Author: Clare Deane

A number of new art installations and activations are popping up across Liverpool city centre this summer.

The Very Public Art campaign will see art commissions showcasing local artists and creators, giving them the platform to tell stories through their work. Earlier this month, the first of these installations was on display in the gardens of St Nicholas Parish Church. And These Birds Can Sing was a magical sound, art and nature trail of birdhouses is a celebration of women’s voices, encouraging visitors to reflect, remember and be inspired.

And These Birds Can Sing provided a taste of what’s to come this summer and here we’re taking a closer look at each installation you’ll be able to see over the next few months.

Holiday Home

6 August 2021 – 5 September 2021.

Richard Woods’ vibrant installation Holiday Home is on display in Custom House Place, Liverpool ONE.

Holiday Home is modelled on an everyday British bungalow scaled to a third of its size. The size makes it doll-like and intimate, but architectural in feel not like an architectural model. The artist, who usually replicates recognisable objects with vibrant colours and prints, was inspired by his 1970s childhood home interior and interests in home renovation, DIY culture, and notions of taste. The neon colours, and black lines which he is particularly keen on, trademark his cartoon style and it is this cartoon appearance that separates the house from the real world in which it sits.

Mersey Sounds

15 August 2021 – 7 September 2021.

Mersey Sounds is a recreation of Liverpool’s Speaker’s Corner, designed by Liverpool Sculptor Arthur Dooley (1929-94), which was situated on the waterfront from 1973-1990. It was a site for speeches, rallies and demonstrations during Liverpool’s turbulent industrial and political past.

The 12.5-meter structure of steel columns and beams finds at its heart a giant handmade copper megaphone to reflect Liverpool’s tradition as a democratic city and the need to share our voices and stories.

Mersey Sounds is a collaboration between Arts Organisation of the Liverpool Year of Writing, Writing on the Wall and award-winning Architect, Daniel Smith of Liverpool’s Smith Young Architects. The historic connection between the original Speakers Corner and Mersey Sounds is that Daniel Smith’s father was the steel erector who worked with Sculptor Arthur Dooley when he created the original Speakers Corner.

The project is also a collaboration with Liverpool’s communities as it will feature a changing sound scape of speeches and stories gathered from the diverse groups WoW works with, to recognise the democratic traditions of the original design and encourage engagement from both longstanding and new communities who are reshaping Liverpool, an ever-changing city.

Winds of Change

17 September 2021 – 5 October 2021.

Winds of Change was commissioned by St George’s Quarter CIC and designed by Simon Armstrong of Design Laser Play in collaboration with Laura Pullig and with support from DoES Liverpool.

It is a working windmill installation that celebrates the past, present and future of St George’s Quarter, its links to industry and the development of the city of Liverpool as a whole.

The self-sufficient windmill will have moving elements and uses some of the earliest renewable energy technology to produce its own power by harnessing the wind.

This will provide electricity for LED illumination of laser cut imagery all around the structure while also powering the modern day technological devices installed inside. The Windmill will be on display in St George’s Quarter from 17 September to 5 October. As well as the stunning spectacle of the installation, there will be a programme of workshops taking place around St George’s Quarter to celebrate the history of the area.

From Now On

9 August 2021 – 6 October 2021.

From Now On is an artwork consisting of 4 giant letters: H,O,P & E which have been filled with donated items that hold a personal ‘pandemic story’ to people from across the city.

The memories they conjure may be fond or they may be bittersweet. They might make people smile or make them cry. Either way this personal, symbolic, fun and poignant artwork asks us to remember what we have learnt about ourselves over the past few months as well as to embrace the audacity of hope.

Cowheard and the Weaver Girl

14 August 2021 – 28 August 2021.

Cowheard and The Weaver Girl is a site specific installation, created by artist Laura Brownhill, which depicts scenes from the mythological story around which the Chinese festival, Qixi is based. The installation is designed to look like you are stepping into a giant pop up children’s book to immerse you into the story. Qixi falls on 14th August – Chinese Valentines Day – a chance to celebrate love, culture, friendship and community.

Statues Redressed

Statues Redressed, a Sky Arts initiative, also forms part of the Very Public Art campaign.

Sky Arts, Northern Town and Culture Liverpool have taken on the city’s statues, grappling with some of the issues around them. As artists, designers and members of the community, they have given them a whole new look by dressing the statues up, or creating art around them.

Almost 50 statues will be revealed throughout the summer and then the story of the project will be presented in a special broadcast on Sky Arts in October. Find out more about Statues Redressed here.

