A huge tapestry, hand-stitched by more than 150 local people, has found a new home in Liverpool’s St George’s Hall. The six metre long piece of artwork will go on display in the Grade 1 listed building from Friday 7 December.
Thousands of visitors from around the world have already been to see the tapestry at its temporary exhibition location in the Liverpool Museum Skylight Gallery over the summer.
The Liverpool Tapestry was conceived and funded by Home Bargains to celebrate Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture in 2008. It represents the people, places and passions of Liverpool and includes 338 individual panels that make up the triptych-style tapestry.
The panels feature iconic images including ‘Superlambananas’, the city’s historic buildings, and aspects of Liverpool that have special meaning for the individual embroiderers.
Joe Morris, operations director at Home Bargains, said: “St George’s Hall is a perfect location for the tapestry and we’re absolutely thrilled it will now be on permanent display in such a fantastic building. The conditions are ideal, with a space long enough to display the tapestry and good lighting.
“We’d like to welcome people from the local community, as well as visitors from around the world, to come along and see the tapestry. It is an incredible piece of artwork that has been created by so many people and every time I look at it, I see something new and different.”
Joe created a panel of work himself, featuring a Home Bargains shop front, and many other groups and individuals have had the chance to add their own creations during a two year-long process, including school children from Merchant Taylors’ School in Crosby.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for culture and tourism, Councillor Wendy Simon, said: “The Liverpool Tapestry is a wonderful reminder of our year as Capital of Culture and showcases the creativity and talent which can be found in the city.
“The stunning surroundings of St George’s Hall will be the perfect home for this piece of art which I’m sure will bring back so many happy memories of a year in which the city came together to celebrate all things culture in spectacular style.”
Gill Roberts, from the Merseyside Embroiderers’ Guild, said: “Over the course of 25 workshops, we worked with people of all ages from across the city, who each brought their own inspiration and unique ideas to the project.
“The tapestry took over four years to complete. I know people will be impressed by the hard work that went into it; the finished result is breathtaking.”
Gill Roberts and Joe Morris will be joined at the launch on Friday 7 December by Elsie Watkins, tapestry designer, and Anne-Marie Hughes, a textile conservationist who stitched all the individual tapestry panels together, along with a number of other special guests.
To find out more about the tapestry, please visit www.liverpool08tapestry.co.uk.
