In this latest edition of Buried Treasure, John Maguire of ArtsGroupie CIC explores the creative spark within us all and reflects on how Physical Fest continues to inspire artists and audiences alike.
In this column, I often look at heritage and treasures in the Liverpool City Region from an external perspective. Today, however, I am going to focus on the buried treasure within the individual: the imagination and creativity we all possess.
Theatre and the arts can act like tinder, igniting a whole array of feelings within the spectator and serving as a powerful catalyst for inspiration.
As we head into autumn and the unpredictable weather that comes with it, September sees the return of Physical Fest at the Unity Theatre. Always, when I attend this festival, I come away with so many ideas. It is, for me, a creative M.O.T.
Physical theatre blends movement, dance, mime, and ensemble storytelling. It’s a festival that challenges what theatre usually looks like. Experiencing international masters and diverse movement styles firsthand is a unique opportunity that enhances any artists work.
As a young practitioner, my own early exposure to the world of physical theatre at the Unity pushed me to go on to study at Aberystwyth University. There, I explored all kinds of physical expression through workshops with so many practitioners like, theatre makers from The Berliner Ensemble and Etienne Decroux’s school. Plus, consistent movement work with Mike Pearson, pioneer of Brith Gof, one of the most radical, site-specific theatre companies making raw, industrial work.
This festival brings examples of top-class physical theatre into one venue. Eli Randle, the Founder, shared the origins and evolution of the festival: “Physical Fest started many moons ago, back in 2005, as a small workshop festival. At the time, my co-director Yorgos and I were travelling constantly around Europe, training with different practitioners and discovering new approaches to physical theatre. We thought, ‘Why not bring them to Liverpool?’”
Heavily inspired by Hope Street’s Physical Theatre course, the festival became a way of connecting Liverpool with the wider physical theatre world. Over the years, it has helped build a real physical theatre community and has been a constant source of inspiration for Eli and Tmesis Theatre.
‘Parker Dee’ in Ungirlfriended
“At a time when new borders and barriers can make international exchange more difficult, it feels increasingly important that we continue to connect with practitioners from around the world, to collaborate, be challenged, share ideas, and discover different ways of making art. Physical theatre has always been my preferred theatrical language. I love its ability to transcend culture and borders, and to communicate through something universal: the body.”
I asked some of the artists to tell me how the festival has affected them.
“Physical Fest is the best! It creates and warmly invites a diverse community of passionate people to celebrate and learn together. It has inspired me so much in my art, thank you.” — Jamie Wood, Artist
“Physical Fest is an amazing opportunity for emerging artists to access training with some of the best performers and practitioners in the world. Being part of Physical Fest and Tmesis Training Company opened up my professional network and allowed me to develop skills that supported me in future auditions and work… It’s an incredible chance to experience innovative work at accessible prices right here at a local theatre, saving you a trip to bigger cities like London.” — Mariana Pires, Performer & Emerging Artist
Physical Fest remains intimate and accessible. Who knows what spark it might trigger within you, or what creativity may emerge from sharing that collective space?
Physical Fest is Liverpool’s international festival of contemporary physical theatre, celebrating some of the world’s most exciting visual and movement-based performance. Produced by Tmesis Theatre, the festival brings bold new work from across the globe to the North for the first time, alongside a vibrant seven-day programme of performances, workshops and events.
Running from Monday 7th — Saturday 12th September, this year, the performance programme at Unity Theatre, features an exciting mix of clowning, physical theatre and circus from Belgium and Italy, captivating Japanese physical performance, and outstanding new work by local and national artists.
Being one of the thousands of Liverpool students means having an incredible cultural scene right on your doorstep. Alongside museums, galleries and music heritage, you’ll find independent theatres, grassroots venues, creative spaces, festivals, workshops. There’s so much to discover—and plenty of opportunities to get involved.
Lots of places are completely free to visit, while others offer affordable tickets and student discounts. Whether you want to discover local artists, catch some live music, get creative yourself or simply find a cheap day out with friends, this guide will help you make the most of what’s on offer.
Free Museums and Art Galleries
Credit: FACT Liverpool
The Liverpool City Region is home to an impressive collection of museums and galleries, many of which are free to visit. They’re ideal for an affordable day out, a little creative inspiration or an afternoon away from your studies.
National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool has several major museums and galleries across Liverpool and the wider city region.
Popular places to explore include:
Museum of Liverpool, where you can learn about the people, industries, music and social history that shaped the city.
World Museum, home to collections spanning natural history, archaeology, science and world cultures, as well as a planetarium and aquarium.
Walker Art Gallery, which displays paintings, sculpture and decorative art from the medieval period to the present day.
Lady Lever Art Gallery, situated in the historic village of Port Sunlight and particularly well known for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings.
Sudley House, a Victorian home containing paintings, period furniture and decorative art.
General admission is free, although charges may apply to selected exhibitions and activities. Check the National Museums Liverpool website for current opening information before travelling.
Tate Liverpool
Tate Liverpool brings major modern and contemporary art to the city through exhibitions, installations and events.
While its Royal Albert Dock building undergoes redevelopment, Tate Liverpool continues to present a programme in the city via Riba North at Mann Island. Check the website for exhibitions and opening times before visiting.
Bluecoat
Set inside Liverpool city centre’s oldest surviving building,Bluecoat is a contemporary arts centre presenting visual art, literature, music, dance and live performance.
Its galleries are free to enter and showcase work by both emerging and established artists. Bluecoat also runs talks, workshops and participatory events, while its courtyard and garden offer a peaceful place to escape the bustle of the city centre.
FACT
FACT explores the relationship between art, film, technology and society through free exhibitions and immersive installations.
It’s a particularly interesting venue for students studying, or simply interested in film, gaming, digital culture, media and emerging technology. The building is also home to a Picturehouse cinema, which screens new releases, independent films, documentaries, classics and special events.
Open Eye Gallery
Located on the waterfront,Open Eye Gallery is one of the UK’s leading photography galleries.
Its free exhibitions bring together work by established photographers, emerging artists and local communities. Students interested in photography, journalism, visual culture or social history should also look out for its talks, workshops and opportunities.
Victoria Gallery & Museum
The University of Liverpool’sVictoria Gallery & Museum brings art, history and science together inside a striking Gothic Revival building.
Its collections include paintings, sculpture, ceramics and scientific objects, with exhibits ranging from Victorian medical instruments to contemporary art. Entry is free, and you don’t need to be a University of Liverpool student to visit.
dot-art Gallery
dot-art Gallery is a brilliant place to discover work by artists based in Liverpool and the surrounding area. Its changing exhibitions provide an accessible introduction to the local visual arts scene, while the wider organisation supports artists through exhibitions and creative opportunities. The gallery on Queen Avenue is free to visit.
Explore Culture Beyond Liverpool City Centre
The World of Glass
There is much more to the city region’s cultural life than Liverpool city centre. Students can use local rail and bus services to discover museums, galleries, heritage attractions and creative organisations across Wirral, St Helens, Sefton, Knowsley and Halton.
Heart of Glass, St Helens
Heart of Glass works with artists and communities to produce exhibitions, performances, conversations and ambitious public art projects.
