Live at the Open Piano Lounge

The Arts are often pigeonholed into genres and pitched to specific audiences, but Open Culture hopes to change that. This summer, the UK organization, whose mission is to increase the profile of and engagement with arts and culture in the Merseyside region, approached the Liverpool ONE shopping and leisure center about a plan to host an open-air piano busking festival in which the entire community could participate—young and old, amateurs and pros. The center saw the potential in the idea and agreed to develop a partnership.

Tickle the Ivories, as the event is called, debuted on July 1 and it has turned the streets of Liverpool ONE into musical boulevards where musicians, singers, dancers, theatre and community groups, schools, choirs and charities can perform with and around pianos placed in five locations on the property. Anyone who books one of the free time slots is licensed to perform, be it for the joy of entertaining the public, to further an entertainment career or to raise funds for a good cause—the acts keep all the proceeds they make from busking. There are also open sessions held daily and which don’t require prior bookings, in case any member of the public suddenly feels the urge to sit down at the keyboard and play.

“More than 170 separate acts have applied. Plus, each week, there have been 360 free-play hours that many musicians who hadn’t booked have been maximizing, along with members of the public who want to get involved,” noted Laura Houghton, Liverpool ONE’s interim marketing manager.

She said each of the five locations had been effective for a number of reasons—acoustics, passing audience, ability to sit and relax, piano quality and sound, among other factors. Still, three of the spots have proven to be the most popular.

The Peter’s Lane designer shopping area, thanks to its great acoustics and vibe, has become more of a venue rather than just an attractive shopping arcade. It also has a particularly beautiful piano, so musicians have been eager to get booked on it. The Red piano on Thomas Steers Way is opposite the Sugar House Steps, which form a natural amphitheater where the audience can sit and relax—an appealing feature for musicians and a younger audience. Finally, Paradise Street is the center’s busiest thoroughfare and a Starbucks outdoor seating area is right next to it, adding to the location’s draw.

Such a festive environment could easily have been disrupted by the riots that London and other UK cities have been battling recently. Luckily, Liverpool ONE has managed to stay clear of it all.

“The pianos are brought in [for storage] from 8 p.m. on every night (from 7 p.m. on Sunday) and are put out again the following morning,” Houghton said.

“This has been the case throughout the entire festival and was not altered during the riot alerts.”

So the attention that Liverpool ONE has received in the media hasn’t been tainted by the current events, and the center’s profile has risen through favorable coverage in the local and national media, including Radio Merseyside, Liverpool Echo, Metro and the Sunday Express.

“Radio Merseyside turned its reception area into a piano lounge to launch the event, featured artists on regular slots and ‘adopted’ the Peter’s Lane piano,” Houghton added.

“The objective [for Tickle the Ivories] was not to directly increase sales or footfall, but to position Liverpool ONE as an exciting and stylish destination with a unique atmosphere. [The program] has created a lot of talk, which is particularly evident on social media.”

Tickle the Ivories runs until September 4.


Aug.
2011
Posted in Sales Promotions
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