Milligan to Sponsor Turner Prize

Milligan, the innovative and award winning retail developer, is delighted to announce that it will be sponsoring the 2007 Turner Prize.

In five years, Milligan has developed an international reputation. Key projects have included transforming the waterfront in Barcelona and entering into a partnership with Manchester Airport, where Milligan is rapidly transforming the customer experience. Milligan is also the creator of Liverpool’s award-winning Metquarter shopping centre – the city’s answer to Bond Street.

Taking place for the first time at Tate Liverpool, the 2007 Turner Prize is a trailblazing event for the city, happening in the run-up to 2008, when Liverpool will be the European Capital of Culture. Metquarter is driving the renaissance and regeneration of Liverpool city centre and Milligan’s sponsorship of the Prize is part of the company’s continuing support of Liverpool.

The Turner Prize will once again celebrate cutting edge contemporary art; Milligan has chosen to sponsor the prize to further its ongoing exploration of the potential for culture, commerce and creativity to come together to create inspiring and exciting retail spaces.

Milligan recognises and fundamentally embraces creativity as part of the development process, integrating work from aspiring and established artists and artisans into the fabric, design and feel of buildings. At Metquarter in Liverpool, for example, Milligan commissioned local art students and practitioners to work as part of a project team that was led by artist Mel Chantrey (who has himself been previously nominated for the Turner Prize) and Paul Hanegraaf, Milligan’s ‘Creative Navigator’.

Installations commissioned for Metquarter alone have included photography, textiles, bespoke furniture, collages and sculpture. The 40-store Metquarter shopping centre has been embraced by the people of Liverpool as the place to spend time and shop.

John Milligan says: ‘Milligan is a modern retail developer and a key aim across all of our projects is to create spaces that are inspiring and exciting. I am delighted that we are sponsoring the Turner Prize. Firstly, because it reflects a real interest that myself and the Milligan team have in contemporary art, and secondly, because we’re always interested in exploring the links between design, art and fashion and how we can create relationships between these things to reach out to people.’

Tate Liverpool Executive Director Andrea Nixon says: ‘Tate Liverpool is committed to working with a variety of local funders to support the creation of outstanding international art projects in the city, which also give real PR and marketing value. We are delighted that the Turner Prize will have a local sponsor, along with the very generous support from other northwest funders, including Arts Council England, North West, Liverpool Culture Company and North West Development Agency, and Tate Members’.