Author: Ollie Cowan

Better By Bus is teaming up with National Museums Liverpool to give young people of the Liverpool City Region the opportunity to be heard in the debate on climate change.

Young people, aged 5-16, who are based in Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, or Wirral, are invited to submit an original artwork or poem which responds to themes and raises awareness of issues surrounding climate change, to be featured as part of an exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool in March.

The initiative is part of a wider campaign from Better By Bus, entitled ‘We can’t wait to tackle climate change’, which has been encouraging people in the Liverpool City Region to travel by bus rather than car. The campaign highlights how buses in the city region are cleaner, greener, more accessible, and have more benefits (including free Wi-Fi), than people may think.

An impressive 70% of buses in the Liverpool Bus Alliance, made up of Arriva, Stagecoach and Merseytravel, run on electric, hybrid or low emission engines, which makes them one of the greenest fleets in the UK. When a single double decker bus can take up to 75 cars off the road, in turn easing congestion and improving air quality, it’s time to make the change to a more sustainable way of getting around.

A shortlist of 10 pictures and poems will be selected by a judging panel consisting of representatives from the Bus Alliance and National Museums Liverpool, shortly after the deadline for entries on 21st February 2020.

The panel will be selecting works which they think most creatively raise awareness of the effects of climate change, and particularly those which focus on the issues we are experiencing here in the Liverpool City Region or that give suggestions on ways we can tackle the problem.

The shortlist will be displayed at the Museum of Liverpool throughout March as part of their ‘Liverpool on wheels: from horses to horsepower’ exhibition, which opens to the public on 14th February 2020, entry is free.

An overall winner will then be selected by the general public, following a round of voting which will take place at the exhibition. To cast a vote, simply visit the Better By Bus area of the ‘Liverpool on wheels: from horses to horsepower’ exhibition in the Museum of Liverpool between 3rd March and 31st March. The winner will be announced in early April and will be presented with a ‘We can’t wait to tackle climate change’ certificate as well as some very special prizes.

To enter the competition, please visit: www.BetterByBus.org/GetCreative. If you are aged 16 or under, please ask parental permission before submitting any details. Entries can also be submitted via post using the following address: Better By Bus, Agent Marketing, 43 Jordan Street, Liverpool, L1 0BQ. Please ensure to include your name, email address and age information alongside a title and description of your work.

Lisa Pearson, campaign conductor at Better By Bus, commented:

“We’re excited to be working with National Museums Liverpool on this very special initiative, which will provide young local advocates for climate action with a vital platform to be heard. We’re looking forward to seeing their entries.

“Better By Bus is asking young people of the Liverpool City Region to get involved with the campaign because it’s their futures that will be most affected by climate change. We’re at a critical stage where meaningful action is the only way we can prevent causing further damage to our planet. Hopefully, our young people can inspire other generations to get on board.

“Climate change is a global issue, but by joining together as a city region, we can make a real difference. Thankfully our buses are leading the way in sustainability, with 70 per cent of our buses in the Bus Alliance powered by electric, hybrid or low emission engines, swapping the car for the bus is one of the easiest ways for people to reduce their carbon footprint.”

Sharon Brown, Curator of Land Transport and Industry at National Museums Liverpool, commented:

“Our exhibition Liverpool on wheels: from horses to horsepower explores our city’s proud transport history. We know our visitors will love the vehicles on display and we’re delighted to be working with Better By Bus to develop this element of the exhibition to bring it up to date and give young people of the region a voice within it.

“The activism of young people across the world has had a major role in ensuring we all engage with the serious subject of climate change, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what the young people of Liverpool City Region have to say.”

To learn more about Better By Bus, the ‘We Can’t Wait to Tackle Climate Change’ campaign or to submit your work, please visit: BetterByBus.org/GetCreative.

You can also follow the campaign on Twitter (@Better_By_Bus), Instagram (@Better_By_Bus) and Facebook (@BetterByBus).

Three prominent buildings in Sefton will be lit up in a unique light extravaganza as part of
Sefton’s Borough of Culture year.

Waterloo and Bootle Town Halls along with The Atkinson in Southport will be the backdrop over 3
nights (March 13-15) as A Nightingale’s Song is projected on to them.

A trilogy of large-scale video projections will be created on consecutive nights, each a chapter in an
interwoven story that connects the coastal towns and people together by international projection
artists, Illuminos.

A Nightingale’s Song is a tale of magic and wonder, of myths and wondrous creatures, spectacular
nature, of ships and sailing, of peoples past and present that captures the history of Sefton.

The first part of the trilogy will be projected onto Waterloo Town Hall on Friday, March 13, followed
by the second part on the side of Bootle Town Hall on Saturday, March 14. The final chapter will be
screened on The Atkinson building in Southport on Sunday, March 15. All shows are free and set to
start at 8pm each evening.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s main sponsor for the Borough of Culture year, said: “I really
cannot wait for A Nightingale’s Song to light up these three iconic buildings in the borough.

“We are blessed with some spectacular civic buildings and these will be used to full effect to project
a story over three days about Sefton’s amazing history.

“We want people to try and attend all three shows at the three different locations so they can witness
the story in its entirety as part of our Borough of Culture year.

“We are expecting large crowds from across the City Region at these events so please get there
early and consider using public transport.”

The Borough of Culture (BoC) title is awarded by the Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority to
one of its six local authorities (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral) on a
rotating, annual basis. Sefton has the prestigious honour for 2020.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “I’ve always said that our region is the
UK’s culture capital, and I launched Borough of Culture to allow each of our six districts to showcasetheir own unique cultural highlights.

“I think that A Nightingale’s Song will be a fantastic start to what I’m sure will be a brilliant year for
Sefton. I can’t wait to see it!”

Rob Vale from Illuminos added: “Working with local experts and knowledge, the projections are
anchored through following the journey of the Natterjack Toad – the endangered amphibian who
lives in the Sefton dunes. Known as the Birkdale Nightingale because of its extraordinary night time
song, it becomes the character we follow, symbolising the growth and transition through ever
changing stages of egg, tadpole, and toad – three chapters set across the three locations.

“The journey will take us through time and space, on boats and over dunes, through war time and
summer sandcastles. Join us for these beautiful celebratory events built around storytelling, with
children and families in mind, but inspiring for all.”

Follow Sefton’s Borough of Culture year on Twitter and Facebook @sefton2020