Liberty’s home is safe for another year

The Liberty disability arts festival will stay in its Trafalgar Square home next year, London’s Mayor has confirmed.

This year’s festival attracted an estimated 20, 000 visitors, but there had been concerns that it might be moved to a venue away from the city centre next year.

But a spokesman for the Mayor, Boris Johnson, said: “It’s happening in Trafalgar Square next year. There are no plans to move it.”

The festival, on 5 September, attracted crowds of disabled and non-disabled visitors.

Highlights included Nocturne, by Marc Brew Company, which featured four dancers performing on and beside two moving beds at the foot of the main steps; aerial dance pieces by Blue Eyed Soul; orange-clad sci-fi pop from Spaceships are Cool; and a string of well-received performers in the comedy, cabaret and spoken word tent, including Mat Fraser, Gareth Berliner, Liz Carr, pianist Derek Paravicini, and Penny Pepper.

10 September 2009