Threshold Festival 2013 Review//Day Three - Collaboration.

If the end was truly the end there would be nothing to live for. The final day of Threshold 2013 began perfectly, with some family time and an excellent coffee and French toast at Unit 51, the Baltic Creative development's undoubted jewel in the crown. As musicians, festival staff and visitors enjoyed the relaxed vibes of the venue the Spark panels were taking place in the meeting room , with illuminating panels on topics as diverse as how to have life long career without having a job and a recounting of the Giant's unforgettable street theatre voyage through the city of Liverpool in 2012. 
Art at The Roost. Photo by Michael Kirkham.
Once some very agreeable coffee had been savoured we found ourselves over at Camp and Furnace where there was temptation aplenty in many diverse forms as the Furnace became a place of music, drawing and Mothers Day celebrations. There were origami butterfly making workshops, boxes of lego and most deliciously a stall full of cupcakes from Laura's Little Bakery. Needless to say, they were the best cakes we'd had in a very long time. In a politer mode than their first appearance at 2011's festival  Draw The Line were also on hand to provide paper lined tables for drawing upon. There was graffiti, childrens scribblings and some genuinely beautiful drawings and logos to be found in amongst the wonderful plectrums from C.A.L.M. and various varieties of leafets and tea. 


Draw The Line and Threshold Tattoo.  Scattershot Photography
Needless to say, we had a table to ourselves and what ensued was surely the best kind of fun. Drawing on a table without a finger wagging in your rapidly changing direction? Yes please! Whilst in the middle of said creative activity a rather talented young man called Thom Morecroft (pictured) took to the stage with his excellent brand of acoustic songs and a voice that easily commands attention. I would see more of this talkative performer later in the day at Little Atom's presentation from famed local author and music journalist Paul du Noyer. 


Other highlights of the day included a quiet contemplation of all the excellent visual art in the Art Attic and Gold Room. With the emphasis firmly on modern but never on boring the work impressed. Most notably, 2012 Liverpool Art Prize winner Robyn Woolston's third installation for Threshold took a large number of used gift certificates, silver birch trees and plastic cutlery (but not as many as in last years behemoth room installation!) and placed into a context of double bind and consumerism. On first view, it's a lot different to her previous room filling installations but no less enthralling! 

There was plenty more on offer as well, with The Roost's art offering being the bewitching array of tents and cardboard shapes playing tricks with the dimly lit arena of the Gold Room. But art was not just confined to the upper floors of the venue, with the array of creativity taking in installations in the Furnace room, beautiful yarnbombing attacks  (pictured below)on the streets near by Elevator and The Picket from Twisted Stitchers and Happy Hookers and even on your wrist, with the beautiful wristbands designed by Josephine Scales that bear some serious attention to detail when you look closely. 

But just as Threshold is akin to a microcosmic world of more creativity than you could wave a magic wand at there was still much to take in and much to do before the circus packed up it's tent until next year. One of the highlights was Paul du Noyer's panel around his legendary book on the Liverpool music scene Wondrous Place. It was fascinating to listen to his recollections and observations on a scene that is still just as wondrous as when the song that titled the book was written, if not more so. 


Music though was very much a highlight of this final day as well. Operation Lightfoot, a project designed especiallyn for this festival by Luke Moore and Richard Geraghty impressed duly. The tonal music and evocative visuals took us on a journey that educated and entertained. There were many bands using audio-visual elements at Threshold but, perhaps due to the very large screen used in the Camp venue, they looked excellent and surely impressed more than a handful of the crowd present. We want more! 

When I eventually left the building, just as at last years festival, it felt like I had left a magical microcosmic world and with the sounds of a festival that impressed like no other ringing in my eyes and my minds eye I went off into the sunset with a fuzzy feeling. This was not the end but the beginning of something special for the Liverpool creative scene. 

Words by Sebastian Gahan. Images by Michael Kirkham and Scattershot Photography. 


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