As Liverpool gets ready for both Easter and Eurovision, giant eggs designed by children from all over the Liverpool City Region and the Ukrainian community are now on display around Liverpool ONE.

Pysanka Eggs is a collaboration between Liverpool City Council and Liverpool ONE that was inspired by the Eastern European and Ukrainian tradition of egg painting.

The artwork pays homage to Ukrainian culture and traditions as well as those of competing Eurovision nations and the larger Liverpool City Region.

The display features seven eggs, one for each city region, plus an additional egg to represent Ukraine:

• Sounds We Love by Nicola McGovern with St Benedict’s Catholic Primary School in Bootle (Sefton)
• The Murdichords Caring Owl by Caroline Daly with Murdishaw West Community Primary School in Runcorn (Halton)
• Nadiya [pronounced na-dee-ya] by MrASingh with St Paul and St Timothy’s Catholic Infant School in West Derby and Anfield Primary (Liverpool)
• Peggy by Pamela Sullivan with Castleway Primary, Leasowe Primary, Eastway Primary and Hayfield School (Wirral)
• Singing Nightingale Watch in the Meadow by Jo Eyles with St Joseph the Worker Catholic Primary School in Kirkby (Knowsley)
• Vision by Ruta Staseviciute with Eccleston Lane Ends Primary School (St Helens)
• Peaceanka by Ruta Staseviciute in partnership with Ukrainian Children’s Choir working with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain

The project is part of EuroLearn and was made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund with additional support from the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport. The funding from Spirit of 2012 will also support EuroLearn and the future evaluation of Eurovision’s benefit to the city region.

Led by Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool team, alongside a wide range of creative partners, this is the first time a host city has offered an engagement programme of this scale. The community activity was an integral part of the successful bid and one of the main reasons that Liverpool was chosen to host the song contest on behalf of Ukraine.

Claire McColgan CBE, Director of Culture Liverpool, said:

“It’s incredibly exciting to see the culmination of the first EuroLearn project. It’s a special moment for children right across the region, as well as those in our Ukrainian community, to have their artwork on display in a public place which is set to welcome tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world.

“It’s been so heartening to see how the children have embraced the significant cultures and traditions of Ukraine, which are reflected in the designs, and for them to gain a greater understanding of belonging, unity and hope.”

Alongside the display, an online artist-developed resource pack is available to download via the Culture Liverpool website, enabling not only schools, but people of any age to get involved. 

READ MORE: Liverpool ONE kick-starts its Eurovision celebrations