New Website Launched www.spicegirlscollection.com

This year Liz West has lanuched a branbd new webvsite for her famous Spice Girls collection with a new layout and url.

Have a look at www.spicegirlscollection.com where you will find more images of the collection as well a press articles, exhibition packages and more!

 

This extraordinary collection is the work of independent curator and visual artist Liz West, who is the foremost collector of Spice Girls memorabilia and merchandise in the World with over 5,000 individual items devoted to the band and a Guinness World Record to mark her achievement.

The vast array of objects and ephemera within this impressive collection outline the success and
impact the Spice Girls had upon popular music in the 1990’s. As the first manufactured all-female chart group by music mogul Simon Fuller, the Spice Girls spawned the phrase Girl Power. Replicated through the group’s songs and also their image and merchandise, Girl Power brought a new generation of feminism.

The collection includes over 80 designer and hand-made outfits, jewellery and shoes all of which were worn by the Spice Girls in music videos, live concerts, on screen and at high profile public engagements. Alongside these rare items, the collection showcases award discs from all over the world, unique endorsement items, sponsorship merchandise, official products and worldwide releases on vinyl, CD, cassette, VHS, DVD and other formats.

'Spiceworld: The Exhibition' Open in Derry THIS WEEK

Fans of 90’s pop are in for a real treat when the much acclaimed Spiceworld Exhibition takes up residence in the Tower Museum next week, featuring memorabilia from the Spice Girls’ glittering pop career.

The exhibition, starting on August 16th, is expected to be a huge draw for young and old music fans who are interested in viewing some of the iconic items from the band’s whirlwind success story. The exhibition includes memorabilia, costumes, shoes – including Gerri Halliwell’s Union Jack boots - and other iconic items from their stage and screen performances over the years. It tells the story of how Sporty, Baby, Scary, Posh and Ginger became one of the most successful marketing engines ever and enjoyed phenomenal global success.

The objects have been collected by Spice Girls super-fan Liz West, who has amassed over 4,000 pieces associated with the girls’ phenomenal impact on the world of pop throughout the 90’s.

Tower Museum curator, Chris McGuicken, said the exhibition would appeal to pop fans of all ages. “Traditionally, museums have not been associated with exhibitions about pop music. Today museums are trying harder than ever to reach new audiences, and subject areas like the Spice Girls are likely to become increasingly popular.

“Most people remember the pop charts being dominated by the band throughout the late 90’s, and the fact the Spice Girls have gone on to forge their own successful solo careers makes it an exhibition that is still relevant to younger fans today.”

According to Liz West, the exhibition has been a labour of love since she first became a fan in 1997, as she explained: “Certainly one of the most fascinating aspects of the Spice Girls phenomenon is that they were marketed in nearly every way possible, there were even drinks with their names on. It was the idea that you could almost own a piece of the Spice Girls and consume them in every way.”

The items include shoes and clothing worn by the band, and even unique endorsement products such as Spice Girls dolls. Fans can also view gold and platinum discs awarded in recognition of their multi-million selling albums, as well as some of the front page headlines lauding their success.

The exhibition kicks off in fine style with a free kids costume design workshop on August 16. Art facilitator Louise McElhinney will be on hand with plenty of glitter and sequins between 12noon-2pm to help create some unique Brit Pop costume designs. The budding designers will be provided with special templates to draw and colour their own costume creations.Further workshops will run on September 1st and 8th.

The exhibition itself will be open to the public from August 16 until October. For more information on the Spiceworld exhibition and other pieces on show at the Tower Museum go to www.derrycity.gov.uk or www.whatsonderrylondonderry.com

Spice Girls SPICEWORLD: THE EXHIBTION coming to Derry, N. Ireland

After lots of talking, I can confirm that SPICEWORLD: THE EXHIBTION will be making its way to Londonderry's Harbour Museum from the the end of July to 31st October 2012.

