In August 2023, Imagineer joined forces with Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Culture Liverpool and our six local authority partners to bring Imagine Bamboo is Everywhere to towns across Liverpool City Region.
There was music from the Imagine Bamboo Orchestra, led by Pagoda Arts with young musicians from across the region, which fused traditional bamboo instruments with other instruments and sounds.
Local performers presented 'Home', a brand new promenade physical theatre piece using bamboo.
Visitors could try out bamboo circus equipment made by circus engineer Tarn Aitken and have a go under the watchful eye of local balance artist Grace Neville-Evans. Not forgetting the popular bamboo crafting zone!
Finally, we presented a series of large-scale artworks made by talented local artists, with bamboo harvested locally from Ness Botanical Gardens.
In October 2023, the Liverpool City Region Bamboo Summit saw artists, engineers, academics and policy makers come together to share expertise, case studies and plans for the legacy of Imagine Bamboo is Everywhere in Liverpool.
These videos tells our story:
Imagine Bamboo is Everywhere in Liverpool City Region - August 2023 highlights
Our performance on Saturday 5 August at Newton Town Show, Mesnes Park, Newton le Willows with special guest NoFit State Circus was sadly rained off, but we did manage to get out into the community beforehand for some rain-free bamboo creativity!
On Sunday 6 August we were at Knowsley Flower Show, Court Hey Park, for crafting, performances and installations, plus a talk from specialist bamboo grower Michael Brisbane.
On Saturday 12 August we set up at EcoFest, Victoria Park, Widnes, Halton to explore what we could design, make, play and build from bamboo. There were performances from James Lyons (bamboo beatboxer) and Tian Qi-yu on the bamboo drum kit, and artists Louise Nulty, Sarah Gallagher-Hayes and Ling Tang were in conversation with Imagine Bamboo creative director Orit Azaz.
The extrordinary setting of Wirral Country Park, Thurstaston, Wirral was our home on Saturday 19 August. There were bamboo dance and beatboxing workshops, and performance director/designer Mish Weaver joined Orit Azaz to discuss what structures, stories and performances can be made from bamboo.
On Sunday 20 August we joined the SEA Festival at Great George Square, Chinatown, Liverpool for a day of music, performance and crafting. Special guest Gemma Thomas from Appetite joined Orit to discuss the exciting creative projects happening in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle Under Lyme.
Our final stop was on Saturday 26 August at Kings Gardens, Southport, Sefton, where we were joined by LCRCA Active Travel Champion Simon O'Brien. There was an experimental bamboo marble run, and bamboo drums and bamboorines created by inventor/artist/musician Jonathan ‘Jab’ Butters.
As part of Imagine Bamboo is Everywhere 2023, performance maker Mish Weaver collaborated with a fabulous group of physical theatre performers to create HOME, a promenade performance that toured to Imagine Bamboo events across Liverpool City Region. They also made this beautiful film with Jay Farley at Wirral Country Park.
We came together in October 2023 for the Imagine Bamboo is Everywhere Liverpool Summit - a chance for artists, engineers, policy makers and academics to share their ideas and goals for the future.
About Imagine Bamboo is Everywhere in Liverpool City Region
Imagine Bamboo is Everywhere is part of the LCR Cultural Events programme, delivered in partnership with Imagineer and Culture Liverpool, and led by independent creative director Orit Azaz.
Imagine Bamboo is Everywhere is presented in association with Halton Borough Council, Sefton Council, Wirral Council, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, St Helens Borough Council and Liverpool City Council.
Imagine Bamboo is Everywhere is supported by Arts Council England, UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Heart of Glass, Ness Botanic Garden, University of Liverpool, Newton Town Show and Liverpool City Region Music Board.
