The Liverpool Biennial is the UK’s largest visual arts festival, a feast for lovers of exciting new art. Just to repeat: it’s big. If you’re hoping to use a spare couple of hours in Liverpool to get an overview of the Biennial, forget it. It will take you almost that long to get to grips with the guides. There's a lot of written material to plough through. But if you read this before you go, your path should be smoother.

What is at the Biennial?

There are several strands, some of which are coded with different coloured numbered circles on the programmes and on venues, as follows:

• International 06: exhibitions of new work by international artists; most of the work has some thematic connection to Liverpool. Main venues are Tate, FACT, Open Eye, and a large number of other places round the city. Look for red circles.

• International +: The “Learning and Inclusion” programme - work with schools and community groups. Renew Rooms, Fusebox and Metquarter. Yellow circles.

• New Contemporaries: annual review of new work by artists emerging from UK Arts Schools. Venue is the Coach Shed, Greenland Street. Purple circle. NB Weds to Sunday only, ends 22 October.

• John Moores 24: contemporary painting exhibition (with prize) at the Walker Art Gallery. Blue circle.

• Also Recommended: A number of shows that don’t fit anywhere else. Orange circles.

• Events: A list of talks, performances and happenings is hidden under the map in the “Find it” guide. There’s lots more - pick up other leaflets.

• Liverpool Live: A concentration of events 26-29 October. Separate programme.

• Independents Biennial: Fringe with 150 more artists’ work.
  

Guide to the guides:

Unfortunately the plethora of printed publications and clever posters serves to confuse rather than clarify, and it takes a while to work it all out.

Free guides:

• Find It: the key guide with big green and black letters on the front (that appear to spell out fin lip); contains a map and a summary of the main strands. But you also need:

• Follow it: red and black letters. More info on the International 06 artists and shows.

• Liverpool Live: bright orange grunge-style.

• Independents guide: from Fusebox

Online:

• www.biennial.com
  
• www.independentsbiennial.org
  
• www.newcontemporaries.org.uk

Not free:

• International 06 Catalogue: this was not available at the start of the Biennial. When it appears it will cost 15 quid.

• New Contemporaries catalogue: from the Coach Shed. £10

• John Moores 24 catalogue.

Getting around:

The organisers suggest you pick up information at Fusebox, Parr Street (by Wolstenholme Square).

If you want to see work at several venues work there is quite a lot of distance to cover, often through some uninviting areas. Wear comfy shoes, or consider a bike. There is fairly easy parking near three main areas of exhibition - around Wood Street, Albert Dock and Greenland Street; and the main Lime Street train station is near the fourth, the Walker Gallery.

There are some specialist tours you can follow, each Saturday at 2pm; check the “Follow it” guide.

What to see:

• Photography
  Um... hmm... well Carlos Garaicoa’s work at Open Eye uses photography while Lisa Openheim refers to the captions of Edward Chambre Hardman, and there’s some good work by Akiko Takizawa at New Contemporaries. The Glad Eye, a photographic work by Alexandra Wolkowicz is at Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool L1 9BG. Overall the lack of photography is remarkable. But you can get a free camera and take your own photos for exhibiting at the Tate in November - pick up a “Picture It!” pack at Fusebox.

  Also see the independents website for a photographic project, The Daily Photo:
  www.independentsbiennial.org/page.php?22

• Video
  You’re spoilt for choice but don’t miss Tate or FACT.

• Sound
  Silent Sound at The Blade Factory, Julianne Swartz at Tate and around the city.

• For Kids
  Head for the upper hall at the Walker and the 'Insyde' installation - a wooden crate. Or try Shilpa Gupta’s interactive projection at FACT. If it's dry out you shouldn't miss Priscilla Monge's football pitch on Goree Piazza, Mann Island, where children of all ages can practice their jumps. Ken Lum’s pavilion in St John’s Gardens, or Jeppe Hein's bench on Great George St - built like a rollercoaster - might also go down well.

Review Sites:

• arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/observer/story/0,,1879530,00.html
  
• entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14936-2359786.html
  
• www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/essentials/artspix.xml
  
• www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/09/19/bagrand19.xml

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