Portrait of passengers on popular bus route published in print

A book capturing the quirkiness and uniqueness of the 86 bus route from Smithdown Road to Liverpool city centre has been published.

The 86 book is part of Picton Play, commissioned by Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool team as part of its Creative Neighbourhoods programme and delivered by Edge Hill-based arts organisation Metal.

Written by Nicki McCubbing, with a foreword by Lynsey Hanley and designed by Lisa Robson, the book celebrates the beauty found in everyday interactions and the glimmers of humanity we experience through community connection.

During a three-month artist residency on the 86 bus, Nicki, who herself has ridden the 86 route between the city centre and her home for over 25 years, captured conversations, moments of laughter, sadness, and confusion.

The result is a relatable, heart-warming and humorous collection of small observed gestures and snippets of conversations that creates a unique portrait of the 86. 

Building on the success of the Four Corners Artists in Residence commission developed as part of the European Capital of Culture Creative Neighbourhoods programme in 2008, Culture Liverpool commissioned Metal to deliver a series of artistic interventions as part of the Picton Play programme.

Nicki’s residency on the 86 bus was part of the first phase of the programme – Listening – which involved hosting artists in unexpected places to exchange knowledge with residents about the area and its people and places, while making new connections around the themes of play, sharing, joy and celebration.  

The 86 Bus book will be available to buy online from Saturday 5 October.

Picton Play is part of Culture Liverpool’s Creative Neighbourhoods programme, which is an ongoing series of collaborative projects and creative interventions that engage with communities and neighbourhoods throughout Liverpool, and include artistic residencies, development of public art, events and creative engagement workshops. Other projects within the programme include Flower Streets in Kirkdale, People of Anfield and Childhood is a Garden in Garston.

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Harry Doyle, said: “Picton Play, part of our wider Creative Neighbourhoods programme, brings together artists, community organisers, young people and other curious residents to celebrate the existing creativity in the neighbourhood and explore new ways of getting together through play. 

“The book is the result of the latest in a series of listening residencies, which has hosted artists in unexpected places from supermarket car parks to botanic parks and gardens, engaging with residents though creative sessions such as den building and community pop-up events.”

Jenny Porter, director of Metal in Liverpool, said: “The Picton Play Listening residencies have been about artists spending time in places in our neighbourhood where we wouldn’t normally expect to see art. The projects have uncovered and celebrated the existing creativity found here in lots of different ways. Nicki’s book is a beautiful portrait of the Picton neighbourhood, and she has perfectly captured its uniqueness and quirky nature. ”

Artist Nicki McCubbing said: “The 86 has been my bus route between the city centre and my home for over 25 years. It’s important to me that ordinary people see themselves in art and here I have tried to capture the different classes, ages and backgrounds of all the people riding on this bus with love and humour. Riding the bus has this strange mix of being together and separate – together and lonely.”