Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Liverpool’s iconic waterfront is set to become the stage for a pioneering festival in May 2027, uniting international athletes and artists in a celebration of inclusive sport and culture. This innovative event aims to blend elite para sport competitions with creative expressions, fostering a unique platform that champions diversity and creativity.
The initiative is being delivered by UKEL, a newly formed independent company dedicated to hosting major international sporting events in the UK. The concept for this groundbreaking para sport gathering originated from UK Sport’s major events strategy, “Making Live Sport Matter,” which emphasizes showcasing high-level competition alongside generating social impact. Arts Council England is a key partner in this venture, supporting a cultural programme led by disabled and neurodivergent artists that will be woven into the fabric of the event.
Liverpool City Council is collaborating on the week-long festival that will feature four international sporting competitions as a build-up to the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. The festival will integrate sports participation with a rich cultural programme, highlighting performances, exhibitions, and interactive experiences created by deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent artists. Venues such as the M&S Bank Arena, Exhibition Centre Liverpool, and the Pier Head will serve as iconic backdrops for this landmark event.
To oversee the festival’s strategic delivery, recruitment is now underway for a specialist Stakeholder Board. This group will include representatives from Liverpool City Council, UK Sport, Arts Council England, and Paralympics GB, alongside independent members such as an experienced para sport athlete, a disabled artist, and an independent chair. Additionally, a Creative Producer will be appointed to lead the artistic vision, ensuring the cultural programme is inclusive and disability-led, driving representation and social impact. The event is supported by funders including UK Sport, Arts Council England, Liverpool City Council, and Liverpool Accommodation BID.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, expressed enthusiasm about hosting the event, stating: “We’re delighted to be hosting such an important and empowering event in our city – bringing together athletes, artists, and audiences, in a truly accessible and inclusive way. This is an innovative, ground-breaking concept and through working with UK Sport and our other partners, our vision is to create a pioneering and progressive sport and cultural event which delivers performance improvements and cultural excellence while amplifying visibility and opportunities for people with disabilities throughout our community and beyond.”
Esther Britten MBE, Head of Events and External Affairs at UK Sport, highlighted the significance of the occasion by saying: “This is an incredibly exciting moment for para sport in the UK. We’re proud to be creating an event that brings elite competition and culture together, creating a powerful platform to celebrate Paralympic athletes and build momentum towards LA 2028. Liverpool has repeatedly proven itself to be an exceptional host city, delivering world-class events with energy and creativity. We’re looking forward to working with our partners to deliver an event that builds on the UK’s strong Paralympic legacy and reflects our ambition to create environments that support performance, inspire audiences and showcases inclusive sport at its very best. Further details on the sport programme will be confirmed in due course.”
Jen Cleary, Director North West and Combined Arts at Arts Council England, also commented: “We’re excited to be collaborating on this new festival of unity, sport and creativity. Our investment will enable a substantial cultural programme led by deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists to sit at the heart of the event, giving festival audiences an opportunity to experience extraordinary artistic work alongside excellence in para sport.”
Bev Ward, COO at UKEL, added: “UKEL is delighted to be chosen to deliver this event for UK Sport, Arts Council England and Liverpool City Council. This is a great opportunity to bring together elite artists and athletes over a week of incredible competition and performance, in the globally renowned events city of Liverpool. UKEL’s talented team and partners will deliver a gold standard event for participants and spectators, and we’re glad to launch applications for the Stakeholder Board to oversee our exciting plans.”
Read the full article on Liverpool Express here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.