Liverpool’s creative community spaces are flourishing thanks to the number of community building and networking events. Whether you’re a producer, poet, artist, musician, or any sort of creative mind, Liverpool has a space for you to meet up with like-minded people.
Producers’ Get Together
Unity Theatre have teamed up with Everyman & Playhouse and Alex Ferguson to set up monthly Producers’ Get Together. This is a chance to network with other producers in the city as well as share and support each other. There will be discussions and occasional short talks by artists and producers. This event supports producers of ALL levels, and is a free event. Just sign up!
Queer Creatives Meet-Up
Every 3rd Thursday of the month,Unity Theatre and Homotopia host a Queer Creative Meet Up. This is a chance to meet up with local artists, makers and creators to perhaps collaborate or ask for career advice or even just to engage with likeminded creatives. This is a free event, all you have to do is sign up to Unity’s Creative’pool membership.
GOB Liverpool
GOB is an informal networking event that brings together people from creative and marketing industries with a chance to creative positive connections. These meetups typically take place at 92 degrees on Jamaica Street.
Take a look at their Instagram page to find out when their next event is taking place!
FACT Studio/Lab
This Autumn, FACT are launching Studio/Lab, a new space for artists to experiment and make art. This will be a brilliant opportunity to get creative with the latest technologies and meet likeminded people. Keep your eyes peeled for more information on their website.
Music, Poetry & Spoken Word Open Mic Nights
Discover Liverpool and the city region’s venues that offer Open Mic nights if you’re looking to share some original music, sing your favourite song, read poetry or simply have a good night out listening to some local performers, here.
Creativity Transcending Borders
As Liverpool hosts the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine, join Baltic Creative, Ethos and Creative hub leaders from across Europe for a conversation about creativity and culture. This event is a hybrid in-person and online event. There will be discussions and also a chance to network over lunch with businesses based at Baltic Creative and the wider area. The event takes place at The Shed@Baltic Creative, Thursday 11 May, 11am- 2pm.
Arts Hubs & Creative Centres in the Liverpool City Region
Perhaps a field trip to Liverpool’s Neighbouring city of Manchester is in order. Join DIEM on Wednesday 12th April at CANVAS for a night of networking, music, drinks and great vibes for people who work in the music, creative and entertainment industries.
CANVAS Club Oxford Road, Wednesday 12 April, 7pm-11pm.
Production Futures on Tour, Manchester
On 3rd May 2023, hosted by New Century, Production Futures are holding a massive networking event, for those in film, tv, live events or creative industries. There will be talks, panels, interviews, work opportunities and more at this event. Take a look on their website!
Access Creative College, 3 May, 10am-6pm.
Artiste Event, Manchester
Bring your portfolio and projects and meet other young visionaries at this meet up and networking event. Hosted by University of Salford, this event is for creatives of all avenues; media, film, tv, music, dance, modelling, photography and more!
University of Salford, Tuesday 25 April, 5pm-8pm.
We hope this article helps you find some useful events and see where it leads you. You never know who you might meet!
Whether you’re looking for somewhere to perform or you’re seeking out talent, this is our guide to Liverpool and the city region’s venues that offer open mic nights for music, poetry spoken word and stand-up comedy performers. These gatherings offer a platform for expression, connection, and artistic exploration for the performers and a night of entertainment for the audience. From the historic venues echoing with the melodies of local talent to the intimate spaces resonating with the power of spoken word, you can discover the heartbeat of Liverpool’s artistic community at these open mic nights.
Music Open Mic Nights In Liverpool
The Jacaranda
Coined ‘the venue that gave birth to the Beatles’, the Jacaranda is a hot spot for Live Local Music. The Jacaranda’s Open Mic Night takes place weekly (every Sunday). Located on Slater Street, The Jacaranda is retro in feel and legendary in history. If you are looking for an exciting night out listening to new music or if you are searching for a place to perform, this is certainly one of the best places to do it. Check their Instagram @jacarandaliverpool for updates.
Future Yard
Birkenhead’s community venue Future Yard host their open mic night every Tuesday night from 8pm. Their open mic night allows musicians, singers and songwriters to test new material in their side bar called ‘The Yellow Room’. They have an on-the-door policy, allowing any and all kinds of acts utilise the chilled-out, encouraging environment.
Liverpool Arts Bar
With venues on Hope Street and the Baltic Triangle, Liverpool Arts Bar is a hub for local live music. Both their venues lie in the heart of the city’s creative spaces; their Hope Street site is just opposite the historic Everyman Theatre, and down the road from the Liverpool Philharmonic, while their Baltic Triangle space is located on the ground floor of Elevator Studios.
