Mersey Ferries is set to welcome on board its first artist in residence, documenting everyday life on one of the most famous ferries in the world.
Liz Wewiora, Creative Producer & Photographer at Open Eye Gallery at Mann Island, will be spending time on the Ferries until October.
Wewiora will be co-creating a new body of photographic, video and oral history work that will capture a contemporary view of the Mersey Ferry view.
Working closely with the Mersey Ferries staff, commuters and daily tourists, Liz ‘will create opportunities for individuals’ stories and memories of the ferry’ to be shared.
She will work closely with local people and those with connections to the Ferry, to develop to Pier Head oral histories & photo stories, including an Over60s Digital History group called the Digital Ambassadors and local historians such as the Liverpool Echo’s Ken Rogers.
As part of the project, Liz will also be taking over the Mersey Ferries Instagram account (@mersey_ferries) on a number of occasions during the project to highlight some of the work collected.
The project will result in a new body of photographic & video based artwork for public exhibition next January.
Speaking about the project, Liz said: “The Mersey Ferry has such a rich history – made up of so many faces, places and memories. Through weaving in hidden stories of the ferry community with invitations to co-create photographic work, I hope that we can show a whole new side to life on and around the Mersey Ferry”.
Gary Evans, Merseytravel’s Head of Customer Delivery said: “We’re delighted to have Liz on-board the Mersey Ferries over the next couple of months to help document life on the Ferries.
“Mersey Ferries are an integral part of the history and culture of the city region, and this project will be a great way to highlight their importance to the people of Merseyside.”