With summer in full swing, here’s our guide to what’s happening in Liverpool this month.

Bridge

Over three days, Culture Liverpool in partnership with Imagineer are set to host a series of free pop-up events and happenings, where ‘Bridge’ becomes the setting for an extraordinary outdoor performance.

Visit ‘Bridge’  by day and enjoy a series of FREE events and experiences created in collaboration with communities and arts organisations from across County District and the wider city.

Friday and Saturday night will see gravity-defying circus acrobatics, dance, comedy, theatre and live music, inspired by local people’s stories, to create a thrilling and moving montage of the courage, compassion and humour needed to bridge a divide.

FestEVOL All Dayer Music Festival

Legendary music promoter EVOL have produced a stellar line up for their FestEVOL all dayer music festival at the Invisible Wind Factory with Kelly Lee Owens headlining. The full lineup: Working Men’s Club, Stealing Sheep, Tea Street Band, IST IST, The Ninth Wave, Walt Disco, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, Odd Morris, PIXEY, White Flowers, SKIA, HAARM, The DSM IV, Eyesore & The Jinx, Silent-K, Psycho Comedy, Honey Motel, Oranj Son.

FACT Cinema in the City

A new cinematic experience by FACT will bring the best in new, independent film to extraordinary places across Liverpool, starting with the Cotton Exchange rooftop garden. Cinema in the City gives film fans a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience critically-acclaimed and award-winning films against the backdrop of the city’s iconic architecture.

Heathers – The Musical

Following two smash hit record breaking London West End seasons, Heathers – The Musical embarks on its first national tour. This high octane, black comedy rock musical based on the 1988 film of the same name is back with a bang, missing out might just be the death of you.

Florrie Fest

The Florrie Fest Fundraiser returns on August 28th 2021 with a huge line-up of amazing bands & artists. Confirmed artists includeRed Rum Club (Acoustic), Amiee Stevens, Ali Horn, Beyond Average, David Silcock & The Castaways, Hushtones, Jake Gerard Nolan, Jimmy Allen, Katy Alex, Kieo, Mark Manley, Piss Kitti, Rubber Dub, The Sway.

For more events check out our What’s On section.

Future Yard has quickly become one of the most talked about music venues in Merseyside and rightly so. The 350-capacity space at 75 Argyle Street, Birkenhead promises to be much more than just a music venue. Future Yard will also provide live industry training to budding creatives and will become a regional hub for artist development.

With no established music venues in Birkenhead, 2019’s Future Yard, two-day festival provided a taste of what could be over on the Wirral. Gig-goers from across Merseyside were attracted by the strong lineup which included a special, two-man performance by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys. The festival also gave local, emerging musicians the chance to perform alongside acts who were thriving, like Evian Christ and She Drew The Gun.

Following the success of the festival, it was clear there was an appetite for a permanent venue and this year we’ll see Future Yard bring some of the most exciting national and international artists to Wirral, while providing support slots to local up and coming artists and bands.

The venue also boasts a light and airy bar, coffee shop & kitchen, open all day every day, serving vegan and veggie food, with local craft beers and boss coffee. Additionally, their garden area with bleachers has already proved to be a popular hangout during the sunny weather. Future Yard feels just like the bustling creative hub it set out to be.

COVID-19 has obviously had a huge impact on music venues such as Future Yard but they are committed to realising their vision for the new space.

“We believe that Future Yard is needed now, more than ever before,” says Future Yard co-founder Craig Pennington. “True, it is a challenging time, but we believe the experience of lockdown has shown how powerful a community can be and we want to provide a space for our local community to come together. We’ve also seen an explosion in live streaming and digital performance, which has been hugely welcome and is here to stay, but this does not replace live music. People who love live music have acutely realised how important it is to them, how much of a role it plays in their lives. We’re committed to creating a new venue to champion and support new music in Birkenhead.”

This past month Future Yard hosted touring exhibition, Super Cool Drawing Machine. Presented by Yuppies Music, the exhibition is a celebration of the visual art created by a host of internationally acclaimed, touring musicians. The exhibition featured paintings, photography, drawings, ceramics, digital instillations, recycled arts, sculpture and furniture. Hosting Super Cool Drawing Machine added another layer to the venue and one that we are likely to see explored again in the future.

