Saving the Picket:
threatened identities, migrant diversity and European cultural capital - Liverpool 2008

The Picket venue in Liverpool has been evicted from the premises it has occupied since 1982 as a consequence of the successful bid from the city to be European Capital of Culture

The Picket venue is a Grade II listed building formerly occupied by the Unemployed Centre, later the People's Centre.

The Flying Picket venue was created to skill unemployed youth in music performance and production.

It has become an established part of the Liverpool music scene.

The Picket supported Liverpool's bid to be European Capital of Culture for 2008.

The success of this bid coincided with a financial crisis in the People's Centre. A property boom has followed the announcement of the bid's success.

The building is being sold from beneath the venue, despite a vigorous campaign.

However, the Picket has become an independent social enterprise and while the on-line archive created a record and voice for the venue and its supporters, the campaign continued for an alternative physical location.

The Picket team struck a partnership deal with the afoundation arts group, founder of the Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art.

afoundation has created a new £1.5m arts district located near the Liverpool waterfront for the 2004 Biennial. Two warehouses and a disused factory will provide studio spaces, rehearsal rooms and gallery space.

icLiverpool report HERE.

The Picket Ltd is continuing the search for support and funding for its contribution to this development.

This page contributed by
Steve Little