Beatles mural goes ahead with a little help from Riverside » Housing » 24dash.com

Artists from both sides of Northern Irelands political divide are set to start work on the first of a series of murals to celebrate Liverpools Capital of Culture, with the first marking The Riverside Groups 80th birthday.

The housing and regeneration organisation is supporting the work of the Liverpool Mural Project by commissioning a Beatles themed artwork by Belfast Loyalist Mark Ervine and Republican Danny Devenny. The Belfast visitors will be working with Liverpool artists on the gable end of a Riverside property in Litherland.

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. Throughout their campaign, they have welcomed support from home and abroad with BBC Radio Merseysides Roger Philips, film director Ken Loach and writer Jimmy McGovern joining The Liverpool Culture Company and The Riverside Group to back the project.

Hugh Owen, Director of Policy and Communication at The Riverside Group is keen to mark its 80th birthday celebrations with a non-political iconic image for public display. 

Hugh said: The ethos behind the project is to encourage communities to work together which is directly in line with The Riverside Groups mission to regenerate our communities on Merseyside and beyond. Its 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. The gable is located at a key gateway to the city, and this iconic image will be visible to thousands coming from Liverpool to the North.

Peter Morrison of the Liverpool Mural Project said: 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."

The second mural is also in the planning stages, backed by the Liverpool Culture Company. Culture boss Phil Redmond said: We are pleased Liverpool Mural Project has been working very closely with Riverside to get their first mural off the ground and on to a wall!. 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 Riversides 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.