Additionally, Future Yard recently announced PROPELLER, a new, artist-focused music programme. PROPELLER will provide access to quality studio space, personalised mentorship support, expert knowledge from leading industry minds and a vibrant peer to peer community for budding musicians. Their involvement in actively nurturing and supporting local musicians is arguably more important than ever with the challenges the on-going pandemic have had on the arts industry.

The PROPELLER membership programme is run by the Future Yard management team, alongside the mentors and team of supporting professionals, amassing years of relevant music industry experience. Project lead and mentor Cath Hurley said: 

“Having worked with exciting and emerging talent for the past 15 years, it’s easy to spot where the disconnects lie in the pathway for regional talent who deserve to progress on to a world stage. Local scenes can often feel fragmented and disconnected within themselves, even before artists start working nationally and breaking out to international markets. Future Yard is creating a community where information and experience is shared freely and opportunities can be sought out and maximised in order to grow audiences and revenues. 

Enabling talented musicians to build a viable career is at the heart of what we aim to do, whilst creating a safe and inclusive space for musicians to truly be themselves. We want artists to feel empowered, in control and supported in a community that celebrates their individuality and personality. The wider PROPELLER team is packed full of professionals that inspire us and have achieved great results with special artists. I can’t wait to introduce them to our growing community of local talent. Music in our region is so special and I can’t wait to hear so much of it thudding out of our rehearsal rooms and on to our stage.” 

PROPELLER applications close on Monday 2nd August and you can find out more about the programme here.

As for the venue itself the schedule of gigs already lined up in 2021 offers an insight into the diverse lineup you can expect to watch here, with the likes of Orchestral Movements In The Dark, Henge, Tokky Horror and Sam Brookes and many more coming up over the next few months.

With live music making it’s long-awaited come back, Future Yard is set to be a bustling music hub this summer and far beyond.

Check out the Future Yard website for more information and gig listings.

 

Liverpool’s annual, one-night, ‘culture-crawl’ LightNight returns on Friday 21 May, with arts venues opening their doors until late to shine a spotlight on the region’s world-class artistic offer. 

The line-up features over 70 free arts events which will take place online and at 30 city centre venues.

Here’s some highlights to look out for:

LUX by Focal Studios, DefProc Engineering, Urban Workbench and Everyman & Playhouse Theatres

20:30 – 23:00 at St Luke’s ‘Bombed Out’ Church

An interactive, projection-mapped game created especially for St Luke’s Church. LUX is an immersive augmented reality game and art installation, giving visitors the chance to interact with the iconic venue. Inside a futuristic control pod, inspired by 80s sci-fi games, players use contactless gesture controls to play with a wondrous machine and see the building come alive with light and energy. 

Cyber Labyrinth

Online

Cyber Labyrinth is a new media exhibition co-curated by Jaxton Su (Singapore) and Nien-Ting Chen (Taiwan), which imagines the uncertainty and ever-changing notion of the future as a temporal labyrinth that reconfigures itself arbitrarily. Presented in the form of a pseudo futuristic cyber café, it showcases a wide spectrum of experimental works including but not limited to video art, animation, music video, game, sonic art and performance art. Audiences can interact with the fun and engaging artworks as they embark on a psychedelic journey of future imaginings filled with wonders and surprises.

Word Play Open Mic with WoWFEST

Online

Enjoy a special online Open Mic hosted by multi award-winning poet Ciarán Hodgers, and featuring some special guest performances from the community, and local poets and writers, Levi Tafari, Greg Quiery, and rapper K. Find out how to share your work as part of LightNight or just sit back and enjoy the array of work being shared by signing up to the Zoom here.

Play with Fire by Bring the Fire Project

In-person at Black Lodge Brewing 

Join in with an extraordinary, adrenaline packed pre booked workshop to learn how to do basic tricks and manipulation with a fire sword or fire fan. Initially without fire, but then progressing to setting the props alight under the close supervision of our experienced instructors with full safety training. Booking is essential, as places are limited. A deposit is required, which will be refunded after you attend the workshop. 

My Favourite Place: Keith Medley Photographic Archive

Online

Join Liverpool John Moores University as they explore the Keith Medley Photographic Archive and encourage you to contribute your own memories and observations of these special places that live on in the hearts of Scousers. Keith Medley was a commercial photographer on Merseyside between 1949 and 1987. His Wallasey-based photographic business made him well-known in the area for his work as a wedding, portrait and press photographer.

Peace Doves

In-person at Liverpool Cathedral 

Liverpool Cathedral will stage an uplifting programme of musical performances, which will accompany Peace Doves, a large-scale art installation featuring over 20,000 paper doves suspended above the Well by sculptor and artist Peter Walker.

