UPDATE The Mandy Romero project THE GREAT MAKE-OVER has been evicted from Paradise (Street) at the last minute. We are working with Mandy on a new project to hit the streets in August. Our printed invites are currently being issued with the word DIVERTED stamped over Mandy's event. Foreign Investment have had legendary Liverpool band Deaf School select 10 songs that readers of The Echo will vote for to hear performed by the street musicians. Confirmed times: Wednesday 5th July, 10.00am-12noon F.I. and street musicians visit the building sites at Paradise Street, Colquitt Street and Hanover Street, bedecked in stark black & white futuristic garb. Thursday 6th July - F.I. and 3 street musicians on horse & carriage, 3.00-4.00pm. Approximate route times: Berry Street at Duke Street (3.10), Bold Street (3.15-3.35), Church Street, Williamson Square (3.45). Look our for flyposted artworks around the city centre from Monday 3rd July onwards. Design here. The three rotating billboards from Leila and Paul will be installed three days early, on Friday 30 June. Preview (each billboard to appear for 6 seconds) here. Confirmed PolishedT GOOD DIVERSIONS event: Thursday 13th July, 6.00-8.00pm, entrance from Wolstenholme Square/Parr Street door.

2 JULY UPDATE Billboards installed; feature article in Liverpool Echo by Joe Riley.

3 JULY UPDATE Foreign Investment flyposters up; article in Metro; PolishedT open.

5 JULY UPDATE Foreign Investment: Tuning-In Op.3, Day 1.

6 JULY UPDATE Foreign Investment: Tuning-In Op.3, Day 2.

13 JULY UPDATE Good Diversions Event, PolishedT.

14 JULY UPDATE Mandy Romero: The Great Makeover Royal Visit. Mandy visits The Paradise Street development to chat with building site workers and representatives from the developers Grosvenor and Laing O'Rourke. The event was documented and stills from the one-hour visit will be published in a Royal Souvenir Brochure in August in an exclusive edition of 500, accompanied by poetry from Mandy reflecting upon Paradise. Visit made possible by Guy Butler (Grosvenor) with thanks to Vicki Locke, Cindy Downing, Blue, Mervyn, Emily, Leila and Alexandra.

LEILA ROMAYA & PAUL McCANN

Photographers Leila Romaya and Paul McCann present three digital images capturing the essence of Liverpool's architectural transition. Installed as a changing trilogy on the central rotating billboard of the 051 building, Brownlow Hill, between 3-16 July.

twinvisionphoto leilafoto

MANDY ROMERO

Live Artist Mandy Romero takes up residence in Paradise in July to explore the nature of the city's transformation through shop-front actions, unconventional appearances and the accumulation of tell-tale traces of change.

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FOREIGN INVESTMENT

International artists' group Foreign Investment present a new 2-day 4-hour composition on 5 and 6 July entitled Tuning-in - opus 3. Working closely with street musicians and a local horse and cart company, they will draw sonic attention to well-known areas around the city centre.

foreign-investments

LINKS & PROJECT INFORMATION Liverpool 08 website here Bluecoat Arts Centre project information on 0151 709 5297. Bluecoat website here For further information visit the Good Diversions Hub at PolishedT, entrance from Parr Street. Tel: 0151 707 0660. See PolishedT website here E-mail Alan Dunn This project has been supported by Liverpool City Council.

THANKS & SUPPORT Developing and delivering the three Good Diversions projects has involved around seventy people from many walks of life. For many, their contribution was in itself a diversion away from their everyday business, yet a diversion taken willingly with a view to reaching a similar goal or state, albeit via a more off-beat route. I wish to thank all those involved and in particular: Bryan Biggs (Bluecoat) and Kerenza Hines (Project Co-ordinator, City In Transition), Maiden/Titan Outdoor (Colette and Jeanette), John Comaish Advertising Services (Helen and Karen), Moss View Stables (Allan & the team), Molly the horse, Laing O'Rourke (Vicki and Blue), Mervyn (Paradise site), Alexandra Farkic (assistant to Mandy Romero), Merseyside Police (Paul, Angela, Graham, Karl and especially Vicky), all at the Bluecoat and Bluecoat Connect (Bec, Vera, Annie, Martha, Anne, Julie), Shelagh Bourke (PR), Jitender Shambi (project management assistant), Grosvenor (Guy, Rod and Cindy), Liverpool City Council Highways (Jamie), Deaf School (Reverand Max Ripple), Augustus Martin (Sue, Phil), Culture Company (Eddy and Lesley), petrolcards (Gordon), Red Bull (Roger), BDP (Jamie and Graham), nerve (Colin), loudmouth (Chet), metro (Richard), StudioCare (Drew), Echo (Phil), PolishedT (Chris and Imke), the volunteers (Elsie and Jane), the mail-out team (Joshua and Leon), FACT (Nick, Joan, Patrick, Jim, Alex, Amy, Wibke), City Centre Posters (Jane and Michael), Emily (video), Paul Draper (sound recording), Alan (Security Steward), the street musicians Barry, John and Phil and the artists Alma, Leila, Claudia, Brigitte, Paul and Roger.

BIOGRAPHIES Mandy Romero began her Live Art career at Liverpool Biennial 2002 in a performance piece produced by Guillermo Gomez-Pena and was recently Associate Artist at Bluecoat Gallery and artist in residence at the Cable Factory in Helsinki. Foreign Investment is the collaborative work of a group of international artists. They have performed at the Venice Biennale, Istanbul Biennial, Rio de Janeiro Trajetorias and were recently commissioned by FACT, Foundation for Art & Creative Technology, to create the 'Sunday Matinee' event within a Liverpool tower block. Paul McCann co-founded the international charity Twin Vision in 2001. Leila Romaya is currently working on a collaborative project profiling ten deaf/disabled artists nationwide.

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