Unaverage Batting

Why, we’ve often wondered in the wee small hours, are table tennis bats so dull? You too, we imagine. Well, thanks to Ping! England, Liverpool’s creative events team ‘Really Now’ have soothed our troubled brows with ‘Spin!’

Merseyside’s creative and digital businesses and individuals (so, not us, then) have been invited to produce a series of imaginatively designed and skillfully decorated ping-pong paddles. Oh, *paddles* not bats. See, that’s why we weren’t invited.

Contributors to this unique exhibition include local band The Wombats, fashion designer Kirsty Doyle and winner of the Liverpool Art Prize 2012 Robyn Woolston.

The parade of paddles is on show at Camp and Furness until 26th July, and online at Really Now’s Flickr site.

Really Now director Nicholas Baskerville adds “We want to show the rest of the country what Liverpool has to offer, we’re a brilliantly creative city and Ping provides a great opportunity to promote the ingenuity of the businesses and artists working in Merseyside.”

From tomorrow, 17th July, the paddles will be up for auction on EBay with proceeds donated to CALM - a cause close to our hearts.

The Spin! exhibition marks the beginning of a month long event that sees 40 table tennis tables installed across the city courtesy of Ping! England. The event will finish with a Ping Pong Party at Camp And Furnace on Thursday 26th July when the artist with the most bids will be presented with an award.

The lobby and furnace will be transformed into an indoor ping-pong festival with live music and DJs, master classes hosted by the English Table Tennis association, team competitions, the King Of Ping competition, interactive ping pong for advanced gameplay, comedy performances and games for all ages. Go, paddle your way to the only sporting event that really counts this summer.

Tickets for the finale event at £7 and can be purchased in advance or on the door from Camp And Furnace.

Ping Liverpool