Rather than operating as a traditional gallery, its work often appears in public spaces and community settings across St Helens and the city region.
The World of Glass, St Helens
The World of Glass explores the history of St Helens and the borough’s internationally significant glassmaking industry.
Alongside its museum collections, visitors can see live glassblowing demonstrations and explore exhibitions examining local history, creativity and industry. Check current admission prices and concessions when planning your visit.
The Atkinson, Southport
The Atkinson is Southport’s home for art, entertainment, heritage and literature. Inside you’ll find a museum, art galleries, theatre, studio, library and café. Its galleries and museum are free to explore, while its programme includes comedy, music, theatre, talks, film screenings and family activities.
The site has a history stretching back around 900 years and makes a great destination for students looking for a day outside the city. Admission charges apply, so check for current prices and student concessions before visiting.
Live Music Venues
Future Yard
The region has a thriving live scene encompassing classical music, jazz, folk, electronic music, hip-hop, experimental work and emerging local artists. Supporting smaller venues and new performers is also one of the best ways to discover the next generation of Liverpool music.
The Tung Auditorium
Situated inside the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre at the University of Liverpool,The Tung Auditorium is a modern concert venue with a programme spanning classical music, jazz, contemporary music, electronica and spoken word.
University of Liverpool students can access special ticket offers for many events through the venue’s student membership scheme. Students from other institutions should check individual event listings for available concessions.
Future Yard
Future Yard is a grassroots music venue and creative community based in Birkenhead. Its programme includes alternative, independent and emerging artists alongside club nights, festivals and special events. Future Yard also supports musicians through rehearsal rooms, artist development and training programmes, making it worth following if you’re trying to build a career in music.
The Capstone Theatre
Based at Liverpool Hope University’s Creative Campus,The Capstone Theatre presents music, theatre, dance, spoken word and film.
It is especially well known for jazz and hosts the annual Liverpool International Jazz Festival. Check individual listings for student and concessionary ticket options.
M&S Bank Arena
TheM&S Bank Arena welcomes some of the biggest names in music, comedy and entertainment to the city. Alongside major international tours, its programme includes live shows, special events and performances spanning a wide range of genres.
Theatre and Performance
Liverpool has an excellent theatre scene, ranging from large touring productions to intimate new writing, experimental work and performances created with local communities.
Student offers vary between productions, so always check the venue’s website before booking and take valid student identification with you.
Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse
Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse presents locally produced theatre, new writing, touring productions and creative events across its two venues.
Young people should also look at the theatres’ current membership, participation and development opportunities. These can include discounted tickets, workshops, events and ways to become involved in theatre-making.
Liverpool’s Royal Court
Liverpool’s Royal Court is known for producing accessible, entertaining theatre with a distinct Liverpool voice. It’s a great place to immerse yourself in Liverpool life and get to know the city’s sense of humour.
Unity Theatre
Unity Theatre champions new work, emerging artists and performances that explore contemporary issues. Its programme includes theatre, comedy, dance, family work, festivals and artist development opportunities. Student discounts are available for many performances.
The Hope Street Theatre
The Hope Street Theatre hosts independent theatre companies, emerging performers, comedy, musicals, festivals and new writing.
Liverpool Empire Theatre
Liverpool Empire Theatre hosts major touring musicals, drama, dance, comedy and family productions. Student offers and reduced-price tickets are available on selected performances.
20 Stories High
20 Stories High creates bold theatre and music with young people and communities that are often underrepresented on stage. Its work can combine hip-hop, spoken word, live music, puppetry and multimedia performance. Students interested in socially engaged theatre, performance and activism should look out for productions, workshops and participation opportunities.
The Black-E
The Black-E is a pioneering community arts organisation based in a distinctive historic building close to Liverpool’s Chinatown. It has a long history of bringing people together through performance, visual art, workshops, festivals and community events.
Film, Photography and Digital Culture
A Place Of Our Own exhibition at Open Eye Gallery. Credit: Rob Battersby
Film and media students will find plenty to explore across the city region, but you don’t need to be studying a creative subject to get involved.
Alongside FACT and Open Eye Gallery, look out for independent screenings, short-film nights, filmmaker Q&As, community cinema projects and opportunities to have your own work screened.
First Take
First Take works with people and communities to tell stories through film, animation and digital media. Its projects have supported emerging creatives and people whose experiences are not always represented on screen. Aspiring filmmakers should follow First Take for screenings, workshops, training and project opportunities.
Books, Writing and Spoken Word
The Reader Bookshop
Liverpool’s literary culture includes festivals, shared reading groups, spoken-word events, workshops, independent bookshops and opportunities for new writers.
Writing on the Wall
Writing on the Wall runs writing projects, workshops, performances, discussions and events throughout the year. They also run the annual WoWFEST, Liverpool’s longest-running writing and literary festival. Its programme brings together acclaimed authors, activists, poets, performers and emerging writers.
Students who want to develop their writing should follow Writing on the Wall for workshops, commissions, competitions and participation opportunities.
The Reader at Calderstones
The Reader uses literature and Shared Reading to bring people together. Its home in Calderstones Park includes the Mansion House, an independent bookshop, café, reading spaces and a programme of groups, workshops and cultural activities.
Festivals and Cultural Events
Africa Oyé. Credit: Mark McNulty
Some of the city region’s best cultural experiences happen through annual festivals and one-off events rather than permanent venues.
Liverpool Irish Festival
Liverpool Irish Festival celebrates Liverpool’s Irish culture, heritage and contemporary creative connections. Their annual programme includes music, theatre, film, talks, exhibitions, walks and participatory events at venues across the city. The festival normally includes a mixture of free and ticketed activities.
Africa Oyé
Africa Oyé is the UK’s largest free celebration of African music and culture. Held each summer in Liverpool’s Sefton Park, the festival brings together international artists, DJs, food stalls and independent traders for a vibrant weekend of live music and entertainment.
Student Discounts and Affordable Tickets
Student and concessionary offers can change, but there are several ways to make cultural trips more affordable.
Student Art Pass
AStudent Art Pass provides free or reduced-price entry to participating museums, galleries, historic houses and major exhibitions across the UK. It may also include shop and café discounts.
Check the current membership price and participating attractions before joining.
Ask Your University
Universities and students’ unions sometimes arrange free tickets, cultural trips, society visits and discounted transport. Joining a student society connected to music, theatre, filmmaking, photography, literature or visual art can also help you find events and meet people with similar interests.
Find Arts Jobs, Callouts and Opportunities
If you’re hoping to work in the creative industries, don’t wait until graduation to start making connections.
Liverpool City Region’s cultural organisations regularly advertise:
Part-time and entry-level jobs
Internships and placements
Freelance commissions
Artist development programmes
Volunteer positions
Funding opportunities
Auditions and performance callouts
Opportunities for writers, filmmakers and photographers
This guide is only a starting point. Liverpool City Region’s cultural calendar changes every week, with new exhibitions, gigs, performances, workshops, festivals and creative opportunities appearing all the time.
UseUncover Liverpool to find events across the city region. You can filter listings by date and discover free and low-cost things to do.
You can also join the free weekly Arts Bulletin for a curated selection of events, jobs, commissions, callouts, volunteering roles and other creative opportunities.
