Huge new waterfront mural celebrates Merseyside icons

A new mural has been unveiled at Liverpool's waterfront, celebrating Merseyside icons from a variety of fields.

Created by artist Joseph Venning, the mural at ACC Liverpool is designed to highlight the figures from different eras who have defined the city’s cultural life. Stretching 40m, and two metres high, the mural can be seen by visitors as they arrive at ACC Liverpool, next to the Pullman Hotel and the Exhibition Centre.

The artwork is divided into five themes; music, sport, comedy, drama, and visual art. It depicts local figures from each field across its many panels.

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The first section captures Liverpool’s rich music history, celebrating artists including Sir Paul McCartney, The La's and Spice Girl Mel C. Iconic city venues Eric’s and Nation are also included.

The comedy section sees the late Paul O’Grady’s iconic Lily Savage depicted alongside Sir Ken Dodd and John Bishop. The visual art collection includes Little Girl Giant, Sir Antony Gormley’s Another Place at Crosby Beach, George Stubbs and Sir Peter Blake’s Dazzle Ferry.

The drama section references the region's theatres and stage talent, including Stephen Graham, Jodie Comer, Kim Cattrall alongside Scouse literary greats including Frank Cottrell Boyce and Beryl Bainbridge.

The sport section covers talents from Beth Tweddle to boxers Natasha Jonas and John Conteh. The mural has been funded by Liverpool BID Company’s art & culture fund and has been developed by ACC Liverpool and dot-art.

Gemma McLoughlin, executive assistant for projects at ACC Liverpool, said: “It is a priority for us to ensure the ACC Liverpool campus adds value to our local community by promoting happiness and wellbeing, with art firmly at the core. We developed the idea for a mural that celebrated our city and its people to enrich the urban space.

"We were thrilled when our application for arts and culture funding was successful, allowing us to work with local, independent gallery dot-art and artist Joe Venning on the installation.

"Seeing the finished mural so lively and larger than life is wonderful and it really elevates our campus welcome. Art really does have the potential to influence the way we think and feel and It’s clear to see it is already having a positive effect on visitors.

"We see people spend ages there, admiring all the different elements and taking pictures and selfies. Joe has done a fantastic job of capturing the city’s diverse achievements, creating a truly inspirational piece of art that will undoubtedly be admired by many for years to come.”

Artist Joe Venning added: "The idea of this design was to create a wall that is a celebration of Liverpudlians. It highlights diverse achievements in various fields, to both visitors to the city and locals alike; hopefully inspiring them to think 'If they can do it, so can I.

"Highlights of the painting process include being tapped on the shoulder by Natasha Jonas to thank me for including her, and discovering, courtesy of Lady Anne Dodd, that I had placed Ken Dodd between one of his key influences, Arthur Askey, and Paul O’Grady, who always credited Ken as one of his heroes."

About the inclusion of her late husband in the mural, Lady Anne Dodd said: "Joe has done a wonderful job bringing Ken to life and what is incredible is that he placed him right between his own hero Arthur Askey and the lovely Paul O’Grady who told me himself that Ken was his comedy hero. All his family would watch Doddy’s TV specials and the house would ring with laughter and Ken’s Knotty Ash inspired him to create his own fantasy world around the little fishing village of Birkenhead where Lily Savage lived.”

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