Finalists revealed for the 2021 Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards

Judging has taken place in this year’s Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards with a total of 46 people and organisations being shortlisted in the competition.

More than 730 nominations came in from across the six local authority areas of the Liverpool City Region and the judges; including CEO of the Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre, Michelle Charters, Jane Beardsworth the Senior Manager North for Arts Council England and Yaw Owusu, LIMF curator and member of the Liverpool City Region Music Board had some difficult choices to make.

Despite the many challenges of the last year, an incredibly high standard of cultural and creative projects have been delivered as organisations and individuals have adapted, made use of technology and thought differently in order for events and exhibitions to go ahead.

The chosen finalists for each category will now be invited to a glittering ‘in person’ ceremony, which will hopefully return, following our virtual event last year. The planned celebration will be held on March 2nd 2022 at the Cronton Playhouse in Halton hosted by BBC Radio Merseyside’s Ngunan Adamu.

Ngunan Adamu

Our virtual event, broadcast online across the Liverpool City Region however, will remain to allow everyone involved to engage with the projects.

Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:

“Our nominees for this year’s Culture and Creativity Awards deserve every bit of praise for their hard work. Their imagination and inspiration has never let us down and their support is helping lead our creative recovery.

“The Liverpool City Region is the UK’s cultural capital. Creativity is in our bones. And from community organisations and individual artists to Hollywood stars, we have so much to be proud of.

“2021 has been a much brighter year than 2020, but I am hopeful that next year will be even better. All being well, we will be able to come together safely in person in March to recognise and celebrate all of the fantastic cultural and creative work that has gone on in our region over the last year.”

But one award won’t be decided by the judging panel. The winner of the People’s Choice Award – Outstanding Contribution to Culture, is voted for by the public from six finalists.

They are:

• Julia Samuels & 20 Stories High – a leading UK theatre company making work with and for under-represented young people.
• Claire Pitt – a Halton artist, Culture HQ curator and Director of Hazlehurst Studios in Runcorn.
• Luma Creations – an Arts and Cultural organisation promoting Latin American and Diversity Arts and Artists.
• Matt Rutter & Young Everyman and Playhouse – a Director of the Young Everyman Playhouse.
• Metal Culture – supports international artists to develop their practice in conjunction with specific communities and fields of knowledge, with the aim of creating positive social change.
• The Reader – a national charity bringing people together to experience the life-enriching power of literature through Shared Reading.

Voting will open in the New Year and the Liverpool City Region community will then be able to vote online for their chosen winner.

Sir Phil Redmond (Left) and Mayor Steve Rotheram at the first Culture and Creativity Awards in 2019.

Co-Chair of the Cultural Partnership Sir Phil Redmond said:

“The aim of the awards has always been to encourage and recognise creativity wherever it occurred, and once again the finalists have demonstrated the depth and range of creativity across the region. I would like to thank the Judging Panel for taking on the difficult task of shortlisting, something that is getting harder each year! Hopefully, this year, we will all be able to celebrate together in person.

“The People’s Choice is a special one for me, because the people of the Liverpool City Region have the power to choose the winner of one of the awards and they aren’t shy of saying what they think! I wish everyone the best of luck in the next stage.”

Michelle Charters, the Chief Executive of the Kuumba Imani Millennium Centre, has been on the judging panel since the awards began in 2018. She said:

“The standard and quality of work which has been entered year on year to the Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards is simply astounding. This year was no different.

“We have a great mix of culturally diverse projects with both traditional and unique uses of creativity and that’s exactly what we want in order to move forward and broaden our horizons as to what’s out there and what impact it makes to where we live as well as recognising all of our communities contributions.”

Finalists were judged on work that had taken place between 13 November 2020 and 12 November 2021. Culture is not only defined as professional arts, cultural events and performances. It also includes the voluntary and community sector who use creative approaches that are innovative and transformational.

Finalists must live, study and/or work in the Liverpool City Region (e.g. Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral) or have created work/projects that significantly benefit the residents or visitors to the Liverpool City Region and/or has positively contributed to the development of the local economy.

The LCR Culture and Creativity awards were created as part of the Metro Mayor’s 1% for Culture initiative, where 1% of the Combined Authority’s £30 million funding each year is set aside to support culture and creativity. It recognises the value and power for change that the arts, cultural and creative sector can bring in reinforcing the city region as one of the most vibrant and exciting places to live, work, study, visit or do business.