The Liverpool Arts Bar open mic night happens every Sunday from 7pm, alternating each week between their Hope Street venue and Baltic venue. Follow both their @artsbarhopestreet and @artsbarbaltic Instagram accounts to be in the know.
The Pilgrim Pub
The Pilgrim pub hosts a music open mic night every Thursday from 7pm. Keep an eye on their Instagram @pilgrimliverpool for updates or date changes.
The Beeswing
The Beeswing on Smithdown Road host an open mic night every Wednesday, which is open to everyone whether you want to perform music, poetry or anything creative.
Metrocola
Head down to Metrocola on Leece Street every Tuesday for their music open mic night, from 8pm. All genres are welcome.
The Cavern Pub
Ian Prowse, singer and songwriter, runs an open mic every Monday, called The Monday Club, in the historic Cavern Pub on Mathew Street. It’s a chance to showcase new material, and witness the talent of local bands, artists and poets. Opportunities to play on a stage as famous as in the Cavern is limited, so why not shoot your shot.
The Dispensary Pub Open Mic Hosted By Dave O’Grady
Dave O’Grady hosts the open mic night every Tuesday at The Dispensary Pub. Everyone is welcome. Arrive from 7pm to get your name down to perform.
Wood Street Bar
Wood Street bar has an open mic night every Thursday from 7.30pm, hosted by Alice Jacobson. Just head down to the bar to get involved.
Poetry / Spoken Word Open Mic Nights In Liverpool
A Lovely Word at The Everyman Theatre
A Lovely Word takes place on the first Thursday of each month downstairs at the Everyman. It, again, is not your typical open mic. Instead, you share spoken word, or poetry, and listen to the exciting new writing of others. A perfect place to engage with those of similar interests in a beautifully inclusive venue.
The Dead Good Poets Society promotes poetry through performance and encourages the development of new poets and audiences. They meet in the Garden Café of Blackburne House on Hope Street, Liverpool, which is a fully accessible venue.
1st Wednesday of every month – Poetry Open Mic
3rd Wednesday of every month – Guest Night + Open Mic
Events start at 7.30pm and finish at 10pm. Please arrive early to book a performance slot.
Liver Bards
The Liver Bards open mic takes place on the first Tuesday of every month, meeting at Ma Boyle’s Alehouse and Eatery, downstairs in the Rum and Rumour kabaret bar. Be sure to turn up from 7.30pm if you’d like to put your name down for a slot (if any are still available).
Give Poetry A Chance
Give Poetry A Chance is a Liverpool based poetry initiative providing a platform for local poets. Their next event to due to be announced so follow them on Instagram for updates. You can email givepoetryachance@gmail.com if you want more information.
Scratch / Itch Spoken Word Nights at The Shakespeare North Playhouse
Scratch is the Shakespeare North Playhouse’s quarterly spoken word night for seasoned performers, that are looking for opportunities to showcase polished work with a wider audience. It is an inclusive, welcoming community space for both performers and audience alike.
Itch is their monthly spoken word night for performers who are looking for a performance opportunity. You might be new to performing, or a seasoned performer looking for space to share your work. You might have been a performer a while ago and are looking to return to the mic! Everyone is welcome and supported here at Itch.
Wordsmithery is a celebration of local poets and songwriters, delivered in a unique format which includes guest slots and floor spots, at Start Yard, Birkenhead.
An invited poet and an invited songwriter take it in turns to do two twenty minute shots. After this, there is room for 5 poets and 5 songwriters, each for one item in an exciting cocktail of talent; first come first served on the night.
Doors 7/runs 7.30-10. £5 on door. Hosted by Alison Schultz, one of the team who bring you Wirral Poetry Festival.
The Speakeasy
The Speakeasy is an open mic night focused on poetry, humour and music, taking place on the 1st Monday evening every month at the Denbigh Castle.
Blast
The New Mersey Poets present spokenword, comedy and music live at The Excelsior. Check The Excelsior’s Twitter for news on future events.
Comedy Open Mic Nights In Liverpool
Hot Water Comedy Club
This is the perfect opportunity for budding comedians to perform at one of Liverpool’s biggest and best comedy clubs. This open mic / walk up night takes place every Monday from 7pm at Blackstock Market, Liverpool. There is also the option to view the Livestream of this event, if you are unable to make it on the day.