Liverpool’s cultural scene belongs to everyone. Explore beyond the familiar places, support independent organisations and local artists, and don’t be afraid to get involved rather than simply watching from the sidelines.
Rae-Yen Song 宋瑞渊, •~TUA~• 大眼 •~MAK~•, 2025. Tramway, Glasgow, UK. Courtesy Tramway. Photo- Keith Hunter.
September is shaping up to be another packed month for arts and culture across Liverpool City Region, with live music, theatre, exhibitions, festivals and more to discover.
From a 90s nostalgia trip with DJ Yoda and the return of Physical Fest, to a major celebration of Liverpool ceramicist Julia Carter Preston and three new exhibitions at FACT, there’s plenty to get in the diary.
Here are 10 unmissable things to do in Liverpool and the city region this September.
1. DJ Yoda’s 90s Mixtape, Future Yard (4 September)
The award-winning turntablist and audiovisual artist has spent more than three decades developing his distinctive mix of scratching, music and visual culture. This latest live show is an audiovisual love letter to the decade that shaped modern music and pop culture, mixing classic 90s anthems with bold visuals and Yoda’s trademark creativity.
2. Slow Down Social, Crosby Library (5 September)
If your idea of a good weekend involves switching off from the constant rush of everyday life, Slow Down Social at Crosby Library could be just what you need. The event offers an opportunity to take things at a gentler pace, connect with others and enjoy some time away from the usual pressures and distractions. The first session is with artist and illustrator Lo Tierney, who will be experimenting with printing techniques using leaves.
3. Physical Fest, Unity Theatre (7-12 September)
PESSADILLA | Piergiorgio Milano
Liverpool’s international festival of physical theatre returns this September, bringing together artists from across the world for six days of performances, workshops and events.
Produced by Tmesis Theatre, Physical Fest celebrates visual and movement-based performance, with this year’s programme at Unity Theatre featuring everything from clowning, circus and Japanese physical performance to new work from local and national artists. Highlights include Peta Lilly’s Ungirlfriended, Izumi Ashizawa’s Kurogo Me, Together!, a Clown Double Bill and Demonology from Tmesis Theatre and Lizzie Nunnery.
There’s also a programme of workshops giving artists the chance to explore practices including Commedia, ensemble work and Visual Vernacular.
4. Letter To Brezhnev, Liverpool’s Royal Court (11 September-17 October)
One of Liverpool’s best-loved films makes the move from screen to stage this autumn as Letter To Brezhnev arrives at Liverpool’s Royal Court. Frank Clarke has adapted his own screenplay for the stage, bringing the story of Teresa and Elaine, two young women from Kirkby whose night out takes an unexpected turn when they meet Soviet sailors Sergei and Peter, to a new generation. Set against the backdrop of 1985 Merseyside, it’s a story of friendship, romance, escapism and working-class Liverpool that has become an important part of the city region’s cultural history.
5. Macbeth, Shakespeare North Playhouse (11 September-3 October)
Things are about to get suitably dark at Shakespeare North Playhouse as Macbeth takes over the Prescot venue. Ben Crystal returns to Shakespeare North with a fast-paced staging of Shakespeare’s tragedy featuring one musician, ten storytellers and fifty candles. Expect ambition, greed, grief, revenge, ghosts and plenty of blood as Macbeth’s pursuit of power sends his world spiralling into chaos. Performed in the intimate surroundings of Shakespeare North, this atmospheric take on one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays sounds like an ideal way to welcome in the darker autumn nights.
6. Celebrating Julia Carter Preston (From 11 September)
September marks the beginning of a major city-wide celebration of acclaimed Liverpool ceramicist Julia Carter Preston, marking the centenary of her birth. Five Liverpool venues – The Bluecoat, Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool Hope University, Walker Art Gallery and Victoria Gallery & Museum – are joining forces to explore Carter Preston’s life, work and influence.
Born in Liverpool in 1926, Carter Preston became particularly known for helping revive the ancient technique of sgraffito, which involves scratching through a layer of clay slip to reveal contrasting decoration underneath. Her distinctive ceramics often combined the technique with metallic lustre glazes.
At the Bluecoat, where Carter Preston had a studio overlooking the garden for many years, an archive exhibition will bring together photographs, documents and commissioned plaques.
7. Three New Exhibitions at FACT (From 18 September)
Rae-Yen Song 宋瑞渊, •~TUA~• 大眼 •~MAK~•, 2025. Tramway, Glasgow, UK. Courtesy Tramway. Photo- Keith Hunter.
FACT launches its autumn programme with three new exhibitions opening on 18 September.
Rae-Yen Song 宋瑞渊: •~TUA~• 大眼 •~MAK~• transforms the gallery into a darkened world suspended somewhere between the deep sea and the skies above. Drawing on experiences of immigration, family mythology, ecology and ancestral stories, the immersive exhibition centres around a glowing pond containing a living ecosystem whose movements influence the surrounding light and sound.
Elsewhere, Seema Mattu: Local Superstar II explores our relationship with music through sculpture, film and digital animation, while BRB presents three new artworks from North-West-based artists and FACT Studio/Lab members Livi Wilmore, Mrs Luva-Luva and Ellie Hoskins, examining the ways constant connectivity is reshaping how we understand ourselves and each other.
8. Baga Chipz: Bagz to Riches, The Atkinson (19 September)
Drag Race favourite Baga Chipz heads to The Atkinson in Southport with her new live show, Bagz to Riches. Marking almost 20 years in showbusiness, Baga looks back over her journey with a characteristically outrageous mixture of stand-up, stories, memories and music. Expect everything from disco and power ballads to big band numbers and musical theatre – plus the kind of gloriously unfiltered humour Baga has become known for. She’ll be joined by comedian and vocalist Tanya Hyde for an evening promising plenty of sequins, big hair, cabaret and chaos.
9. Beckett: Lieben 2026 – Six Paintings, The Tung Auditorium (20 September)
The concert explores a fascinating chapter in the life of Samuel Beckett. During the late 1920s, the young writer travelled to Kassel in Germany, where he fell in love with his cousin Peggy Sinclair and encountered German Expressionism through her art dealer father – an experience that would have a lasting influence on his work. Developed by Unreal Cities in consultation with Beckett scholar Professor Mark Nixon, Six Paintings brings together six leading musicians to respond to six artworks connected to the story, alongside Beckett’s own impressions and writings.
The line-up includes Iarla Ó Lionáird, Michelle O’Rourke, Cheng Yu, Niwel Tsumbu, Benjamin Dwyer and Mary Dullea, with narration by Anna Nygh.
10. Voices of Afghan Women & Girls, Online (29 September)
Rounding off our September picks is a powerful online event offering the chance to hear directly from Afghan women and girls about their lives, experiences and determination to continue their education.
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, women and girls in Afghanistan have faced severe restrictions on their rights and freedoms, including being prevented from accessing secondary and higher education. Yet many continue to learn through underground and online schools. Voices of Afghan Women & Girls, organised by Writing on the Wall, will share some of these experiences through first-hand accounts, stories and poetry.
Contributors include women’s rights activists, teachers and students currently living and learning under the restrictions, giving audiences a rare opportunity to hear their voices directly.