This is very exciting news and I can't wait to share more information with you soon....

Watch this space

Liz x

Northampton museum tells you what it wants, what it really really wants

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Published Tuesday 4th October 11

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is appealing for the loan of Spice Girls memorabilia to be part of a Spice Girls exhibition that is coming to Northampton next year.

Spiceworld: The Exhibition attracted over 50,000 wannabe fans when it opened in Leeds, Mel B's hometown, earlier this year. It tells the story of the 90s girl band's rise to super stardom and pays homage to all things 'spice', including genuine clothing worn by Sporty, Baby, Scary, Posh and Ginger.

Northampton museum is keen to give a local twist to the exhibition by including memorabilia from local fans.

Victoria Davies, Northampton Borough Council museum officer, said: "Spiceworld: The Exhibition proved a real hit in Leeds and I just know there will be some really huge Spice Girls fans closer to home. We would love to hear from them and maybe feature any memorabilia they may have in a special display that will be shown alongside the main exhibition."

Spice Girls fans who can help with the display or want to find out more about the main exhibition can call Victoria at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery on 838111.

Melanie C Memorabilia Display at Liverpool's Victoria Gallery & Museum

What:
Mixcase [Music: Memory: Traces]

Who:
Curated by Research Associates at University of Liverpool
(Collecting & Curating Popular Music Histories)

When:
22nd August - 17th December 2011

Where:
Victoria Gallery & Museum
Ashton Street
University of Liverpool
Liverpool
L69 3DR
Tel: 0151 794 2348
Email: vgm@liv.ac.uk

Chance to buy SIGNED copy of 'Spiceworld: The Exhibition' Book

Published to coincide with the touring exhibition Spiceworld: The Exhibition
SIGNED by the author, Liz West

£12.00
by Liz West
Foreword by Nicholas Oddy
Designed by Matt West & Designers Front
Paperback
102 Pages
Published by Kroma Press

Postage & Packing Options

Catalogue + UK Postage £14.95 Catalogue + EU Postage £16.50 Catalogue + Rest of the World Postage £20.50

Examples of inside pages:

HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER Article (05/07/2011)

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Record news for Spice Girls fan Liz West

AN exhibition of the Spice Girls, made possible by a Huddersfield woman, is a record-breaker. Spiceworld: The Exhibition smashed visitor numbers at the Leeds City Museum, where it closed at the weekend. And that’s great news for Liz West, of Lindley, who loaned much of her amazing Spice Girls collection to the museum. Since it opened in January, nearly 50,000 people have visited the exhibit at Leeds City Museum.

Now she is planning to move the exhibition to Londonderry next summer and then on to Northampton. The items in Spiceworld: The Exhibition are owned by collector Liz and include a pair of Union Jack boots worn by Geri Halliwell.

The event had already created a world record for the largest number of Spice Girls items together in a collection. Liz said: “It feels surreal, but obviously I’m very proud that people have come along to see all the bits and pieces I have collected over the years. I’m still adding to it all the time and there will be more when it goes to Northern Ireland next year”.

The museum said the best-attended exhibition previously was Dr Rock’s Lost Gallery – involving minerals and crystals - which attracted 3,500 visitors in 2010. Curator of exhibitions Helen Langwick said: “The Spiceworld exhibition has proved really popular and we are especially proud to have played our part in making a little bit of history with the Guinness World Record for Liz, which is well deserved for her amazing collection”.

The exhibition was the first time Ms West’s full collection had been on public display. She was just 11-years-old when Girl Power spiced up the world. She heard Wannabe on the radio and said she became hooked on the Spice Girls. Now the 25-year-old, who lives in Lindley, has amassed a collection of 4,000 pieces of Spice Girl memorabilia. The Leeds exhibition was the first time all had gone on show in the same place.

