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Pupils from Blueberry Park Primary School in Dovecot are working with a local artist to design and decorate a Superlambanana sponsored by Berrybridge Housing.
Following a presentation in assembly by local artist Debbie Ryan, the children were invited to enter a design competition. Debbie picked her favourite designs to work into one complete design and now she is working with the children to bring the design to life on the superlambanana using mosaics.
The finished piece will form part of Go Superlambananas, a public art exhibition of over 100 of the iconic sculptures displayed throughout the streets, parks and open spaces of Liverpool from 16 June to 25 August.
Rhoda Wilkinson, Community Investment Officer for Berrybridge Housing, said: “We were really keen to bring Go Superlambananas to Dovecot because it is a signature event of Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of our parent company, The Riverside Group.
“It’s also a great way to get youngsters involved in the design and creation of their very own piece of public art that will form part of a citywide superlambanana trail and help them appreciate and celebrate a part of Capital of Culture that will be on their own doorstep!
“We decided on the environment as a theme and chose local artist Debbie Ryan because she specialises in mosaics made from recycled glass and has a track record of working with children and young people.”
Debbie Ryan said: “I was so impressed with the quality of the designs from the children that I have tried to incorporate as many of them as I can in the final design.”
Ann Abraham, Assistant Headteacher at Blueberry Park, said: “The children have really enjoyed coming up with designs for the superlambanana and are having great fun working with Debbie to bring their designs to life. We’re all very much looking forward the seeing the end result.”
Notes to editors:
Established in 1928 as Liverpool Improved Houses, Riverside started out with 15 houses with rents of just 15 shillings (30p) per week. The organisation expanded rapidly in the 1970s in the wake of 1974 Housing Act, and in 1996, following growth outside of the original Merseyside heartland, the association was renamed Riverside Housing Association. The Riverside Group was formed in 2001 and is recognised today as one of the largest and most dynamic housing and regeneration organisations in Britain, managing and owning more than 50,000 homes from Carlisle to Kent.
The Riverside Group is planning a host of activities to celebrate its 80th anniversary under the umbrella of ‘08/80’ including a year long fundraising campaign with homelessness charity
the Whitechapel Centre and an exhibition to provide a celebration, in words and pictures, of places in Liverpool, identified by a residents past and present.