Give Us Work Not Dole: Meccano Factory presented by Central Library

19:00—20:00 Online talk with Q&A

Liverpool based Labour historian Dr. Greig Campbell will give a 30-minute talk that explores the little-known story of a rank-and-file workers’ occupation of Liverpool’s Meccano plant – the so-called Factory of Dreams. Using archival source material, comic book style illustrations and oral testimonies, Give Us Work Not Dole provides an intimate account of the 1979-80 fight to save the facility from closure – a campaign that represents one of the most remarkable chapters in Merseyside’s illustrious labour history. Find out more about the event here.

 

 

Paint The Sky by Despite the Monkey

20:00 – 22:00 at Liverpool Town Hall and online

Exploring the possibilities of play as creativity, Despite the Monkey invites you to join them at Liverpool Town Hall or online, as they enlist your help in constructing a digital mural of the city’s skyline. Take part by visiting them in Liverpool Town Hall’s majestic Council Chamber where they will be projecting the mural, or by going online and designing your own tile from wherever you may be.

Liverpool Biennial 2021: The Stomach and the Port

At Tate Liverpool, Open Eye Gallery, Bluecoat, FACT, Lush Building, Cotton Exchange, Lewis’s Building and Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building

Curated by Manuela Moscoso, The Stomach and the Port presents a total of 50 artists from 30 countries around the world with 150 works of art, including 47 new commissions. It explores concepts of the body, drawing on non-Western thinking where the body is seen as fluid, being continuously shaped by, and actively shaping its environment. 

Drawing Club with Laura-Kate Draws

18:00—19:30 Online via Zoom

Families are invited to a playful workshop full of fun activities, resulting in a series of character drawings and a mini zine. Bring your imaginations and let your creativity flow over your paper. Suited to children aged 5-12 years old, who should attend with a parent or guardian. Book tickets here.

Check out the full programme of free LightNight events at www.lightnightliverpool.co.uk

By Kitty Cooper

 

As the world retreated into their homes at the beginning of the pandemic, so too did the artists, production teams and freelancers. 

But research from the Office for National Statistics shows that while more than 80% of arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food businesses were temporarily closed in the spring lockdown, just 55% closed in January 2021. The changes, they state, “are likely to be a result of businesses adapting, such as arts organisations streaming performances online”. 

Liverpool has always appealed to creatives as a mixing pot of live theatre, dance, music and events. So when that had to stop, Liverpool’s creators had to change tac too. 

We spoke to some of Liverpool’s events organisers, venues and artists about whether the future of culture and events is destined to remain online.

FACT

“Over the past year we have worked with artists to challenge the concept of what a virtual event can look and feel like.”

FACT, an art gallery, cinema, bar and events space in Liverpool City Centre closed its doors in March; just two days away from the launch of a new exhibition. However, by May, they had set up a digital artist remote residency and now have all of their artworks available to experience online. 

Jess Fairclough, Marketing and Communications Manager at FACT said: “As restrictions are lifted and we navigate between the physical and virtual space, we are planning a programme that will happen inside and outside of FACT, and online.”

Despite looking forward to eventually “wandering through Bluecoat’s garden and galleries” and “basking in the sunlight and buzz on Bold Street”, Jess said the use of the virtual space helps to remove certain barriers, including financial hurdles and accessibility issues.

Mooncup Theatre

“As much as it was stressful to organise, once it was happening we felt such an overwhelming feeling of connection.”

Mooncup Theatre are a womXn led collective who use theatre to broadcast their political voice. Prior to the first lockdown, their “scran n scratch” project was running monthly and attracting a community of regulars they didn’t want to lose.

Mooncup said they were eventually able to carve out a virtual space to continue their project, which was essential for their mental health and wellbeing at a time when they had to “be separate from the people that you love and the ones that normally care for you.”

Producers of Mooncup Theatre, Rebecca Clarke and Martyna Puciato said the gradual use of technology had actually allowed people to “dip their toes in” from their own room. “You do have an outreach that you can’t normally have, the accessibility of the online world is unbelievable.” 

However, despite the benefits of the virtual space, Mooncup said they are looking forward to getting back into the rehearsal room. “Get some sweaty humans in a room – that would be great!”

Philharmonic Hall

“When it is safe to do so, it will be wonderful to have a hall that is full to capacity.”