For even more inspiration, explore the latest events, exhibitions and cultural happenings via our What’s On listings.
Our latest Culture Radar guest is Executive Director of The World of Glass, Sarah Taylor.
What arts & cultural Liverpool City Region event/s have you loved recently?
Anything the Bluecoat delivers! But I have to admit to not experiencing any events recently, as it’s been all hands on deck this summer.
What arts & cultural Liverpool City Region event/s are you looking forward to?
I am hoping to see my very first play at Shakespeare North. Macbeth is playing in September and I can’t wait to experience it in a traditional Shakespearean theatre.
What is coming up for your organisation?
The International Festival of Glass takes place from 28th to 31st August, and it’s the first time it’s ever been held in the North West.
We will be welcoming glass artists from around the world to not only exhibit their work, but to hold free public demonstrations in our working hot glass studio. There is a whole programme of family-friendly activities over the Bank Holiday weekend, and it includes not only The World of Glass, but other organisations in St Helens who will be putting on activities to showcase St Helens’ glass heritage.
While the festival itself will be a fantastic weekend, it also serves as the launch of The British Glass Biennale. We are curating this exhibition, which will run from 28th August to 31st October. Also never before held in the North West, it showcases the highest quality British contemporary glass.
Trivia:
The World of Glass is a bit of a hidden gem, which is surprising given that we’re just a stone’s throw from St Helens Central train station!
We’re the only tourist attraction in the North West where you can regularly watch professional glassblowers at work, but we’re also the only accredited museum in St Helens, telling the story of the borough and its glassmaking heritage.
We’ve recently moved and upgraded our café, serving delicious Crosby Coffee, and opened a brand-new shop showcasing local arts and crafts too.
In the latest instalment of Buried Treasure, John Maguire explores Edward Lear’s remarkable connection to Knowsley Hall, where frustration, imagination and a fondness for parrots helped inspire some of the world’s best-loved nonsense verse. From The Owl and the Pussycat to his fantastical “nonsense botany”, he uncovers the local roots of Lear’s wonderfully absurd legacy.
Did you know that some of the world’s most famous nonsense poems were written right here in Prescot at Knowsley Hall?
Who by? Edward Lear.
Edward Lear was born in The Old Smoke, London, on 12th May 1812, the twentieth of twenty-one children. His father, Jeremiah, fell into financial difficulties, losing a fortune on the stock exchange in 1816. He was sent to live with his eldest sister Ann, an accomplished artist, who encouraged his artistic talents. She was the tinder to his creativity. Educated mostly at home due to childhood health struggles, including asthma, bronchitis, and epilepsy. Does ill health make the sufferer super focused on the work when well? Doing so with the fear that sickness could return. This is then the catalyst to create in the now, while they physically and mentally can? Mr Lear had a vivacious appetite for knowledge and viewed life as an endless voyage of discovery, evidenced by the portfolio of mixed media and legacy he leaves behind.
Famous for his nonsense poetry and particularly the poem The Owl and the Pussycat, he was also famed back in the day for his pioneering zoological drawings and illustrations. In June 1830, Mr Lear applied to draw the parrots at the Zoological Society of London in a meeting chaired by Lord Stanley. He went on to publish Illustrations of the Family of Psittacidae, or Parrots (1830–1832), the very first book to focus on a single family of birds, created by working directly from living creatures rather than taxidermy specimens. The artist loved parrots with their fine feathers, finding their colours absolutely mesmerising, alongside landscape art and botanical plants.
Mr Lear spent a great deal of time in the early 1830s (specifically 1831–1837) staying at Knowsley Hall. The 13th Earl of Derby (who Lear had first met as Lord Stanley), who became his good friend, also loved plants and parrots; in fact, Derby’s private collection of animals was the start of what we now know as Knowsley Safari Park. Regular readers of this column will be aware that I often wax lyrical about the Liverpool City centre architecture and the treasures it holds; I had the privilege of seeing first-hand the origins of the Knowsley Safari Park, in the sketches of the artist drawn to illustrate the Earl of Derby’s growing collection of exotic animals.
He produced over 100 detailed life portraits of the estate’s rare mammals, reptiles, and birds. Mr Lear liked the Earl, but some of the people who hung around him, his guests, were like fleas on a pedigree dog’s back. Always moaning and groaning, talking about other people. Sartre has it right: hell is other people. Their inane conversations drove Mr Lear quite mad, with the bourgeoisie saying they were bored, yet only boring people get bored. This distaste in the company kept would eventually transform his negative inner bitchy commentary, the shade, into little pieces of rhyme satire.
At Knowsley Hall he’d visit for a planned few days and then stay for months, years, a guest from hell in my opinion. I love visitors, but I also love when they leave. However, to be fair, Lear was a working guest, tutoring the family and drawing commissions on site, plus it’s not like the Hall is a two-bedroomed council flat.
Finding himself in a country house, he’d pen his frustrations down in funny poems and little ditties to amuse the Earl’s children. He wrote under the pseudonym Derry Down Derry.
Such nonsense poems like:
There was a young lady whose bonnet came untied, when the birds sate upon it, but she said, “I don’t care, all the birds in the air are welcome to sit on my bonnet.”
There was an old man with a beard, who said, “It is just as I feared! Two owls and a hen, four larks and a wren, have all made a nest in my beard.”
First published in 1846, in A Book of Nonsense, which became a massive success. He also endured the universal trait for most artists: commission chasing and the impending doom of running out of money, with poverty always on the horizon.
He saw lots of real plants on his many adventures travelling, keeping detailed records and sketches in his journals as he visited Greece, Italy, and Corsica, to name a few.
He later combined these lifelong passions, NONSENSE POETRY, painting, and plants, to create NONSENSE BOTANY. Lear was poking fun at a botanist from Sweden called LINNAEUS, who made a classification system giving complex names to plants.
Enter FLORA NONSENSICA: a cluster of everyday objects, books, brushes, tea kettles, guitars, watches, magically transformed into flowers, given much more serious names.
Manypeeplia UpsidowniaPiggiwiggia Pyramidalis
A pioneer perspective is hard to imagine in the modern world. An influence that is far-reaching: absurdism and satire in theatre; Lear influenced comedians like Spike Milligan, The Goons, Monty Python, and we can see his touch in the likes of Roald Dahl’s characters and stories, like Revolting Rhymes and Tim Burton’s The Death of Oyster Boy.
If you want to experience a bit of that nonsense magic yourself, Mr Lear will be at Shakespeare North Playhouse on Saturday 22 August as Part of the Serious Nonsense Festival 2026.
Step into the absurd world of Edward Lear, the master of nonsense verse and author of The Owl and the Pussycat. His faithful, grumpy, and beloved cat, Foss, needs your help to grow a brand-new, nonsense plant in their garden!
In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore local history and the playful rhythms and hilarious rhymes of Mr Lear’s classic work. Then, it’s your turn: let your imagination run wild as you help us invent a new botanical marvel.
Purrrfect for creative minds of all ages.
