Liverpool Without Walls to return with a mission to create brand new outdoor festivals and events in the city.
The hugely successful project, which proved to be a lifeline for the hospitality industry during the pandemic last year – generating £8.9m for the local economy, is set to return to help give a financial boost to festivals.
Organisations can bid for grants of up to £20,000, to help them deliver outdoor arts and creative events which will encourage audiences back in to the city, showcase new talent and support Liverpool’s reputation as a city renowned for staging performances and festivals.
A full list of key criteria around the applications can be found on the Culture Liverpool website. These include:
- Only Liverpool-based organisations can apply.
- The festival must take place outdoors and be delivered by 31 March 2022.
- Sports, political and religious events will not be eligible.
- It cannot be an online event.
- Match funding is essential.
- The event must adhere to any Covid-19 guidelines in place.
The overall fund is worth £100,000 and is not open to those who already receive financial support from Liverpool City Council.
Closing date for applications is 5pm Monday 5 July and applications will be reviewed by a Culture Liverpool panel.
Any organisation or community groups which meet all the criteria and wish to apply should fill in the online form.
This latest strand of Liverpool Without Walls forms part of The Comeback pledge made by the city council in March when it set out Liverpool’s very own roadmap to recovery. The Comeback vowed to reintroduce the scheme as well as introduce and support a cultural programme across the city. Head to the pledge website to find out more.
Cabinet Member for Culture and Visitor Economy, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:
“I’m delighted another element of the ground-breaking Liverpool Without Walls has launched, breathing life into an events sector that has been so badly impacted as a result of the pandemic.
“This city is a hot-bed of creativity, and I’m sure there are many organisations brimming with event ideas which can hopefully become a reality with this financial support.
“This fund enables us to once again reach out to the local arts and culture industry and give them the opportunity to use our city as a stunning backdrop for their brilliant, crowd-pleasing ideas.”
The first phase of Liverpool Without Walls launched in June 2020, and saw £450,000 invested in the hospitality sector to enable them to continue to trade outside during the pandemic.
A follow up strand of the programme was announced in July 2020 and resulted in £200,000 being invested in 50 creative freelancers and businesses who used the funding to bring the city’s streets to life with their cultural projects.
