Opera with a free haircut
Residents brave the cold to take part in performance
Despite the freezing conditions, the residents of Back Bittern Walk were out in force to take part in the Back Bittern Barber performance on Thursday 8 February.
They were joined by LJMU staff and students as well as representatives from Liverpool City Council and various arts and community groups.
Artists Patricia MacKinnon-Day and Beverley Carpenter had transformed part of Cathedral Way into a multi-media installation, complete with opera singer, sound system and experimental musicians.
This 'ultra-urban theatre' even had its own 'caged' barber's chair where a brave few became part of the installation while having their hair cut.
Inspired by Terry's Barbershop on Mount Pleasant, The Back Bittern Barber performance was staged as part of the Back Bittern Opera project, one of the University's community engagement initiatives associated with the development of its new £23.5 million Art and Design Academy.
The project will use the inspirational lives of local people as the foundation for a new opera to be performed in 2008 as part of LJMU's contribution to the European Capital of Culture celebrations and to mark the official opening of the Academy.
Martin Downie said: "The Back Bittern Barber performance is only a taster of what's to come. Over the next few months, the artists will be recruiting a composer to write the Back Bittern Opera. They will work closely with the local residents to create a work that reflects the stories of the individuals who make up this fascinating but often overlooked community. This project is all about breaking down barriers between communities, between students and local residents, between members of the public and the city's artists, and between the University and its neighbours."
Pictures:
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Tenor Chris Steele performed alongside video installations in an 'urban theatre' close to Back Bittern Walk and the Metropolitan Cathedral.
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Residents of all ages enjoyed the Back Bittern Barber performance despite the freezing conditions.
