MUMBAI: The city of Liverpool, UK which is already a Unesco World Heritage City, is bidding to become England’s first Unesco City of Music. If successful it will become one of only four other cities with the title Bologna in Italy, Seville in Spain and Glasgow in Scotland.
The city – birthplace of The Beatles and official World Capital of Pop boasting a record 56 No1 songs – is confident it can convince the world body to grant the prestigious title.
Liverpool had last year won a national public vote for UK’s Most Musical City. Now it will stake its claim to join an exclusive club of just four other Unesco world cities of music. Led by Liverpool City Council, in partnership with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the bid will be officially triggered by a letter to Unesco from Liverpool’s Lord Mayor.
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A four-month long mapping exercise showing where music is made and played in Liverpool will be put together before the bid is handed in Spring 2010.
Key organisations will form a steering group to outline the city’s musical aims and already has support from the music industry with the steering group made up of influential players across the city.
Liverpool City Council leader Councillor Warren Bradley, who will chair of the Unesco bid steering group, said: Music is in Liverpool’s blood and its influence has been truly global from the days of sea shanties and Merseybeat to classical and dance – it was a fundamental reason why we were European Capital of Culture.
The city today has a phenomenal pool of talent and its exciting that now, more than ever, it has the venues, the studios, the promoters and the festivals to nurture new ideas and diverse artists who will carry on Liverpool’s best musical traditions.
To be a Unesco city of music would be a massive boost to the city’s international cultural profile and give the city a focus, like in â€?08, to develop our music offer at all levels for the benefit of musicians and music lovers alike.”
Unesco is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and its Creative Cities Network promotes social, economic and cultural development through various fields including music, literature and film.
