Author: Uncover

UK Wide Tour brings movies, drag queens, panto and more.

The Parking Lot Social Springtime Drive-in festival rolls into Liverpool this April and we’re giving away tickets to the unmissable event. 

Taking place from 16-18 April at John Lennon Airport, The Parking Lot Social has something for everyone, with a selection of classic drive-in movies, live entertainment, drive-time drag, panto performances and more. 

Guaranteed to entertain the whole family, we have five tickets (one ticket is for one carload) up for grabs for the Social Kids event on Saturday 17 April. Get the family together and park up to enjoy a host of fun, with everything from live quizzes, Car-a-oke and even a parent v kid silent disco.

To be in a chance of winning one of these fantastic family experiences, simply head over to either our Twitter or Instagram to find out how to enter.

Competition closes at midday on 1 April. Winners will be contacted via social media shortly afterwards.

For more information and to book your tickets visit: www.theparkinglotsocial.co.uk

Terms and conditions:

• Prize is one ticket for one carload (travel is not included)  
• The tickets are only valid for certain events: 5 x Social Kids
• The prize has no cash alternative, is non-refundable and non-exchangeable 
• The prize cannot be sold  
• Winners are responsible for booking the event they would like to attend  
• The Parking Lot Social reserves the right to refuse entry without explanation  

By Kitty Cooper

Liverpool is widely regarded as a creative hub not only within theatres, music venues and art galleries, but also on the streets. Make your walk through Liverpool a little more interesting by trying to find some of the best pieces of street art Liverpool has to offer. 

Here’s a roundup of our 9 top pieces of street art and where to find them.

1 – This piece of art can be found just off London Road, at the front of a street food restaurant Sketch Bar Kitchen. The vibrancy of the colours combined with the recognisable skyline certainly make it eye catching. It is one of many pieces of art around the city created by Liverpool artist John Culshaw, whose work appears more than once on this list.

2 – Mexican restaurant, La Parilla,  had this mural painted in 2018, giving you more than enough reason to visit. Bright colours and a cheery characters brighten this part of the street. The artwork can be found on the side of their restaurant which sits on Bold Street.

3 – This portrait of Lizzie Christian, the infamous flower, fruit and veg seller, hangs above the spot she would sell her goods outside Clayton Square. Many locals still remember the local legend who was a prominent figure in the city for more than 60 years. 

4 – The Anfield Wrap commissioned Akse, a French graffiti artist, to create this huge piece of art near on Sybil Road, Anfield in recognition of the important cause ‘Fans Supporting Foodbanks’. The inspirational piece shows Trent Alexander-Arnold, “a normal lad from Liverpool whose dream has just come true”, to inspire the younger generation.

5 – This portrait found at the bottom of Fleet Street was created by artist Danny O’Connor. The vibrant colours draw your attention to his work on an otherwise normal street. Danny was born in Liverpool and graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a degree in Graphic Arts.

6 – Zem Clarke is the creator of this mural of Toxteth-born Nikita Parris, a professional football player. With bright colours and a huge canvas, this portrait stands tall over London Road after being commissioned by Twitter x Women’s World Cup Campaign in 2019.

7 – Here we have another one of John Culshaw’s pieces of art in the form of Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp. You can find this one on Houlding Street, just round the corner from Anfield stadium.

8 – Graphic artist Neil Keating’s project ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ can be seen throughout Liverpool and Manchester. The quirky art fits into the atmosphere of Liverpool’s Bold Street and this piece can be found in Ropewalks Square.

9 – The final piece of work on our list comes from Contrast Mural Festival, who are responsible for creating work around Liverpool to encourage people to explore the city. They have facilitated the creation of over 200 murals since their inception in 2018 and have successfully brightened up areas of Liverpool with art like this.

By Kitty Cooper

It’s been over a year since the Covid-19 pandemic began and the handling and effects of the pandemic will likely be studied and debated indefinitely. As the tides appear to be turning, I sat down with Liz Barker, co-founder of the March for the Arts collective, to discuss what the pandemic has meant for them.

The March for the Arts was set up in June in response to the effects of lockdown measures on the arts industry. Liz, Becky Webb and Gemma Dunne sat in a zoom meeting for a protest  against the lack of funding for the arts throughout Covid-19. All three volunteered as organisers and thus began the March for the Arts collective. 

However, just as they began to organise the march, the government announced their Cultural Recovery Fund which put the physical protest on hold whilst they worked out what this meant for the industry. 

This didn’t, on the other hand, stop them from marching forward with their online campaign; emphasising the importance of the arts. A key, underpinning statistic for their demand for ‘fair funding for all’ was highlighted in the government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) report, published in February 2020. It stated that the arts industry brings £111 billion into the UK economy; the equivalent of £306 million every single day.

“And people just don’t know that” Liz said.

Furthermore, the collective quickly realised that, in fact, the government’s scheme wasn’t going to be enough to keep the industry afloat.

“There’s 3 million people in the country excluded from any kind of financial support and the way that the government has not supported certain freelancers and sole traders, I think is appalling.”

