The ‘Official’ Open day has been and gone now. So though we’ve been open 3 weeks, its official and now hopefully, maybe people will start hearing about us and popping by.
Harriet Harman MP and Shadow secretary for Culture was in Wirral on a visit and came to cut the ribbon. Good exposure for the shop and the community I think. Alison Mc Govern is our local MP (and it was Alison who invited her) attended too. I’d have like Alison to open it really, she is a lovely person, you can tell she genuinely cares, she is opening the Butterfly Park Open day on May 6th though so I’m very pleased about that.
I’m also very thankful to Harriet who did seem impressed by what we’re doing, she was very pleasant and chatted to a lot of the locals and the artists too and of course the kids from the eco-council at Grove Street school, fabulous bunch of kids they are.
The opening was really well attended, lots of interest from the locals Yay and also got told off by someone who didn’t know anything about us and was rather annoyed by it. I can’t have done any more than I have really, in the time we’ve been open my volunteers and I have done what we can to make sure people are informed and this will happen more-so as time goes on. Have promised to deliver flyers to her this week.
Gerald had people cutting and chosing words which he then pasted onto a large roll of paper to be formed into a poem over the next week and read out at his open evening next Friday.
Julie Dodd (our next resident)+ Pam Sullivan (August resident and Manager at Arena Studios and Gallery)) came and put work up in the shop to show the other work that will be there over the coming months and Iain Broadley came down for the opening so he got to see the space, the village and the Butterfly Park too which is great, he’s resident in June/July.
We had local press coverage (all liks below) Johan (volunteer and film maker) has made a video which went onto a local TV channel and Harriet Harman blogged about her visit.
the Wirral Globe did an article about us, comments underneath from readers have upset me a bit. I need to grow a thicker skin I think. One guy clearly hasnt done his homework and thinks I’m just ‘painting’ and selling my own work at the taxpayers expense!!! What???
He couldnt be further from the truth. mad.
I’m not deigning to respond though. Hope someone else puts him right. Its a community project not a commercial project!!!
And you know what, what does it matter if it was a commercial enterprise, surely we should applaud those who manage to get funding in this day and age to help them set up a new business!!! Quite a few of the people who recieved the empty shop funds in Wirral are setting up businesses. Good on them and I wish them all lots of luck, they are very brave and there should be more people like that.
Rant over.
This week Gerald has a workshop for 30 local Brownies then we dash off to to Liverpool Art Prize after. Friday will be a last night ‘open evening’ to show all the work he + the local people have made this month.
Saturday Julie moves into the space for her month.
Quite an exciting week.
http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/9662103.Shadow_c…
http://www.baytvliverpool.com/vod/index.php?vid=HB…
http://www.wmhaltd.org.uk/default.asp?news_id=83&m…
http://www.harrietharman.org/new-ferry-butterfly-p…