Liz was a fan first and a collector second, but the artist is now able to make a career out of her collection. She said: “I was always extremely keen for this museum to play host to my collection, mainly because of the impressive nature of the venue but also because Leeds is Mel B’s hometown. "Sadly Mel B wasn’t able to get along to see it because she is heavily pregnant”.

Melanie Brown was born in Harehills and lived in Burley. She married dancer Jimmy Gulzar in 1998. The couple later divorced, and she went on to marry movie producer Stephen Belafonte in 2007. The other members of the pop group were Victoria Beckham, Melanie Chisolm, Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton.

Read More http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2011/07/05/record-news-for-spice-girls-fan-liz-west-86081-28992920/#ixzz1RsyRjzpO

BBC NEWS WEBSITE Article (03/07/2011)

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Spice Girls exhibition: doors close on record-breaking display

An exhibit of a record-breaking collection of Spice Girls memorabilia in Leeds has closed. Since it opened in January, nearly 50,000 people have visited the exhibit at Leeds City Museum. The items in Spiceworld: The Exhibition are owned by collector Liz West and include a pair of Union Jack boots worn by Geri Halliwell.

The event held a world record for the largest number of Spice Girls items together in a collection. The museum said the best-attended exhibition previously was Dr Rock's Lost Gallery - involving minerals and crystals - with 3,500 visitors in 2010.

Curator of exhibitions Helen Langwick said: "The Spiceworld exhibition has proved really popular and we are especially proud to have played our part in a making a little bit of history with the Guinness World Record for Liz, which is well deserved for her amazing collection."

The exhibition was the first time Ms West's full collection had been on public display. She said: "I was always extremely keen for this museum to play host to my collection, mainly because of the impressive nature of the venue but also because Leeds is Mel B's hometown." Melanie Brown was born in Harehills and lived in Burley. She married dancer Jimmy Gulzar in 1998. The couple later divorced, and she went on to marry movie producer Stephen Belafonte in 2007.

The other members of the pop group were Victoria Beckham, Melanie Chisolm, Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton.

YORKSHIRE EVENING POST Newspaper Article: (01/07/2011)

Leeds: Spice Girls exhibition sizzles to its finish
LINK TO ARTICLE
By Jonathan Brown
Published on Friday 1 July 2011 10:32

A record-breaking exhibition to spice up your life will come to a close on Sunday.

The world’s biggest collection of Spice Girls memorabilia was recognised by Guinness World Records during Spiceworld: The Exhibition’s run at Leeds City Museum, in Millennium Square, Leeds.

Collector Liz West, 26, who lives in Huddersfield, has amassed 2,066 items related to the band, which have been on show at the free-to-enter display since January.

She said: “There are still a few days left to see it if anyone has been meaning to but has not come along yet.

“The great reaction from everyone who has seen it has made me really proud and the icing on the cake was securing the Guinness World Record.”

The exhibition is the first time Ms West’s collection has ever been on display in its entirety in public.

Among the items on show are the iconic Union Jack boots worn by Geri Halliwell in the group’s first-ever live concert in Istanbul, Emma Bunton’s blue sequin dress from the band’s memorable performance at the 1997 Brit Awards and Leeds-born Mel B’s trademark giraffe print catsuit complete with a crystal-studded belt.

The museum’s curator of exhibitions, Helen Langwick, said: “The Spiceworld exhibition has proved really popular.

“We are especially proud to have played our part in a making a little bit of history with the Guinness World Record for Liz which is well deserved for her amazing collection.”

Spiceworld: The Exhibition also examines what it takes to be a modern celebrity.

Other items on display include outfits worn by Emma, Geri and Mel B on their Spiceworld tour as well as a gold and diamond-studded Chopard watch worn by Posh Spice, Victoria Beckham.

The director’s script of Spiceworld: The Movie and the multi-platinum CD awarded to the girls for selling over four million copies of their album, Spice, in America in 1997 are also on show.

The Spice Girls sold 80 million records worldwide following the impact of debut single, Wannabe, which topped the charts in 31 countries in 1996.