Potty Plants with Edward Lear and Foss, His Curious Cat Saturday 22 August 2026 (11:30 am and 1:15 pm , 45-minute sessions) Tickets
Since ArtsGroupie began in 2016, it has brought overlooked stories to life through theatre, heritage projects, walking tours and community work across the Liverpool City Region. At the heart of everything it does is the belief that arts and heritage should be accessible to everyone, regardless of income, background or previous cultural experience.
Uncover Liverpool readers may already know co-director John Maguire through his regular Buried Treasure with ArtsGroupie features, which explore fascinating people, places and lesser-known stories from Liverpool’s history.
ArtsGroupie’s commitment to accessibility and creative excellence was recently recognised at the Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Awards, where it became the inaugural winner of the Creative / Media Organisation of the Year award.
We spoke to John about ArtsGroupie’s beginnings, breaking down barriers to culture and preserving stories that might otherwise go unheard.
Take us back to the start. How did ArtsGroupie first come about and what inspired you to start the CIC?
We had been working collectively as ArtsGroupie in 2016 – when our first production Hotel was staged at the legendary Lantern Theatre during its last season. After securing Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant Funding funding for what would become our magnum opus, Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse, we officially incorporated as a Community Interest Company. Our late friend, Jill Smith, who sadly passed in 2025, joined myself, and my partner Mikey Garland, as the third director. We choose a CIC structure as we wanted the company to serve high deprivation communities across the city region. We initially ran the company whilst holding down full time jobs, and squeezing in ArtsGroupie in our spare time. It’s incredible have far we’ve come.
Your theatre productions such as Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse, Weave, The Liver Bird Show, A Portrait of William Roscoe, The Signalman, Who’s Afraid of Mikey Garland and Ghost Stories for Christmas all explore very different themes and periods of history. How do you decide on which stories to bring to the stage?
The productions have evolved naturally. As a collective of creatives, we all have ideas and as our mission is to really tell invisible stories, platform working class voices and make theatre more accessible, each production has fallen within this value set orgnically. It comes easy when you write from lived experience, and you genuinely believe in what you trying to achieve. We’ve never policed what we put on stage, and we trust the creative practitioners we work with to create work that champions forgotten, or rarely heard voices in theatre, we never have to force it.
Your productions often shine a light on overlooked people, working-class history and marginalised communities. Is preserving these stories one of ArtsGroupie’s core missions?
Absolutely. washhouse pioneer Kitty Wilkinson’s story was the catalyst for this approach. Her story is so inspirational, and so very Liverpudlian, that everything else has branched out from there. We’ve always staged original work with both historical and contemporary stories, but our plays that cover the lives of under-celebrated historical heroes have arguably been our most popular. This has also led us to the heritage sector for example our partnership with the Liverpool Irish Festival for the international project around the Liverpool Irish Famine Trail, to ensure that more people understand An Gorta Mór (or The Great Hunger). The impact has a profound effect on Liverpool, being the main portal that the Irish fleeing went through to either start a new life here or onwards to America, Canada and the rest of the world. We never thought we’d be involved in so many heritage projects, but it was a natural extension of what we were already doing, championing the city’s rich history.
Alongside theatre, your heritage walking tours have become another major strand of your work. How did Mersey Trails develop from the theatre side of the organisation?
We were working with The Bookworm Players, adapting the short story The Liver Bird. I stumbled upon a book from the 90’s called The Little Book of Liver Birds when I was researching for the story. It saddened me that so many Liver Birds on the buildings in Liverpool had gone. As part of the capital of culture there had been a SuperLambBanana safari, where you could have fun wandering around and spotting the super lambs in the field. I had previously worked part time as a walking tour guide so I thought what if I write a new tour and we use it to promote the play. This worked well and allowed us to develop an audience and raise monies towards the play’s match funding. We didn’t create them to compete with any other tour operators in the city so it’s never been a huge enterprise. Our sole aim is to highlight history that is rarely talked about. We focused on getting the research right and the quality, rather than expanding. It was this quality that earned us commissions from other organisation’s which was our door into the heritage sector despite being small. Our Co-Director, Mikey Garland, designed a walking tour that delved into the city rich music history, often of Black music origin, that goes beyond the Beatles, and a tour on Liverpool’s links with America. When we started these tours, no on else was covering this history in the city, but is now being widely emulated. We take this as a compliment, we often catch walking tour operators on our walks carrying notepads! We’re glad to help this history spread and be accessed by all.
Your tours cover everything from Liverpool’s theatre history and music heritage to William Roscoe, Kitty Wilkinson and even the city’s Liver Birds. What do you think visitors discover about Liverpool that they might otherwise miss?
The city is like one big open air museum, every street is layered with histories and intriguing facts. Every time we create a new tour it allows us to reveal a new side to Liverpool. For example working on our Theatre History Exhibition in 2024, when we led walks showing where the old theatres used to be, as part of that project, finishing at the exhibition in the Hornby Room, Central Library, it sparked so many people to reminisce about Liverpool. This is why we aren’t offended by anyone pinching our research, we’re able to do the deep work work to uncover neglected areas of history and come up with new tours. They don’t have a commercial purpose, every penny we do make gets reinvested to deliver free cultural activity in the community, and there’s always something new to uncover. We’ll be launching two new tours in 2027.
Community has always been central to ArtsGroupie, whether that’s creative writing workshops, working with schools or bringing performances to communities with limited access to the arts. Why is accessibility so important to you?
Both Mikey and I are from challenging backgrounds. I came from a really rough council estate and access to the arts was hard, as I felt that it was not for me, galleries and theatres were intimidating. My whole PhD thesis focuses on breaking this class ceiling. Sometimes people have to make choices and if the price of a theatre ticket is more than a weekly food shop, it’s obvious what is going to come first. It is most important that people can access the arts, experience the arts and make it a part of their daily life. The restorative benefits could take up a whole other interview, but I’d encourage people who are interested to read Art Cure by Daisy Fancourt. and Culture is Bad for You by Orian Brook, Dave O’Brien, and Mark Taylor. Access to libraries is key, my local library in Huyton was a portal to cultivating my imagination and volunteering at The Unity as an usher allowed me to see lots of free theatre when I was a teenager. Mikey Garland is formerly homeless, and his own work has extensively explored this through ArtsGroupie. There’s a lot of gatekeeping in the industry, and we just want to clear a path so that working class kids don’t have the same struggle we had. The right to work within culture shouldn’t be reserved for any particular class, only when stories can be heard unguarded and unfiltered in the arts can we be inspired to understand the full breadth of the human condition. It gets stale when it’s just one perspective and safe commerical choices.
What other productions, heritage projects or tours are you currently working on that you’re particularly excited about?
Both Mikey and I are writing two separate books over the summer. We are researching for our next Exhibition, preparing for the return of The Hammer and Helena in October at Shakespeare North and our annual Ghost Stories for Christmas tour, as well as preparing for the next part of the Liverpool Irish Famine Trail in 2027. We were astounded when in 2023 we were featured in the New York Times reviving the Victorian tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmastime on a theatre stage. The tradition in theatre had mostly died out, and was seen as commerically unviable, but we took it from one-off novelty event that some people were doing elsewhere, into a viable and annual live, ticketed, theatrical ghost story readings. Liverpool now has one of the strongest markets in this regard.
Winning the Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Award must have been a special moment, particularly as the inaugural recipients of the Creative / Media Organisation of the Year award. What did that recognition mean to you?
