A central aspect of Liversidge’s practice is the making of Proposals, groups of hand-typed and posted suggestions that range from the sublime to the ridiculous, forming the basis for exhibitions, works and performances. Some of the proposals are realised, leading to artworks, performances and events. Others exist solely as ideas on A4 pieces of paper.

From 1st to 30th June 2006, artist Peter Liversidge typed and posted Proposals for the Edinburgh Festival to the Ingleby Gallery. From the sublime to the ridiculous, 105 proposals were made and sent. Whilst 2 were suspected casualties of the Great British postal service, the surviving 103 were collated in a book published by the gallery in August 2006.

Liversidge’s Festival Proposals included running a dentist surgery, sweet shop or petting zoo from the gallery for the Festivals duration, the construction of a death slide from Edinburgh Castle to the Scott Monument, or the release of a flock of 5 million starlings over the city – and many other fantastical suggestions besides. A number of equally wonderful but slightly more possible suggestions were realized by the artist and Ingleby Gallery throughout the festival. These included the planting of vegetables on Calton Hill, the dressing of gallery staff in the costumes of woodland creatures and the re-creation of a gin proposal previously held at the artist’s exhibitions in Caracas, Blackpool, Lausanne, London and Canterbury.

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According to the Ingleby Gallery website.