King Cotton in Kensington

In 2002, musician Ian Brownbill brought the germ of an idea for a theatre piece to Metal, that explored his cultural and musical roots growing up playing in brass bands and its links to politics, economics and social history.  This early relationship of Metal to the King Cotton story has continued through the development of the idea, the theatre production, and finally to the creation of a programme of additional work alongside the theatre production in the immediate neighbourhood of Metal’s home in the north west, in Kensington, Liverpool.

 

Funded through a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, and a donation from PH Holt Charitable Trust, Metal worked with St Francis of Assisi City Academy, young patients at Alder Hey Hospital, Shorefields Community School, Phoenix Junior School, Kensington Fields Community Centre, and a wide variety of individuals living and working in the Kensington neighbourhood in an arts-led project designed to highlight the histories and heritage captured in the King Cotton story that can be traced directly to the social, economic, cultural and physical aspects of the Liverpool landscape.

 

Through the process of researching and creating art works in different disciplines – music, visual arts, written word and drama – participants have investigated aspects of their own history, and explored the physical traces of this heritage through their local architecture and museum collections with guidance from Merseyside historian Laurence Westgaph.

 

"The whole experience was stimulating and hugely enjoyable, culminating in the magnificent production of King Cotton." Josie Hughes, Project Participant

 

Our aim in developing the project was to place the production of the theatre piece at the heart of a vibrant Liverpool community- of which we are part- building up the communal sense of purpose as we work together to look at how a large piece of creative work can focus it's opportunities and impact in a defined neighbourhood and ask the help of the local population to inform, help create, learn from, and build towards an international new work which is then performed in their city.

 

The artists involved have brought their expertise from around the world, and locally, to the project.  Musician Dede Saint Prix (Martinique), storyteller Inno Sorsy (London via Ghana: pictured above) theatre company 20 Stories High (Liverpool), visual artist Holly Murray (Brighton: her dress made for the King Cotton project is pictured below), and Liverpool’s Youth Music Service have all worked with the community around the Metal House to create work. that was presented in the theatre foyer on the opening evenings of 14^th September at the Lowry and the 25^th September at the Empire Theatre.

 

The explorations and relationships don’t end with the beginning of the stage production, but will be continued through this resource created alongside the artworks, and the on-going work at the Metal House at No. 6 Marmaduke Street.

 

 

 

" To be free through the open door

Doing what you want.

What do you want?

I want to be like a bird

In the open air

No walls, no boundaries

On the wind, over the sea

Fly as far as the eye can see!"

By Oliver, Lee and Daniel patients at Alder Hey Hospital.