My Co-director Mikey Garland really summed it up: “ArtsGroupie were honoured for the first time last night at the Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Awards.
We made history as the first winners in a new category: Creative/Media Organisation of the Year, sponsored by The Guide Liverpool. Thank you to the judges for recognising our work.
We were dressed up to the nines, but our personal favourites for Best Dressed were Dr Emma Roberts, and Ngunan Adamu, who really turned it out. It was a joyous night with the Black Women’s Health Forum Dancing Queens giving the event so much energy.
To say we are thrilled, doesn’t quite capture the feeling. Our winner’s interview devolved into babbling due to our shock, so we’d like to make a statement here.
ArtsGroupie as a grassroots organisation only exists because a collective of talented working-class freelancers came together with the same goal of accessibility, creative excellence, and dismantling gatekeeping in the arts and heritage sectors, and the people who have supported us along the way.
We got our start at the Lantern Theatre, then run by Margaret Connell and Siobhan Noble, who were supporting new playwriting and fringe work at a time when there were almost no alternatives in the city. While some have later arrived in Liverpool with the claim of having brought this to the city for the first time, the Lantern stands as a genuine beacon of artistry in a long line of historic arts hubs which have always existed in Liverpool.
When ArtsGroupie incorporated in 2018, we found a dream team when Margaret Connell agreed to direct our plays, and actress Samantha Alton as our star player. Those first few productions built the company, particularly our magnum opus, ‘Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse.’
Since then, we have had the pleasure of working with some of the finest actors, photographers, producers, and lighting technicians in the region, including Liz Barker, Xenia Beyer, Zoran Blackie, Tom Browning, Sally Britton, Andrew Ab, Ellis Murphy, and The Bookworm Players.
When David Griffiths – Author & Director came on board, we made new strides in theatre, including reviving the Victorian tradition of live literature readings through ‘Ghost Stories for Christmas’ amongst other popular productions, gaining us recognition with The New York Times.
Thanks to the support of theatres like Shakespeare North Playhouse, and Unity Theatre, we have built a large and loyal following from audiences and participants who we greatly love and appreciate.
After gaining footing with heritage walking tours, our close partnerships with Liverpool Irish Festival, and Liverpool Libraries and Information Services have made us respected professionals in Liverpool’s heritage sector.
We’d like to thank Denise Jones, Vicki Caren, and Emma Smith for trusting us, training us, and helping us build a name in heritage work, so we can reach even more people with cultural activity.
Now, thanks to the generosity of time and effort from the illustrious Catherine Cole, we have entered academia, giving us the ability to share arts best practice and to highlight working-class barriers to culture on an international scale.
We’d like to thank the entire faculty of Liverpool Screen School at Liverpool John Moores University, LJMU RILCH, University of Liverpool, Dr Emma Roberts, Helen Tookey, and Prof Ian Fillis for working with us over the years.
All of you are ArtsGroupie, from the people we work with to our fantastic audiences.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the public funding that makes our mission of culture accessibility for all possible. We’d like to thank Arts Council England, The National Lottery, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Liverpool BID, and The Royal Society of Literature for awarding us with the funding necessary to reach communities across the Liverpool City Region.
Liverpool, we love you. Only in a city like this could we work with the likes of Louise Waller Ceramics, Zoë Howe, John Maxwell, Eli Randle, Eithne Brown, Gina Ware, Powerful Beyond All Measure, DaDa, Pagoda Arts, LUMA Creations, Culture Knowsley, Culture Liverpool, Uncover Liverpool, and too many more to mention.
John Maguire and I grew up in high deprivation areas, and our dream is that other working-class artists can stand where we’re standing in the future with a little bit of support. We will be committed to that until our dying day.
As always, we dedicate this award to our late great friend, co-founder and sister in life, Jill Smith. We know you would have been beaming last night. We miss you and love you lots.”
To find out more about ArtsGroupie CIC visit artsgroupie.org.
Summer is in full swing, and this month’s guide to events in Liverpool and across the city region features everything from family-friendly activities and open-air theatre to live music, creative workshops and free community events. Here are ten unmissable picks to add to your calendar this August.
1. Women In Translation Liverpool Online Book Club (1 – 31 August)
August marks the global Women in Translation Month, and to celebrate, Zest Event Management and Wordscape have created a new online book club for readers across Liverpool City Region. It’s a chance to discover women’s writing from around the world, swap recommendations and there’s a few real-world surprises planned along the way.
Follow Women in Translation Lpl on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook for book recommendations, community favourites and festival updates.
2. Dr Alimantado, Future Yard (6 August)
Legendary Jamaican reggae artist Dr Alimantado is returning to the UK for his first live performance here in two decades! A hugely influential figure in roots reggae and dub, he is best known for his 1978 cult album Best Dressed Chicken in Town, created with equally legendary names including Lee “Scratch” Perry, King Tubby and Scientist. Dr Alimantado brings his show to Future Yard on 6 August—Jamaican Independence Day.
3. Open Air Theatre, The Reader at Calderstones Park (6 & 23 August)
The Reader is bringing open-air theatre back to the beautiful setting of Mansion House Garden in Calderstones Park, with two lively takes on much-loved classics. Illyria kicks things off with a swashbuckling production of The Three Musketeers on 6 August, followed by the HandleBards’ hilariously high-energy version of Macbeth on 23 August—expecting plenty of laughs alongside Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.
4. The Almost Complete History of Britain, Shakespeare North Playhouse (14-15 August)
Join the critically acclaimed Pantaloons Theatre Company for a fast-paced and wonderfully inaccurate journey through British history. In under two hours, they’ll transform Henry VIII’s life into a romantic comedy and the Spanish Armada into a light operetta, with live music, audience participation and plenty of brilliantly silly surprises along the way.
5. Family Weekend, Bluecoat (15-16 August)
Credit: Kieran Irvine
Bluecoat’s popular Family Weekend returns with two days of free creative activities for all ages. This time it’s inspired by Debjani Banerjee’s colourful and playful exhibition Jalsaghar. Families can try badge making, block printing and textile crafts, explore their dreams and make a handmade journal. It’s completely free and there’s no need to book—just drop in between 1pm and 4pm on 15 or 16 August.
6. Tea Dance, The Atkinson (17 August)
Head to The Atkinson for a feel-good afternoon of live music, dancing and entertainment, all while raising money for Sefton Opera. Aimed at the over-50s, the monthly Tea Dance features Elvis, resident band Memory Lane, dance routines from The Bootle Belles and a variety of special guests. Whatever your dancing ability, everyone is welcome to come along, get involved and enjoy the afternoon.
7. Nile Rodgers and Chic, Salt & Tar (17 August)
Nile Rodgers & Chic bring their unmistakable disco-funk sound to Bootle this summer, promising a feel-good live show packed with timeless hits. They’ll headline Salt & Tar’s Music Weekender on 16 (sold out) and 17 August, which is heading ‘on tour’ to a new location at Lock & Quay for 2026.
8. The Great Race- New York To Paris, Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre (21-22 August)
Buckle up for a brilliantly chaotic journey around the world as The Great Race – New York to Paris arrives at Liverpool’s Royal Court. Based on the strange but true story of a 1908 motor race, the show features five actors playing 45 different characters, an original ragtime soundtrack and plenty of laughs and mishaps along the way.
