Home Movie by Moira Kenny 2006
10 Year Anniversary of Artist Residency
Writing on the Wall
Liverpool artist Moira Kenny was chosen as an artist in residence to help residents through changes in the area.
Ms Kenny will use an empty house in Powis Street as an artistic base for documenting the change, which has caused controversy and has split the Welsh Streets community. Organisers hope it will be a positive way of expressing different opinions.
It is part of the Solid Futures initiative, which aims to engage with people in areas undergoing housing market renewal. Schools, shopkeepers and community groups will all be encouraged to get involved, as will individual residents.
Similar Solid Futures projects are planned for housing market renewal areas in Bootle's Queens Road/Bedford Road neighbourhood and Rock Ferry, Wirral.
Ms Kenny said today: "I aim to record the social history of the area, capturing the local identity of the past for present and future generations.
"The work will focus on the transition of people from dereliction to new housing. It will be contemporary and I'll be using the house as a working situation - it will be open in time for the Biennial.
"This project will help to document the value of community and belonging. I enjoy stories relating to people, their lives, histories and relationship to the surrounding architecture."
She will research the original occupants of the house and will transform one of the rooms using traditional textiles.
A second room will be used to produce a collage of photographs, memories, newspaper cuttings and music lyrics, reflecting the feelings of Welsh Streets residents.
First published June 2006
The Residency was devised and commissioned by Sonia Bassey Solid Futures when she worked at Plus Dane.