Guest blogger Roisin Hyland reviews Homeland at Wolstenholme Creative Space

LIVERPOOL may have some of the biggest and the best official galleries outside of London but we also have some of the most impressive independent studio lead spaces in the country. Now finally, outside of the London straight jacket Liverpool young bloods have been let loose and they definitely have something to shout about!

This month I will be reviewing Homeland the first in a series of exhibitions of 2012 in the Wolstenholme creative space gallery (WCS). WCS is a not for profit contemporary gallery, venue and artist studio lead space within the city centre. WCS works both individually and with organisations to produce projects, events and exhibitions that platform creative ideas and contribute to Liverpool's creative community.

I CAUGHT up with Wirral-based artist Leo Fitzmaurice at the announcement that he's won the Northern Art Prize (pictured by David Lindsay above) at Leeds City gallery last week. He was, he said, the only one of the four short-listed artists not to have prepared a speech as he hadn't expected to win the £16,500 award.

What does winning mean to him?: Time.

"It will mean maybe nearly two years when I can do exactly what I want as and artist. That's what everyone wants."

Fair enough.

Fitzmaurice's contribution to the art prize exhibition included an interesting reinterpretation of landscapes from the gallery's collection, which he placed at different heights along two walls so that they appeared to share the same horizon. A simple enough idea perhaps but one that makes us re-experience the works from a different perspective.

IT'S all change for the Liverpool Daily Post today as we become a 100pg-plus weekly - The Liverpool Post.

Excitingly, the new paper includes a bumper arts supplement called Post Culture, which focuses mainly on events happening in Merseyside.

Every week there will be a mixture of news, reviews and interviews as well as our columnists Peter Spaull (classical), Jamie Bowman (music - a new addition) and myself.

If you'd like an event included in the listings section you will need to send details to chloe.beesley@liverpool.com. I'll be compiling the exhibition listings myself - send details to laura.davis@liverpool.com

I'll also be expanding this blog to include a range of regular contributors. There's been a lot of interest already but if you think you would like to be involved then drop me an email and I'll be in touch with more details.