A ventilation tower on Wirral's waterfront has been lit up to showcase the borough to thousands of people visiting Liverpool for the Eurovision Song Contest.
The structure at Woodside burst into colour for the first time on Monday (May 8) with a projection and light show that will run every night this week after dark until late finishing with the contest’s grand final on Saturday.
The show features a celebration of Eurovision and another high-profile international event – The 151st Open which returns to Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake in July.
It also shines a light on the regeneration of Birkenhead and the wider Left Bank.
Across the borough, Wirral's communities, venues and creative organisations have been staging events and screenings and taking part in various initiatives running across the Liverpool City Region in the build-up to the main events.
David Hughes, Wirral Council's director of regeneration and place, said: "With the eyes of the world on our neighbours in Liverpool this week, this is an unmissable opportunity to direct attention across the Mersey and showcase Wirral’s own outstanding waterfront."
The light display, which runs on a 10-minute loop onto the side of the tower facing Liverpool, has been created by Birkenhead-based creative technology company Focal Studios.
It has been funded as part of Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s three-year, £44.4m UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
The best views of the display will be from the Eurovision Village at the Pier Head. For more details, click here
Images and film of the display will also feature on Wirral Council’s social media channels.
Dennis Outten, from Focal Studios, added: "We are delighted to have produced this show as part of Wirral’s Eurovision welcome. As a company, we were born in Liverpool but made in Birkenhead."
Further up the Left Bank of the Mersey, The Dips in New Brighton have received a temporary makeover, with Wirral Council's Parks and Countryside Service painting the Eurovision logo on the grass.
At the Floral Pavilion, anyone who missed out on tickets for Saturday’s grand final in Liverpool can join in the excitement with a large-scale screening.
New Brighton hosted an inspiring EuroFestival event featuring 450 schoolchildren from across the Liverpool City Region on Friday (5 May).
Land of Sky, Hope and Dreams saw children, including pupils from Woodlands Primary School, uniting with youngsters in Ukraine for a poignant kite-flying display, representing their soaring dreams and shared aspirations.
Williamson Art Gallery & Museum have been involved in a photography trail called 'Home' as part of EuroFestival – Liverpool’s two-week celebration of art, culture and powerful message.
Hoylake-based artist Ling Warlow also challenged herself to create the national flowers of all Eurovision participating countries using paper, which are now on display at the World Museum in Liverpool.
Children and young people across Wirral have been getting Eurovision-ready by participating in the EuroLearn programme, which has seen a variety of celebrations of music, poetry and theatre taking place in their schools and other educational settings.
Members of Ladymount Primary Choir were chosen to take part in the Mihi (mini in Ukranian) Eurovision celebration, where they joined up with a Ukrainian school to perform a song in their native language.
Woodchurch Road Primary performed at Birkenhead Park’s Dancing in the Park event on April 29, which brought together traditional dances from Ukraine, India and England.
Four Wirral Schools also worked with a local artist to design a Wirral Eurovision egg which is part of a public art trail currently on display at Liverpool ONE.
Eight Wirral-based community organisations have also received funding from the EuroGrants scheme to run Eurovision-related activities, including Wirral Change, The Positivitree and Nightingales with Rek41.
In the lead-up to Eurovision, Wirral Council has worked with participants of the Homes 4 Ukraine scheme to maximise the involvement of Ukrainians and their host families living in the borough with Eurovision and the wider celebrations.
David Hughes, Wirral Council's director of regeneration and place, continued: "We are proud to be part of the Eurovision celebrations across the Liverpool City Region and have worked hard to give our communities the chance to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime event.
"It has been fantastic to see the inspiring, heart-warming, and creative ways in which the borough has welcomed Eurovision and strengthened our connections with Ukraine."
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