Contact: www.leeds.gov.uk/citymuseum for information.

FINAL PRESS RELEASE - SPICEWORLD: THE EXHIBITION (29/06/2011)

Record-breaking Spiceworld exhibition coming to a close
The world record-breaking exhibition devoted to the Spice Girls on display at Leeds City Museum comes to a close this weekend. The collection of memorabilia and merchandise from collector Liz West devoted to the most successful girl band of all time finishes this Sunday (3 July) having been seen by almost 50,000 people since it opened in January.

The exhibition also played its part in setting a new Guinness World Record as the collection of 2,066 items related to the band on display has been officially recognised as the biggest number of Spice Girls items in a collection together anywhere in the world. The special free exhibition at the Leeds City Council-managed museum off Millennium Square shows off a range of outfits worn by the group as well as accessories, platinum discs, books, magazines and dolls sourced from all over the world.
Spice Girls memorabilia collector Liz West said:
“It has been absolutely fantastic to have my collection on display in Leeds City Museum and there are still a few days left to see it if anyone has been meaning to but has not come along yet. The great reaction from everyone who has seen it has made me really proud and the icing on the cake was securing the Guinness World Record.”

The exhibition is the first time Liz’s collection has ever been on display in its entirety in public. Among the items on show are the iconic Union Jack boots worn by Geri Halliwell in the group’s first-ever live concert in Istanbul, Emma Bunton’s blue sequin dress from the band’s memorable performance at the 1997 Brit Awards (where Geri made her show-stealing appearance in the Union Jack dress) and Leeds’-own Mel B’s trademark giraffe print catsuit complete with ‘Mel B’ crystal-studded belt. Other items include outfits worn by Emma, Geri and Mel B on their ‘Spiceworld’ tour, a gold and diamond-studded Chopard watch worn by Victoria, the director’s script from ‘Spiceworld: The Movie’ and the multi-platinum CD the band were awarded for selling over four million copies of the album ‘Spice’ in America in 1997.

Leeds City Museum curator of exhibitions Helen Langwick said:
“The Spiceworld exhibition has proved really popular and we are especially proud to have played our part in a making a little bit of history with the Guinness World Record for Liz which is well deserved for her amazing collection.”

Running until Sunday 3 July, ‘Spiceworld: The exhibition’ is free to enter and celebrates the success of the Spice Girls as well as examining what it takes to be a modern celebrity.

For further information on Leeds City Museum, visit the website at http://www.leeds.gov.uk/citymuseum/
Notes to editors:
The Spice Girls are Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham (née Adams) who quickly became known by the nicknames Scary, Baby, Sporty, Ginger and Posh.
Following the impact of debut single ‘Wannabe’ which topped the charts in 31 countries in 1996, the Spice Girls enjoyed phenomenal success selling over 80 million records worldwide, having nine UK number one singles, starring in their own feature film and creating the ‘girl power’ mantra which is credited with inspiring a generation of girls and women to achieve.
ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:
Roger Boyde,
Leisure media relations officer,
Tel 0113 247 5472
Email: roger.boyde@leeds.gov.uk

METRO Article (May 2011)

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Cast your mind back to the days of girl power with Spiceworld The Exhibition at Leeds City Museum until Sunday 3 July.
Plan your journey so you have time to take in everything on offer in this exhibition.

Whether you loved them or hated them, the Spice Girls were undoubtedly the most famous girl group in the world in the 1990s.

The girls may now have all gone their separate ways, but Spiceworld will bring them back together in an interactive exhibition celebrating the impact they had on the world.

Much of it has been put together with the help of local super-fan Liz West and her extensive collection of memorabilia.

The exhibition explores the group and how it was marketed, as well as looking into the BritPop culture of the time, from manufactured bands to the media furore surrounding the groups.

Items on show in the exhibition include the iconic Union Jack boots worn by Geri Halliwell in Spiceworld: The Movie and Mel B's trademark giraffe print catsuit.

