Former enemies unite to create Beatles mural
May 24 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post
A BELFAST-style mural of the Beatles has been daubed on the side of a house at one of the main gateways to Liverpool’s as part of the city’s 2008 celebrations.
Artists from both sides of Northern Ireland’s political divide have completed the painting on Croxteth Avenue, Litherland. It completes a commission by the Riverside Group housing organisation for its 80th birthday.
The scheme was originally knocked back because the proposal to create Beatles murals had not been deemed edgy enough.
But then a £10,000 grant, and further bidding by the Culture Company, helped fund the colourful paintings.
As a result Belfast Loyalist Mark Ervine and Republican Danny Devenny worked with Liverpool artists on the gable end of a Riverside home in Litherland.
Their artistic efforts at a key gateway to the city will be visible to thousands coming from Liverpool to the North.
The project, which has been in the planning for two years, is the brainchild of Liverpudlians Gregory Brennan and Peter Morrison of the Liverpool Mural Project.
Film director Ken Loach and writer Jimmy McGovern have also backed the project.
Hugh Owen, of the Riverside Group, said: “The ethos behind the project is to encourage communities to work together – which is directly in line with our group’s mission to regenerate our communities on Merseyside and beyond.
“It’s amazing the way that Mark and Danny are working together in a way that demonstrates that once divided communities can move on and embrace the future.”
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Peter Morrison, of the Liverpool Mural Project, added: “This is the first real collaboration between the leading mural artists from both communities of Belfast and Liverpool artists.
“Our plan was always to produce amazing and inspiring public art that can be enjoyed by everyone – not just in the city centre.”
A second mural is also in the planning stages, backed by the Liverpool Culture Company.
Culture supremo Phil Redmond said: “We will be supporting their next mural, again with the essential knowledge of Riverside, encouraging a return to the original historical ethos of the Belfast Murals, with a mural that depicts the links between Liverpool and Ireland.
“We strongly share Riverside’s vision of bringing the original artists from Belfast to transfer skills and expertise, whilst exploring how the original murals grew out of a particular social context, but evolved into demonstrating how art can play a powerful role in community identity and cohesion.”
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