Boy posing in front of large artwork of the Sun
Our Place in Space

Solar System Sculpture Trail touches down in Liverpool

A recreation of the solar system is coming to Liverpool!

Our Place in Space is an 8.1km trail which will launch on Friday 14 October and run until Sunday 6 November.

Beginning on Church Street in the heart of the city centre and running along the riverside all

the way to Otterspool, Our Place in Space is free to visit and features scale models of the

Sun and planets, recreated as contemporary art sculptures. Colourful arches house each

planet with an arrow and the name of the planet lit up in Las Vegas style lights.

At a scale of 591 million to one, the Sun is 2.35 metres across, Earth is 2.2 centimetres and

Pluto just 4 millimetres. The Our Place in Space trail includes events and creative education programmes taking place across the city.

Our Place in Space, part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, invites participants to consider

how we might better share and protect our planet in future and what is the difference

between ‘us’ and ‘them’? The project aims to bring our solar system down to Earth and send

us soaring into the stars to find new perspectives and reconsider what it means to live life

on our planet.

The trail is accompanied by the free Our Place in Space augmented reality app, available on

Apple and Android, which allows users across the world to take a journey through the solar

system, experiencing the planets in augmented reality and considering 10,000 years of

human history on Earth.

On the trail, users are invited to collect space souvenirs, including characters from the world of Oliver Jeffers, as well as launch a personalised star into space.

Oliver Jeffers, internationally renowned artist and author said: “For centuries, we’ve defined

ourselves by who we are and who we’re not. Which side we choose, on what ground we

stand, who and what we fight for. A human story, that lives merely in human minds. But

with distance comes perspective – and what happens to our perspective on everything when

we look back at Earth from space? Our Place in Space is a playful experiment that asks:

What is the difference between ‘us’ and ‘them’? Which side are we on, and if we look back at

ourselves from vastness of outer space – alone on our tiny planet, the only one that can

harbour life – should there be any ‘sides’ at all?”

Our Place in Space has been designed by Oliver Jeffers with leading astrophysicist Professor Stephen Smartt and a creative team led by Nerve Centre, Northern Ireland’s leading creative media arts centre.

Local partners helping to bring Our Place in Space to Liverpool include Culture Liverpool, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool BID Company and Canal & Riverside Trust.

David Lewis, Executive Producer at the Nerve Centre, said: “We are thrilled by the reaction

that Our Place in Space has received during its tour of the UK in 2022 and delighted to

announce Liverpool as an additional destination for the trail. Bringing the installation to the

north west of England will give more people the chance to get involved, to learn about space

and to experience the unique world and creativity of Oliver Jeffers.”

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Visitor Economy, Councillor Harry

Doyle, said: “We are delighted that UNBOXED have chosen Liverpool as a stop for Our Place In Space this year. As the solar system takes over our city centre we are celebrating the return of our major festival River of Light, welcoming the World Gymnastic Championships 2022 and are the centre of the art world as Tate Liverpool plays host to The Turner Prize.

“Liverpool is the only place to be this Autumn for brilliant, free entertainment.”

Our Place in Space is one of 10 major creative projects commissioned as part of UNBOXED:

Creativity in the UK, a celebration of creativity taking place across the UK this year.

UNBOXED features free large-scale events, installations and globally accessible digital

experiences in the UK’s most ambitious showcase of creative collaboration.

Martin Green CBE, Chief Creative Officer of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, said: “Our Place

in Space has been hugely popular in the three locations that it’s already been to, so we’re

very excited that Liverpool is to be an additional destination. Oliver Jeffers’ sculpture trail is a

wonderful way to explore our solar system here on Earth. It will appeal to families, joggers,

walking groups and cyclists, and will be another great reason to visit Liverpool this autumn.”

There are opportunities for local people to become trail guardians while the trail is in

Liverpool, helping enhance and support visitors’ experience.

For more information visit www.ourplaceinspace.earth.

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EVENTS LISTINGS

Trail Lift-Off

15 October, 10am-4pm

Church Street

Join us on Church Street to welcome the trail with Mark the Science Guy, musicians, aliens and special guests who will provide a cosmic experience for all the family.

Space Art Graffiti workshops

15 October & 5 November, 9.30am-11.30am

Zap Arts

Make some space with graffiti artists and bring home your own poster of the solar system.

Oliver Jeffers book signing

15 October, 12pm-2pm

Waterstones, Liverpool ONE

Meet the artist behind Our Place in Space and have your favourite Oliver Jeffers book signed at this special event.

Oliver Jeffers in conversation about Our Place in Space

15 October, 6pm-7pm

Tate Liverpool

Join Oliver Jeffers for an exploration of his work, including the inspiration behind Our Place in Space.

Swing at Saturn

16 & 22 October, 2-3pm

Coburg Wharf (near Saturn)

Pack your dancing shoes and learn to swing with local jazz outfit Swingology on the Coburg Wharf.

Silent Disco

21 October, 4pm (families) and 8pm (adults)

St Luke’s Bombed out Church

Choose from a spooky halloween soundtrack, Celestial Incantations by The Sounds of Space Project or a space themed soundtrack in the iconic city centre venue.

Family tours of the planets

23-27 October, 12pm and 3pm

Sun to Mars

Go on a tour of the planets with our very own Professor Lukey Luke.

Here We Are film screening

24 October, 1.30pm

The Everyman Cinema

A special screening of the film inspired by the acclaimed Oliver Jeffers book of the same name.

Creative workshops

26-29 October, 10am-4pm

Quaker Meeting House

Join our creative learning team for workshops in coding, Minecraft and digital fabrication.

Stories, music and crafts with Storybox

29 October, 1pm-3pm

Liverpool Central Library

Books come to life through storytelling, games, music and crafts for children.

Moon gazing

30 October, 7.30pm-9.30pm

Miller and Carter, Otterspool

Join Liverpool Astronomical Association for a fascinating look at Earth’s closest neighbour.

Solar gazing

5 November, 3pm

Liverpool Central Library Terrace

Explore the Sun and the Liverpool skyline with Liverpool Astronomical Association.

Closing weekend

5 & 6 November, 10am-4pm

Church Street

Bid farewell to the trail with some alien friends providing fun and games for all the family.

All events are Free. For more information and to book tickets visit: ourplaceinspace.earth

Liverpool Waterfront