If you ever sang along to Wannabe, or sang Two Become One, then this exhibition will be unmissable.

For tickets and more information visit Dig Yorkshire.

You can use Metro's Journey Planner to find out how to get to Leeds by public transport.

THE QUEER SPHERE Review (12/06/2011)

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Spiceworld The Exhibition at Leeds City Museum & Interview With The Creator, Liz West

A pop culture phenomenon and worldwide sensation, The Spice Girls now even have their own exhibition at the Leeds City Museum. Brought to us by Spice Girls super-fan and graduate of Glasgow School of Art Elizabeth West, the exhibition charts the rise and success of the fantastic fivesome through an impressive collection of memorabilia amassed over the years.

Ranging from Geri’s iconic union jack boots (right) to magazine covers from our friends over at Attitude Magazine the collection is truly impressive – though tragically missing Geri’s famous Union Jack dress (which sold for over £40,000 at a charity auction).

However, what really makes Spiceworld worth a visit are the interactive features such as speakers you pull a cord to make play your favourite track and a stage with a karaoke machine and costumes to dress up in if listening just isn’t enough for you.

Running 28th January – 3rd July there’s a only a few weeks left to go and visit Spiceworld The Exhibition, we heartily recommend a trip to this alternative collection for a slice of pop culture nostalgia and an insight into the still biggest selling female group of all time.

At TQS we were lucky enough to catch up with exhibition creator Liz West to ask her a few questions about her collection:

When did you first start collecting Spice Girls memorabilia?
I didn’t start collecting their merchandise immediately. It wasn’t until the release of their second album in 1997 that I started buying all the different versions of the singles.

Do you have the world’s largest collection?
Yes, I have the official Guinness World Record for the Largest Spice Girls Collection in the world.

How many pieces are in the collection?
Just over 4,000 individual items (spice girls and solo spice memorabilia).

What’s the most you paid for any one item?
Around £2,500 for a Geri worn dress.

Do you have a favourite piece?
Any of the 65 items of clothing or stage wear owned by the girls that i have are pretty special to me. I couldn’t decide between them.

How did the exhibition come about?
After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art in 2007 I had no money and couldn’t get a job, so decided to write to museums all around the UK proposing an exhibition of my collection which I would curate. Leeds City Museum took up my offer in 2009 after delivering the idea to the exhibitions panel. I had had two exhibitions previous to the Leeds show. One at Cusworth Hall, Doncaster and one at Clifton Park Museum both in 2008.

HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER Article (19/04/2011)

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Lindley’s Liz West becomes a record breaker for her Spice Girls memorabilia exhibition


SHE is the world’s biggest Spice Girls fan – and now she’s a record breaker too. Liz West, of Lindley, is currently exhibiting more than 2,000 pieces of memorabilia devoted to the girl group. And the exhibition at Leeds City Museum has earned her a place in the record books.

The collection of memorabilia and merchandise was officially counted last weekend in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record. The 2,066 items was comfortably higher than the previous best of approximately 1,000 making it officially the biggest number of Spice Girls items in a collection together anywhere in the world. Liz said: “It’s all been very exciting, I applied to have Guinness come in and see if it’s the biggest collection. “We spent a month counting everything and making check lists to make it easier for them as they went round, but it took them half a day to go through everything. “The exhibition has been going really, really well, it’s beyond expectations. “It is fantastic to break the record and I am pleased we did it at Leeds City Museum as part of the exhibition. “Everything went really well and a special thank you to all the Leeds Metropolitan University students and volunteers who took time out of their weekend to help.”

