Giant penguins on Liverpool streets AKA Penguin Parade!

GIANT penguins will be placed on the streets of Liverpool in an environment-focused version of last year?s successful Superlambanana Parade.

In the city?s biggest public art project of the year, sculptures of the Antarctic?s most famous resident will stand on locations around the city centre and the suburbs.

The exact numbers and location remain a closely guarded secret.

There is also believed to be an elaborate storyline behind their arrival, which is likely to be revealed in due course.

They will arrive on the streets during November and will be the focus of events taking place in Liverpool over the Christmas period.

Liverpool City Council has released a nationwide tender for an arts organisation to oversee the event, known as The Winter?s Trail.

A council spokesman said: ?The Winter?s Trail is one of the key events for 2009, and we hope that this tender attracts ideas of the quality that made last year?s Superlambanana Parade such an outstanding event.?

A penguin was chosen as the subject of the animal trail during Liverpool?s Year of the Environment because of its association with global warming and the melting ice-caps.

The penguins? arrival will coincide with the city?s Christmas lights switch on and is hoped to attract visitors to Liverpool during the festive period.

Applicants are expected to provide details of how they will involve the local community in the process of creating the birds and opportunities for their sponsorship and purchase.

The Superlambanana Trail was a major highlight of Liverpool?s Capital of Culture year.

For 10 weeks last summer, 125 smaller versions of Taro Chiezo?s original were placed around the city before being auctioned off for charity.

LDP