Beat in the Mersey – the unique event which is part theatre, part history lesson, part music gig and part performance art – will return to Liverpool’s famous Cunard Building as the most distinctive business networking session held during IFB 2014.

Beat in the Mersey tells the story of the development of Liverpool’s musical heritage through the eyes and stories of people who travelled out from the city and returned with new sounds, styles and influences. These experiences combined, lighting the city’s creative fuse which later spectacularly bloomed and reverberated around the world.

On Friday June 13 from 1pm to 2.30pm visitors will get to wander the corridors of the majestic building which is never open to the public, and network while taking an afternoon tea and Prosecco in the opulent surroundings of the Queen Mary room.

Beat in the Mersey will also run on Saturday 14 June as part of the International Mersey River Festival with two shows, one at 11am and the second at 1pm.

Show director, Christine Chellew said:

“The accepted wisdom of how Liverpool’s musical identity developed, begins and ends with The Beatles: four geniuses who arrived out of the ether and ‘shook the world’. The reality is much more complicated, fragmented and influenced greatly by the world sound which returned to the city carried in the hearts of its people. In a typical Scouse manner, these sounds were re-packaged and re-exported to the world.

“It is that story that Beat in the Mersey tells and it’s told through a range of mediums from 8mm cine film, performances and not least The Cunard Building itself. It’s an event like no other.

“We have brought the show back this year through The Festival to give business networking a shot in the arm and to both enlighten and enchant visitors in equal measure.

“We have an aim of making the show a permanent feature of the city’s tourism offer and have had fantastic support from the city council, IFB 2014, the former lord mayor, Gary Millar, and Steve Rotherham MP in getting the show to this stage. We can’t thank them all enough.”

Mayor Joe Anderson said:

“Beat in the Mersey is a fantastic way to bring such an integral part of this City’s history back to life.”

Nick Birkinshaw, IFB Cultural Programme Co-ordinator added:

“Liverpool and its cultural scene wouldn’t be what it is today without the influence of all the music from around the world that the ships and the people on them have brought in. This event is a great opportunity to get a better insight into the stories of the city’s unique mix of maritime and musical heritage.”

Produced and Directed by Christine Chellew with historical contributions by Ron Noon, Musical Direction by Peter Hooton. Featuring Jay McWinen, Jamie Mclachlan, Scarlet Beattie, Callum Sanderson & live performances by John O’Connell & Ian Prowse. Choreography by David Heath. Additional support from Ellen Summers, football legends Alan Kennedy & Joe Royal and Billy Harrison.

Information available at http://www.ifb2014.com/Beat-In-The-Mersey-e504.html