With only items related to the group able to qualify for the count, it meant the items on display from the group’s solo careers were not able to be considered. And her collection has proven to be a massive hit – so far more than 25,000 people have visited the exhibition at the museum off Millennium Square. Liz added: “Mel B keeps teasing us saying on her website she’s going to come and I really hope she does, I know her mum came along to see it." Liz’s exhibition includes a range of outfits worn by Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Brown and Melanie Chisholm, who quickly became known by the nicknames Posh, Baby, Ginger, Scary and Sporty. There are also accessories, platinum discs, books, magazines and dolls sourced from all over the world. Leeds City Museum curator of exhibitions Helen Langwick said: “We are delighted that Leeds City Museum has played its part in breaking a Guinness World Record. The exhibition has gone really well so far and we look forward to welcoming more visitors to it in the coming weeks.”

The exhibition runs until July 3 and admission is free. In the summer of 2012 it will go to the Tower Museum in Londonderry. Liz added: “If any museum wants to fill in the gap they’re welcome to contact me, it’d be great if it went to the Tolson Museum, but we can take it anywhere.”

MY SPICE GIRLS COLLECTION BEATS GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

World record success for Spiceworld exhibition in Leeds

The exhibition devoted to the Spice Girls currently on display at Leeds City Museum has successfully become a world record holder.

The collection of memorabilia and merchandise from collector Liz West on show devoted to the most successful girl band of all time which makes up ‘Spiceworld: The exhibition’ was officially counted last weekend in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record.

The result of 2,066 items was comfortably higher than the previous best of approximately 1,000 making it officially the biggest number of Spice Girls items in a collection together anywhere in the world. With only items related to the group able to qualify for the count, it meant the items on display from the group’s solo careers were not able to be considered.

Since the free exhibition opened at the Leeds City Council-managed museum off Millennium Square at the end of January, over 25,000 people have visited to see the range of outfits worn by the group as well as accessories, platinum discs, books, magazines and dolls sourced from all over the world.

Spice Girls memorabilia collector Liz West said:

“It is fantastic to break the record and I am really pleased that we did it at Leeds City Museum as part of the exhibition.

“Everything went really well with the count and a special thank you to all the Leeds Metropolitan University students and volunteers who took time out of their weekend to help.”

Leeds City Museum curator of exhibitions Helen Langwick said:

“We are delighted that Leeds City Museum has played its part in breaking a Guinness World Record. The exhibition has gone really well so far and we look forward to welcoming more visitors to it in the coming weeks.”

Running until Sunday 3 July, ‘Spiceworld: The exhibition’ is free to enter and celebrates the success of the Spice Girls as well as examining what it takes to be a modern celebrity.

For further information on Leeds City Museum, visit the website at http://www.leeds.gov.uk/citymuseum/

For media enquiries please contact:
Roger Boyde, Leisure media relations officer,
Tel 0113 247 5472, Email: roger.boyde@leeds.gov.uk

ITV CALENDAR Report (14/04/2011)

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Spice up your life
5.30PM Thu Apr 14 2011
A woman from Huddersfield who's collected thousands of pieces of Spice Girls memorabilia has landed herself a place in the record books. After an official count up, Liz West's collection has been confirmed as the largest in the world. It's currently on display at the Leeds City Museum.

By: Tom Brown

SOSOGAY.COM Review (31/03/2011)

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Exhibition Review: Spiceworld The Exhibition

Rating: ****

Although I’m unashamedly a Spice Girls aficionado (I always wanted to be the sixth one as a child – with the combined sultry vampiness of Geri and the butch attitude of Mel C) I didn’t really think that an exhibition of years of collected Spice memorabilia could ever actually work – simply because there’s so much of the stuff. This was, after all, a girlband whose image appeared on everything from crisp packets to bedside lamps. An exhibition would simply be too cluttered, too lowbrow to actually work, right?

