Member Article

Acclaimed Liverpool Poet & Upholsterer Give City Storage Hub A New Look

New self-storage hub StoreAway has enlisted the help of an acclaimed Liverpool poet and upholsterer to unveil its brand identity.

The team behind the Peter’s Square space have called upon Levi Tafari and Vincent Snowball to create wall art and bespoke reclaimed furniture for their Liverpool HQ, using their 85 years of combined experience in honing their crafts in the local area.

StoreAway’s reception area now showcases a four-lined poem written by Levi that captures the city’s rich history, culture, and a variety of stories from the local community, while Vincent has created chairs and tables for customers to use.

Born and raised in Liverpool to Jamaican parents, Levi Tafari started writing poetry in 1977 and has since featured on popular BBC programmes while making waves in the poetry industry.

He said: “To create this poem I worked closely with various community groups, from dance crews to schools and elderly groups to learn about their experiences of living in Merseyside. This allowed me to hear so many fantastic stories and it’s these stories that I have been able to use.

“The work I have created is very important because it’s for local people by local people. It’s relatable and creates a strong bond and understanding between the brand and the city.”

Levi’s poem reads: “Our Liverpool is a multicultural stew, two liver birds, with two cathedrals and two footie teams too, where the ferries set sail to the Mersey beat, you’ll never walk alone along Hope Street.”

With a different task in hand, Vincent Snowball has created furniture from an unloved sofa set, which he found abandoned in a city skip.

With 40 years of upholstery experience, Vincent said: “The project included a settee and two armchairs and took around two months to complete. When I began to undo the old material, I quickly realised that the frame I was working with was made in the 1960s and every part of it was solid timber which is unheard of these days, so it was a joy to restore.”

But this isn’t the only opportunity that has been handed to Vincent. Having lost his workshop due to Covid-19 and spending his time working from home, Vincent has now taken up residence within the facility that he can use daily allowing him to take on more projects.

Vincent added: “Being able to do what I love for a great concept in the heart of my city is a dream, and now being given the opportunity to set up my workspace once again opens up new doors to me, and that’s thanks to StoreAway.”

Levi and Vincent will now be part of capturing the local communities in StoreAway’s four other stores in the coming months.

Managing Director of StoreAway Richard Lanyon said: “Liverpool was the perfect place for us to launch StoreAway as it’s an urban city that’s rich in history and culture and has a growing tourism sector. So, when we opened our flagship site in the heart of the city, we wanted to showcase the creative and artistic offerings that represented the community by working alongside local people.

“Levi and Vincent have both contributed bespoke and unique pieces of work for our flagship store. They have captured the city of Liverpool in a moving and professional way by involving the local community and helping their stories to be told. I can’t wait to see the work they produce for the other four sites across the UK.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma McGee .