For many venues and companies, lockdown meant grappling for grants and government support in place of revenue. Liverpool Philharmonic Hall usually presents 400 concerts and events each year. However, after their last concert on March 16, they were forced to close. 

Luckily, through a range of funding, they were able to hold online ‘In Conversation’ events and curate a series of On Demand performances for audiences to purchase and watch at home, allowing them to have unlimited capacity and interact with people all over the world.

For the time being they are planning a blended programme of live and On Demand performances but Head of Communications and External Affairs, Rachel Gaston, said: “When it is safe to do so it will be wonderful to have a Hall that is full to capacity and see a full Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir on the stage.”

Bongo’s Bingo

“We had to lose 95% of our team as our income was wiped out overnight”

Despite the success of many organisations in utilising virtual platforms to generate income during the pandemic, some event organisers were hit with further stumbling blocks. Bongo’s Bingo, who describe themselves as a “wild shared social extravaganza where everyone from 18 to 92 plays bingo and parties together” were hit particularly hard at the beginning of the pandemic, losing 95% of their team as the income from their events was “wiped out overnight”. 

Licensing issues prevented them from delivering bingo to an online audience. Jess Helliar, Operations Director, said: “We have been in the process of applying for this licence for 6 months now and it is still ongoing.”

Irrespective of these setbacks, they did host some online events to continue engagement with their regulars. Jess said: “I’d like to think that there is room for them to continue but in the initial phase of restrictions being lifted, I think there will be a decrease in attendance.” 

However, with restrictions easing and dates provisionally set for reopening, their in-person events are “selling out faster than they ever have before” which Jess said is “incredible to see.”

Sound City

“We’re really proud of the live events industry we have in the UK and it’s just been a really tough time across the board.”

Sound City, the leading independent festival showcase for new music in the UK had to postpone their yearly event three times this year due to the pandemic. Turning their attention to a new initiative, a live streaming platform called GuestHouse, they were able to help over 300 artists reach fans and raise an income. 

Becky Ayres, Managing Director of Soundcity said: “We’ve managed to innovate out of it to some extent but there’s a lot of people that work in the freelance live industry that are highly skilled professionals that have not been able to access any support.” 

Turning to online and hybrid events allowed them to continue to attract audiences and promote artists at a time when many were struggling. Becky said: “For people to be able to access things online and be able to engage with it not just physically is something that needs to be considered really by everyone that runs events. I think it’s really at its early stages and I think there’s a lot more development to come really.”

However, there is no doubt that they are looking forward to the future of live, in-person events. “It will be great for people’s mental health and also for the live industry to continue to do what they do best which is to put on really amazing shows.”

Liverpool Arts Bar

“If arts venues aren’t thinking of continuing online events, they should really reassess.”

Despite partial, gradually increased support for some venues and organisations, funding sources weren’t accessible for everyone in the industry. The Liverpool Arts Bar, a venue on Hope Street focussed on showcasing the arts, had only opened their doors nine months before the lockdown. This meant that they did not have a full years’ accounts to make them eligible for any schemes. 

Director of the Arts Bar, Alex Medlicott said: “We just missed the cut off. What we had to do instead was keep ourselves going online, try and sell things like merchandise online and try and do events.” 

Despite a seemingly desperate situation, Alex said that not having access to the grants meant they had to become creative and rather than close up and wait, they took the opportunity to grow their social media. “People have said “you’re killing your own audience off”, but you want to catch those people who are sitting at home on a Friday night, seeing that the gig is on, seeing that the place is buzzing and wanting to go there next Friday because it looks great.” 

Far from shutting their laptops as soon as pubs reopen, the Arts Bar said: “It’s the one thing we’d take away from this, if arts venues aren’t thinking of continuing online events they should really reassess.”

 

Though utilising virtual spaces in some cases is not practical, possible even, in many others, it seems the possibilities of hybrid events are only at the beginning. What the future of the entertainment industry will look like is unclear, with many factors affecting the industry as we once knew it. One thing is for sure though, the industry innovated its way out of a desperate situation, evolving into something new and exciting and those boundaries will surely continue to be pushed.

We’ve put together some of the best arts and culture TED talks to leave you feeling inspired and creative.

1. Give yourself permission to be creative – Ethan Hawke

Reflecting on moments that shaped his life, actor Ethan Hawke examines how courageous expression promotes healing and connection with one another — and invites you to discover your own unabashed creativity. We recommend pairing this TED talk with a read of Creative Fatigue: The dangers of the productivity warrior narrative by Liverpool artist Becky Downing.