Wrong. Liz West’s collection, lovingly amassed over the years from the day Spice bric-a-brac first went on sale, has been painstakingly (and endearingly nerdily) catalogued. Everything you could possibly want to see is there, waiting to visually transport you back to the hours of Girl Power. Particularly impressive is the range of costumes that Liz has managed to hunt down, including several of Mel B’s Doctor Who-villain-style outfits. There are also magazine covers of the group across the walls from long-dead Nineties publications, alongside covers of the individual Girls during their later solo efforts. Throughout the exhibition, which takes about 35 minutes to see in full, there are constant ‘did you know?’-style sound-bites of trivia that can surprise even the most dedicated fan, giving the exhibition a scarily academic edge. To make up for this there’s also a dressing up box towards the end for all ages (see the picture at right for my own Halliwell effort).


Zig-a-zig-ah.
To sum up, this is a dedicated and detailed exhibition that gives a real sense the global scale of the Spice Girls phenomenon. We might now look back now with slight embarrassment at how five over-boisterous, vocally-passable lasses with rather awful dress sense conquered the planet. But they were the most successful music act of their day and arguably embody the era of Cool Britannia more than the grungy yelps of Oasis – and that’s something that should be celebrated. Granted, if you absolutely loathed them back then, you’re hardly likely to want to wander through acres of Spice gubbins today. But if you’ve got even the smallest inkling of nostalgia or just fancy a trip down memory lane to when things were enjoyably garish, then you’re sure to have a ball.

Spiceworld: The Exhibition runs at Leeds City Museum until 3 July 2011. Entry is free.

MELANIEBROWN.COM (11/02/2011)

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Spice World Exhibition in my home town Leeds

"I am over the moon that this Spice Girls exhibition is up and running in my home town, Leeds. Liz, 25, who I’ve been speaking to for a while, is the one responsible for putting together almost 4,000 pieces of Spice Girls memorabilia. What a job she has done! Hurry up guys, cause it’s only open until July 3rd.

Love them or hate them, this interactive exhibition celebrates Brit Pop’s most successful girl group. Through the extensive collection of local fan Liz West, explore the music industry at the height of Brit Pop – manufactured bands, the media, the glamour, the pressure of celebrity status and of course the music and merchandise that so often made the Spice Girls front page news.

Take a journey from the stage door to the bright lights of a performance and see if you’ve got what it takes to be a star!

The memorabilia on show will include a number of eye-catching items, such as the iconic Union Jack boots worn by Geri Halliwell in ‘Spiceworld: The Movie’, Emma Bunton’s blue sequin dress from the band’s memorable performance at the 1997 Brit Awards (where Geri made her first appearance in the Union Jack dress) and Mel B’s trademark giraffe print catsuit complete with ‘Mel B’ crystal-studded belt.

Other items among those which have never been seen together on public display before will include outfits worn by Emma, Geri and Mel B on their ‘Spiceworld’ tour, a gold and diamond-studded Chopard watch worn by Victoria, the directors’ script from ‘Spiceworld: The Movie’ and the multi-platinum CD the band were awarded for selling over four million copies of the album ‘Spice’ in America in 1997."

MANCHESTERCONFIDENTIAL.COM Review (03/03/2011)

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Paul Clarke finds merchandise and memories at a local shrine to Girl Power

Zig-a-Zig-Ah.
That moronic battle cry of the Spice Girls was the sorry soundtrack of 1996 as Britain’s most successful girl group stormed the charts.
‘There is – of course - tons of tacky merchandise sold to gullible kids. There is a room dedicated to how the Spice Girls were ruthlessly marketed and it is depressing to find they made £5m each from marketing deals alone.
A new exhibition at Leeds Museum celebrates the achievements of the not so Fab Five, who have reformed since then to lukewarm response as their individual careers zig-a-zagged in different careers.

This cleverly staged show is partly a tribute to Leeds lass Mel B – aka Scary Spice – and because local uberfan Liz West has also allowed her collection of more than 3,600 pieces to form the backbone of this retrospective.
Liz has made the Holy Grail of all obsessive fans by scoring a museum show and make no mistake this is the sort of top drawer collection that would make the music snobs in High Fidelity gave a grudging nod of respect.
Liz has not just collected the usual marketing tat the Spices Girls were happy to hawk but it contains a fascinating range of clothes the girls actually wore. There’s a glass case full of Mel B’s typically tasteful outfits, some of Baby Spice’s more demure dresses and even the Union Jack boots Geri wore in the film SpiceWorld.

