A sea of red poppies that captured the public’s imagination in London last autumn will be displayed in Liverpool outside St George’s Hall from next month onwards.
Liverpool is one of three exclusive ‘Weeping Window’ displays in a tour across the country, presented by the First World War Centenary Cultural Programme and Liverpool City Council, running from November 7th until January 17th.
The organisation 14-18 NOW invited local councils from all over the UK to express their interest in bidding for the poppies, with other locations chosen including Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield and Woodhorn Museum in Northumberland.
The poppies will arrive in time for Liverpool’s annual Remembrance Service held on Sunday November 8th to honour those who died in combat defending our freedom.
The presentation will be supported by a community education programme about the history of World War One.
The iconic artwork attracted millions of visitors at the Tower of London last year, showcasing artist Paul Cummings’ ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’.
All poppies from the demonstration were sold, raising millions of pounds for a range of services charities.
Mr Cummings, along with designer Tom Piper, produced 888,246 handmade ceramic poppies to represent every British life lost in the First World War.
The poppy display is redesigned for each location depending on the height of the drop.
Jenny Waldman, Director of 14-18 NOW, London, told JMU Journalism: “It takes a whole production team to prepare for the display and the poppies have to be handled carefully as they’re very delicate.
“We’ve had an amazing response and huge numbers coming to visit the poppies in Yorkshire and Northumberland, with many people using the hashtag #poppiestour.
“The 14-18 NOW presents artwork that reflects WW1 from a contemporary perspective.”