9. Wonder In The Street, St Helens (22 August)
Katumba + Bloco (Mark+Lycett)
Church Square in St Helens will come alive with a free day of outdoor entertainment for the whole family, thanks to Wonder Arts. Wonder in the Street features the big beats and lively energy of Liverpool’s Katumba and HUG, a colourful mix of aerial dance, circus and physical theatre that celebrates connection and the simple power of a hug.
10. LGBTQIA+ Creative Wellbeing Event – Clowning, Community, Comfort Food, Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre (28 August)
Ugly Bucket is hosting a free LGBTQIA+ creative wellbeing day at Bidston Observatory, bringing together clowning, community and comfort food. The day includes a gentle workshop exploring how clowning can support wellbeing, a shared meal and an afternoon campfire, with time to wander around the hill, explore the observatory’s domes or simply find a quiet spot to relax. Places are free but limited, so email uglybuckettheatre@gmail.com to book.
For even more things to do in August in Liverpool and the city region check out our What’s On Listings.
Liverpool City Region’s museums, galleries, theatres and cultural spaces contain far more than visitors can discover during an ordinary visit.
The best arts and culture venue tours in Liverpool and the city region reveal the hidden histories, remarkable collections and fascinating people behind some of the region’s best-known cultural spaces. Some occupy historic buildings with stories stretching back hundreds of years, while others offer a glimpse into the architecture, ideas and creative work behind contemporary culture.
From exploring the Grade I-listed Bluecoat to stepping inside Shakespeare North Playhouse’s timber-framed Cockpit Theatre, these guided tours allow you to experience Liverpool City Region’s cultural venues from a completely different perspective.
Bluecoat Heritage Tours
Bluecoat is a familiar part of Liverpool city centre, but even regular visitors may not know the full story of its remarkable building.
Originally built as a charity school in the early 18th century, Bluecoat is the oldest surviving building in central Liverpool. Its story stretches from its beginnings as the Blue Coat School to its reinvention as the UK’s first arts centre.
During Heritage Open Days, Bluecoat’s Director of Cultural Legacies, Bryan Biggs, leads special tours of the Grade I-listed building. Visitors can learn more about its architecture, the people who have passed through its doors and its place within Liverpool’s cultural history.
The 2026 tours take place on Sunday 13 September and Tuesday 15 September. They are free, but advance booking is required.
The Reader’s home in Calderstones Park brings together literature, nature and several thousand years of local history.
Its free Hidden Heritage guided walks explore some of the park’s most significant and surprising landmarks. Along the way, visitors can discover what makes the ancient Allerton Oak so special, hear the story of Jet of Iada and learn what the Mansion House reveals about the changing life of the park.
The walks take place on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month and last approximately one hour. They are free to attend, with donations welcome.
The Reader also offers a separate weekly tour of the Grade II-listed Mansion House. These tours explore how the rooms were used when the building was a private residence, their later role under council ownership and how the house has been transformed into The Reader’s public home.
Mansion House tours take place on Tuesdays from 2pm until 3pm and are free to attend.
Shakespeare North Playhouse may be one of the Liverpool City Region’s newest cultural venues, but the history behind it reaches back more than 400 years.
Prescot was home to the only purpose-built indoor playhouse outside London during the Elizabethan period. Today’s venue celebrates that theatrical history through its architecture, performances and striking timber-framed Cockpit Theatre, inspired by a 17th-century theatre built to designs by the celebrated architect Inigo Jones.
Its guided tour takes visitors through the award-winning venue while exploring Prescot’s connections to Shakespeare and the history that led to the Playhouse being built.
The tour includes the Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden, Cockpit Theatre, Learning Centre, Exhibition Gallery and community spaces. Lasting around one hour and 15 minutes, it also provides an opportunity to ask questions about the building and its work.
From its striking Art Deco design to the famous names who have appeared on its stage, Liverpool’s Royal Court has played an important role in the city’s entertainment history.
The current Grade II-listed theatre opened in 1938, replacing an earlier building that had been destroyed by fire. Over the decades, it has welcomed performers ranging from established theatre stars to major music acts, before becoming the home of distinctly Liverpool-focused theatre that audiences know today.
Its heritage tours take visitors around the building, including areas that are normally hidden from the public. Led by an experienced guide, the approximately two-hour experience explores the theatre’s architecture, history and stories from both onstage and behind the scenes.
Money raised through ticket sales supports the continued restoration of the building.
Tucked away in Mossley Hill, Sudley House offers the rare opportunity to experience a major art collection within the Victorian home created to display it.
The house belonged to Liverpool merchant, shipowner and philanthropist George Holt. Its rooms remain home to the collection assembled by Holt, including paintings by artists such as JMW Turner, Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds and members of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
Highlights tours for groups explore the history of Sudley House, the Holt family and the artworks and furnishings found throughout the property. As well as introducing individual works, the tour helps visitors understand what life was like inside the house and how Liverpool’s mercantile wealth shaped its creation.
Unlike many of the tours in this guide, the Sudley House experience is intended for pre-booked adult groups.
In this month’s Buried Treasure, ArtsGroupie CIC’s John Maguire explores Liverpool as an open-air museum, uncovering the historic objects, architecture and hidden stories found across the city’s streets.
As the British Association for Victorian Studies (BAVS) prepares to gather in Liverpool this July, it’s led me to reflect on the Victorian legacy that defines our city. But first, what exactly is BAVS? Founded in 2000, BAVS is the UK’s premier multidisciplinary organisation dedicated to the study of the Victorian period, bringing together over 1,200 International Scholars, curators and historians. The BAVS Annual Conference 2026 is being held at Liverpool John Moores University. Their arrival is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the living history of our streets.
We are lucky here in Liverpool to have such fine art galleries, like the rich collections at the Walker, opened since 1877 and arguably the first to allow free access to the general public. When it comes to first-class museums, National Museums Liverpool do a sterling job in platforming progressive new work and honest reappraisals of their collections.
The great thing about the pool of life is that there are also many fascinating objects on display that we walk past daily. An outdoor open-air archive easily at our disposal. Liverpool’s sprawling city streets form one vast in situ museum. Around corners, we see echoes from the past, battle scars and triumphs from when Liverpool morphed into the Second City of the Empire. We can see where the wealth was injected into the city. Like the opulent Castle Street, where the world’s banking representation held court, with architectural ostentatious statements, each building trying to outdo the next.
An immersive trudge around the spatial psychogeography, you are never far away from buried treasure. One of my favourites is off Dale Street – Dale and Castle Street are the last two of the seven streets that made up Liverpool in 1207. Off this busy road is Hackins Hey – what a name. It sounds like it has been lifted off the pages of a Charles Dickens novel, like Sweeting Street and Leather Lane. The Teagle Crane is an artefact you have probably walked past without even recognising its significance and historical importance. It is a belt-driven counterweighted mechanism invented by engineers Frost and Stutt in 1835. They created the system that was then adapted by local firms across the land.