There is – of course - tons of tacky merchandise sold to gullible kids. Pester power rather the Spice’s laughable claim that personified girl power. In fairness to the curators there is a room dedicated to how the Spice Girls were ruthlessly marketed and it’s depressing to find they made £5m each from marketing deals alone.
That’s the dark heart of this exhibition because the rise of the Spice Girls was the moment millions of teenagers realised that talent didn’t matter if you were a wannabe. All you had to do was pout, wear pigtails, shout a lot in a Yorkshire accent, wear a trackie or just have ginger hair and you could make millions.
The real irony behind the Spice Girls is that it was a marketing juggernaut driven by male executives, who all made a bigger fortune than the girls.
There is a direct link between the marketing genius behind the band and the vacuous X Factor generation's desperate quest for their 15 minutes of plastic fame.
But that isn’t Liz West’s fault and she has amassed a collection that is staggering its range and quality. Everywhere you turn there are platinum discs, signed posters, or a piece of original Spice clothing.
The team at Leeds Museum have pulled out all the stops to create a sympathetic - and strangely honest – romp through the career of a cultural phenomena who have outsold every other girl band in history by a country mile.

Throw in a dressing up room for the kids and a Spice Girls karaoke complete with a stage to yell 'zig-a-zig-ah' to your heart’s content and it all adds up to a must see fun exhibition that celebrates rather than mocks super fandom.
Spiceworld – the Exhibition runs until July 3 and is free entry. Leeds Museum is holding a Guinness world record attempt on April 9 when they aim to set a new mark for the largest ever Spice Girls collection. You are invited to come along as a Spice Girl – or Boy - and join in a special sing-a-long.

CULTURE 24 Review (16/03/2011)

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Spiceworld goes number one in Leeds City Museum display
By Ben Miller

Exhibition: Spiceworld – The Exhibition, Leeds City Museum, Leeds, until July 3 2011

In 1996, as the Spice Girls zinged into all-conquering life with saccharine chart-basher Wannabe, Liz West did her bit to help by buying two copies of the single.

“I must have had a collector’s instinct even as a 12-year-old child,” she confesses, claiming she just wanted to “support the Girls” and “help them be number one”.

“My collection really began when I went on a trip to London. I went to Hamleys, where they had a display of discounted Spice Girls Dolls.”

West hadn’t been able to afford the £20 cost of each feminist figurine in Woolworths, but the southern sale allowed her to buy four.

“It then became a challenge for me to find the fifth doll, Melanie C,” she adds, spending the next eight years trawling a “primitive” internet before eventually spotting her mini Sporty Spice.

“Visiting eBay made me realise how many different Spice Girls memorabilia products existed that I was not aware of in the 1990s. It has since become my mission to collect Spice Girls paraphernalia from every corner of the world.”

She was destined to assemble the largest collection dedicated to the famous five in the world, a haul so large she’s been limited to putting only a fraction of it on display so far in hugely popular exhibitions at Clifton Park in Rotherham, Cusworth Hall in Doncaster and the British Music Experience at London’s O2.

CDs, vinyl, Union Jack platform boots and signed photos of pouting future Beckhams abound, with more examples from the 3,400 items – including dozens of grinning, lurid dolls – available to view in an online version of the show.

“I wanted to get the collection out of storage and exhibit it for all to see,” says West.

“It’s pointless being hidden away when there are some amazing items in there to wonder at.”

Open Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm (7pm Thursday, 11am-5pm Saturday and Sunday). Admission free.
Follow Liz West’s Spice Girl Museum on Twitter or visit the collection online.

BARNSLEY INDEPENDENT Article (09/02/2011)

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