Liz was furloughed from her work as a contracted technician at the Everyman and Playhouse theatres and remembers building a set as news of the first National lockdown began to trickle in, along with the gradual realisation that there wasn’t going to be a show. Despite Liz being in a position where government support was available, many freelancers working on similar projects were not so lucky.

The key issue, Liz describes, is around the “ecology of the arts”. Despite government officials seemingly supporting the arts by ‘saving’ the Globe and the National Theatre, without proper support for the freelance workers who produce, write and act in the shows, the whole concept begins to crumble. 

“In the arts you’re looking at a massive proportion of workers being freelance – it’s 50% across the whole creative industries and in theatre it’s 80%.”

Potential plans for tours and summer performances are also under threat, despite hopes being raised for much needed live performances after Boris’ announcement of his 4-step roadmap out of lockdown.

“I think there is real potential for a lot of outdoor work this summer, but Rishi Sunak is still delaying on insurance for outdoor events. They will only offer indemnity if it could be evidenced that there is a significant or catastrophic loss of market. I don’t know of any more catastrophic loss of market then there is existing right now.”

After six months of voluntary work, the March for the Arts collective took on a fourth member, Caitlin Clough and secured funding for a project they hope will continue to have a positive impact on the creative arts and solidify their necessity in Liverpool after the pandemic.

“This pandemic is offering us a pause and we can use it as a chance to change.” 

Their current project is to create a ‘freelance working agreement’ and a ‘freelance directory’, by May 2021. 

The working agreement will be designed and signed up to by freelancers and creative organisations, creating a best practice document for Liverpool’s creative industry and will be written by a committee of freelancers, organisational representatives and a member of the council. 

“Everyone from the CEO of the biggest organisations in the city region, to the individual, working-three-jobs-a-week-freelancers want this project to happen and that’s what is really key for us.”

Meanwhile, the freelance directory will be a local document, filled with freelancers, not dissimilar to Spotlight in all but exclusivity and the existence of a paywall.

“A lot of organisations don’t advertise when they have jobs and a lot of organisations tend to fill jobs through nepotism and we want to challenge that.”

I’m gripped by Liz’s excitement about the upcoming project. In a city as culturally diverse and artistically driven as Liverpool, it seems the perfect setting for such a project. After a year of consistently negative news, the collective appears to give a ray of light to an industry so badly bruised.

“I’m not suggesting it’s a magical ‘one thing will fix everything’, but I really do feel going through a pandemic together gives you a sort of desire for more unity, more togetherness and a better push for a better environment.”

Though optimistic, the hope for a brighter future seems fitting as we embark on the next stages of the pandemic, with outdoor event pilots set to begin as early as April 12th.

To find out more about March for the Arts visit https://www.marchforthearts.com/ and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

By Kitty Cooper

In the midst of England’s third National lockdown it is easy to become uninspired, but Liverpool is brimming with charming parks and hidden walks to explore. From a walk in the park, a stroll along the prom, or a jog through the ‘Ralla’, here’s our top daily exercise spots.

1. Everton Brow

Though on the smaller side, Everton Brow is not to be disregarded as a choice of location for an early morning or evening walk. The surrounding area is rich in culture and from the Stadium, to the Water Tower, or even the city centre itself, Everton has a lot to offer. Catching the sunrise or sunset across the city of Liverpool will make any exercise more bearable.

More info.

2. Crosby Beach 

Nothing quite beats the feeling of being by the sea and that’s no different, whatever the weather, at Crosby Beach. Walk, or jog, along the 3km of sand or promenade and you’ll be greeted by the famous cast iron sculptures moulded from the artist himself, Anthony Gormley. 

More info.

3. The ‘Ralla’

Liverpool’s loop line, affectionately called the ‘Ralla’, is an old, disused rail line which stems through Liverpool. The path starts in Halewood and continues for 10 miles towards Aintree, with plenty of nature and architecture to keep you entertained on the walk. The relatively flat pathway makes it the perfect place to walk, jog or cycle and though popular, is never overcrowded.

More info.

4. Princes Park

Princes Park in Toxteth, though only a stone’s throw away from the better-known Sefton Park, has all the quirks you’d want to enjoy whilst exercising. The park boasts the remains of the former Grade II listed boathouse alongside the fishing lake. For those looking for a longer walk, this is the perfect addition to a walk around Sefton Park.

More info.

5. Liverpool-Leeds Canal

In any weather, the Liverpool to Leeds canal is visually stunning. The flat surface is perfect for joggers or walkers and though the length of the canal would eventually lead you cross country, there’s plenty to explore more locally. To create a loop, turn back on yourself at one of the bridge points and keep an eye out for the beautifully decorated canal boats.

More info.

6. Otterspool Promenade

A much loved feature of Liverpool is quite rightly the River Mersey, home to the Albert Dock and Mersey ferry. The stretch of promenade spans almost 5 miles with breath-taking views of the water. This well-known spot is great for cyclists, joggers and dog-walkers alike.

More info.