The Teagle Crane was used to drop barrels and crates off the delivery carts, to lower directly into the cavernous cellars used for storage. With business rates being so expensive (something that has not changed), this allowed merchants to use all the space that their property had to offer in streets that were mismatched and narrow, particularly those routes that would not allow for bigger cranes like those down at the docks.
This simple street furniture is a monument to the evolution of industrial labour. Topped by a pineapple, a symbol of the exotic items that may have been stored at the premises, but possibly an indication of wealth, as our Town Hall railings are decorated with many golden pineapples. Pineapples, to our travelling readers in modern times, take on a completely different meaning. I found this out only recently when a walking tour participant pointed out, in plain terms, the modern-day symbolism of the fruit. I’d just purchased a summer shirt adorned with hundreds of the exotic items and was so glad that this had not been worn.
From objects to buildings, the architecture is another story, too. One particular building has left me ecstatic this month. LJMU has recently announced that it is to rename theHenry Cotton Building as the Kitty Wilkinson Building. An Irish immigrant to Liverpool in the 18th century, Kitty is revered as the ‘Saint of the Slums’. Having studied for my PhD at LJMU and staged my play Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse, I know well that in her lifetime, she was never recognised for being the great community champion that she was. She did receive a teapot from Queen Victoria, but I’m sure she would have pawned that teapot to be able to give somebody a meal. Her legacy of unity and community is exactly the kind of buried treasure that defines our great city.
I will be encouraging our BAVS guests this July to ensure they not only spend time in our wonderful cultural assets, but also make time to see the hidden histories on our streets, too.
With the summer holidays fast approaching, now’s the perfect time to start planning how you’ll keep the kids entertained. If you’re looking for the best summer holiday events in Liverpool City Region, we’ve rounded up some fantastic family-friendly days out, creative activities and unforgettable experiences to help you get organised before the school gates close.
From free events to ticketed attractions, here’s our guide to some of the best family-friendly things to do across Liverpool and the region this summer.
1. Debjani Banerjee: Jalsaghar, Bluecoat (11 July – 6 September)
Vomiting Marjaryasana on yoga mat, 2024 , KARST. Image Dom Moore ‘Jalsaghar’ installation view, CCA Glasow. Photography by Graeme Yule
Jalsaghar, the solo exhibition by Debjani Banerjee, explores the relationship between the artist’s Bengali heritage and her 1980s upbringing in England. Across film, sculpture, and installation, her work playfully merges traditional craft, religious imagery and modern culture, encouraging audiences to think about what it feels like when different ways of life interplay.
The title Jalsaghar means ‘music room’ in Bengali, and comes from Satyajit Ray’s 1958 film of the same name. Banerjee reimagines this idea of a ‘music room’ and transforms the gallery into a sensory space where you can reflect with music, stories and artworks that connect the past and the present.
Additionally, don’t miss Bluecoat’s Family Weekend (15-16 August) for two days of free family-friendly fun, including creative activities inspired by Debjani Banerjee’s exhibition, suitable for all ages.
2. Ancient Egypt Galleries Tour, World Museum (Tuesdays & Fridays)
Step back in time with a guided tour of the World Museum’s fascinating Ancient Egypt gallery, where families can discover 5,000 years of history, incredible artefacts and stories of mummies, gods and pharaohs. It’s a great way to bring the museum’s Egyptian collection to life for curious kids and adults alike.
In fact, the World Museum makes for a great day out for families with five floors to explore, including the aquarium and the planetarium. Read our floor-by-floor guide to the World Museum before you go.
3. Make It! Summer Craft Workshop, The Atkinson (23 July – 27 August)
Be inspired by The Atkinson’s museum, gallery and theatre programme in a Make It! Summer Craft Workshop suitable for all the family. There’s something for all ages, with all materials supplied and all for free!
Drop-in any time between 11am – 3pm and get creative. Children under 12 must be supervised by an adult. First come first served. You may be expected to wait until a space at a craft table becomes available.
4. LAAF Family Day 2026, Sefton Park Palm House (26 July)
Taking place on the final day of the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival, Sunday 26th July, the long-established LAAF Family Day is a celebratory showcase of Arab arts and culture. Creating a moment of togetherness and community, Sefton Park’s Palm House will play host to a free afternoon of music, performance and authentic Arab culture, complemented by a range of stalls offering Arabic and Middle Eastern food, arts and crafts, traditional practices such as calligraphy and dance, as well as activities for children, including storytelling and workshops.
5. Summer Drama Workshops, Unity Theatre (27 & 28 July)
If you are looking for somewhere to drop your kids off for the day, look no further! Unity Theatre’s Summer Drama Workshops offers participants the chance to spend a few days exploring drama, meet new friends, enjoy games, create characters, puppetry and more with brilliant practitioners. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a theatre expert! All abilities are welcome for children aged between 9-12 years old.
6. Storybarn Holiday Club, The Reader (27 July – 21 August)
Discover Storybarn’s Holiday Club, a holiday club with a difference. Every day they will venture out into the gorgeous Calderstones Park, dive into the realm of storytelling in the magical Storybarn, play games and much more. Every ticket purchased helps support their charitable work with children and young people across the UK.
Children will embark on new adventures with their Storyhunters, inspired through their diverse range of picture books. They will use their imagination to create new story worlds and characters as part of a team.
7. Open Air Theatre & Cinema: The Reader at Calderstones (27 July – 31 August)
Grab a picnic, settle in under the open sky, and enjoy an unforgettable afternoon of theatre at The Reader with The Three Musketeers. Join the daring Young D’Artagnan on a swashbuckling outdoor adventure as he sets out to prove he has what it takes to become one of the King’s legendary Musketeers. Packed with thrilling sword fights, daring escapes and plenty of laughs, Illyria’s fresh take on this timeless classic is perfect for the whole family.
Additionally, The Reader’s Open-Air Cinema is returning to The Mansion House garden this summer, with feel-good films, and food & drink flowing throughout July and August. They have a packed programme of kids films this summer, including the classics – Zog and the Flying Doctors, Back To The Future, The Scarecrows’ Wedding, Jurassic Park, Tabby McTat and more.
8. National Children’s Orchestras American Concert, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (1 August)
Join National Children’s Orchestras American Concert featuring musicians from In Harmony Liverpool Philharmonic for an afternoon of glorious American music. For NCO’s eldest musicians, just 13 and 14 years old, this concert is the culmination of their final week-long NCO residential of the year, which has included rehearsals, creative sessions and more.
NCO’s concerts are for everyone, join them to appreciate the sheer joy that can be experienced nowhere else than in the presence of a wonderful children’s orchestra and be part of supporting the next generation of musicians. Expect a warm, welcoming audience and to be dazzled by really remarkable young musicians.
9. Pipes & Poo, Shakespeare North Playhouse (19 August)
Have you ever wondered what happens to a poo after you flush it down the loo? Head down to the Shakespeare North Playhouse for a delightfully disgusting interactive game-show exploring the extraordinary world of water,Pipes and Poo. A brand new show from award-winning children’s theatre company One Tenth Human. Featuring ridiculous dance moves, competitive flushing, real toilets, and some very disgusting poo, this brand new adventure will delight everyone aged four and up.
You can discover plenty more evens happening across the Liverpool city region by exploring ourWhat’s On listings.
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