For more information go to: www.lcrcultureawards.co.uk

Categories:

The People’s Choice – For Outstanding Contribution to Culture.

This award is to celebrate an outstanding contribution to culture and creativity, which has made a significant difference to the quality of life at either a local, Borough or City Region level. The People’s Choice Award is decided by the public, chosen from a shortlist of individuals or organisations that have made an outstanding contribution and commitment to culture over a sustained period.

The finalists are:

• Julia Samuels & 20 Stories High
• Claire Pitt
• Luma Creations
• Matt Rutter & Young Everyman and Playhouse
• Metal Culture
• The Reader

 Artist of the Year

This award is to celebrate an artist whose work has stood out and contributed to the cultural and creative reputation of the LCR. This could be for a piece of work or a number of arts, cultural or creative projects that collectively have been consistently outstanding.

The finalists are:

• Faith Bebbington
• Sean Webster
• Ashleigh Nugent

Arts Organisation of the Year

This award is to celebrate an arts organisation whose work has stood out and contributed to the cultural and creative reputation of the LCR. This could be for a piece of work or a number of arts, cultural or creative projects that collectively have been consistently outstanding.

The finalists are:

• The Unity Theatre
• Homotopia
• Norton Priory Museum & Gardens

Student Inspiration Award

This award is to celebrate the work and impact of a student under the age of 25 who displays an innovative and inspiring approach to art, culture and/or creativity.

The finalists are:

• Katie Ellams
• Khan Odita
• Molly Glinn

 Impact Award – Health & Wellbeing

This award is to celebrate the power, value and contribution of culture and creativity to achieve positive outcomes in health and wellbeing.

The finalists are:

• “The Iron Men” on Mental Health Monday with Mick Coyle
• Wendy Smith
• Dead Pigeon Gallery and Damien John Kelly House – Vitality Homes

Impact Award – Environmental Sustainability

This award is to celebrate the power, value and contribution of culture and creativity to achieve positive and significant outcomes in environmental sustainability.

The finalists are:

• Coasts for Kids
• Taking Root in Bootle
• Metal Culture

Impact Award – Improving Education & Learning

This award is to celebrate the power and value of culture and creativity to achieve positive outcomes in education and learning.

The finalists are:

• Merseyside Music Education Hubs Alliance
• Heart of Glass
• Mandela8 Roots and Wings

Impact Award – Improving Community Cohesion

This award is to celebrate the power and value of culture and creativity to achieve significant and positive outcomes in community cohesion.

The finalists are:

• Claire Pitt
• Pagoda Arts
• LCR Pride

Impact Award – International Reach

This award is to celebrate the power and value of culture and creativity on an international level.

The finalists are:

• International Festival of Physical Theatre
• Dr Vicki Doyle
• Metal Culture

 Impact Award – Future World of Work

This award is to celebrate the power and value of culture and creativity to stimulate adaptability across all age ranges for the future world of work.

The finalists are:

• Merseyside Community Training
• The Reader
• Unity Online by Unity Theatre

 Impact Award – Sustainable Business in Arts

This award is to celebrate businesses that are sustainable and make a significant contribution to economic growth within the arts, culture and creativity sector.

The finalists are:

• MD Creatives
• Peter Bennett
• dot-art

Impact Award – Covid-19 Creative Response (individual)

This award is to recognise an individual who has used culture and creativity to make a significant impact on people’s lives during the Covid 19 pandemic.

The finalists are:

• Elaine McNeill
• Bill Elms
• Captain Robert Dobson MBE, 33 Signal Squadron

 Impact Award – Covid-19 Creative Response (organisation)

This award is to recognise an organisation who has used culture and creativity to make a significant impact on people’s lives during the Covid 19 pandemic.

The finalists are:

• Buzzhub (St Helens CDP)
• Collective Encounters
• Friends of Kirkby Gallery & Prescot Museum – Tina Ball
• Human Libraries

Borough of Culture ‘Star of the Year’

This award is to celebrate a shining star who has made a significant contribution to the Liverpool City Region’s 2021 Borough of Culture, Halton.

The finalists are:

• Claire Pitt
• Rob Sanderson-Thomas
• Louise Nulty

Judges Inspiration Award – significant contribution to Culture

The judges will present an Inspiration Award for Achievement to recognise an individual’s creative contribution to the Liverpool City Region. The winner will be someone whose body of work merits recognition for achievement over a sustained period of time and who has made significant impact on the arts, cultural and/or creative sector.