Merseyside has some excellent spring walks to explore, ranging from city trails around Liverpool to scenic walks in areas such as Wirral Peninsula and Calderstones Park.
Formby Beach
1. Rimrose Valley Country Park
Crosby’s Rimrose Valley Park sits by the side of the Leeds Liverpool Canal and includes the delightful Brookvale Local Nature Reserve.
As Sefton’s only non-coastal reserve, Brookvale provides a unique green oasis amongst what is otherwise a heavily populated and industrialised area. With its interesting network of pathways and raised boardwalks, Brookvale and Rimrose Valley as a whole, provide opportunities for quiet countryside walks in an area where those activities are scarce.
The site now boasts a mosaic of several habitats including Reed-bed swamp, Rimrose Brook, a hand-built pond system and Willow Carr woodland.
Rimrose Valley Country Park: 29 Parklands Way, Liverpool, L22 3YX.
2. Bidston Hill
This walk in Birkenhead explores 100 of acres heathland and woodland with historic buildings and ancient rock carvings. The Bidston Hill park includes a 16th century windmill, the grade II listed Bidston Observatory and Bidston Lighthouse. The hill rises to 231 feet so there are fantastic views of Wirral from the summit.
The park is a great place to walk and you will find lakes, woodland and pretty gardens to visit on a series of surfaced footpaths. There’s also a number of Grade I listed buildings to see.
Bidston Hill: Boundary Road, Wirral, CH43 7PD.
3. Calderstones Park
Lovely Calderstones Park in Liverpool covers nearly one hundred acres of land. There’s easy to navigate footpaths taking you to woodland, lakes and a beautiful botanical garden. The area is also home to 4000 species of plants with vibrant colours in the summer months.
The park is named after a number of ancient megaliths that are said to be older than Stonehenge. Other highlights include a 1000 year old tree, a peaceful Japanese garden and a park cafe.
The Trans Pennine Trail runs past the northern edge of the park. You can pick this up to continue your walking in the area and heading west will bring you to Sefton Park.
Enjoy waterside walking and cycling along Britain’s longest single canal, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The canal runs for 126 miles across the Pennines, passing many villages, towns and cities with a fascinating heritage and industrial history. There are also many scenic locks, viaducts and some wonderful countryside to enjoy.
Walkers can enjoy the whole route from Leeds to Liverpool, while there are several sections for cyclists too. Near Burscough, you’ll pass the wonderful Martin Mere Nature Reserve where you can look for otters, flamingos, beavers and thousands of water loving birds.
5. Liverpool City Walk
This long circular Liverpool City Walk, through the centre of Liverpool, visits the most famous sights. You’ll visit the waterfront, Albert Dock, Liverpool Festival Gardens, Sefton Park and Princes Park on this ten mile trail. The route uses the waymarked Trans Pennine Trail and is also suitable for cyclists.
The walk starts at St John’s Gardens where you can view The Gladstone Monument dedicated to the memory of W. E. Gladstone, a former Prime Minister, who was born in Liverpool and died in 1898.
After exploring the gardens, the route leads to the Cavern Club and then heads towards the waterfront passing Liverpool ONE. The area includes the attractive Chavasse Park and a chance to enjoy a walk along the Liverpool Canal Link on Mann Island.
6. Billinge Hill
Climb to the highest point on Merseyside and enjoy fantastic views as far as Snowdonia in Wales, on this Billinge Hill walk in St Helens.
The walk starts in Longshaw, where there is a footpath into the woods of the Billinge Plantation. Follow the woodland trails south and you will gradually ascend to the hill summit on the other side of the plantation.
The hill stands at a height of 587 ft, with excellent views towards Great Orme in Wales, Blackpool tower, Greater Manchester, Winter Hill and the Derbyshire Peak District. You’ll also see a beacon tower at the summit and several large transmitter masts nearby.
Billinge Hill: Billinge, St Helens, WN5 7NW.
7. Formby Beach
Explore the beaches, sand dunes and woodland in this beautiful nature reserve at Formby Beach. The area is famous for its wildlife, with the natterjack toad and the red squirrel being the major highlights.
The reserve is run by the National Trust so you will find a series of well laid out footpaths and waymarked trails. There is a squirrel trail through the lovely pine woodlands, where you can look out for the growing population of red squirrels.
There’s also an asparagus trail where you can learn about Formby’s asparagus heritage. The trail also passes through farmland with Hebridean and Herdwick sheep.
Formby Beach: Victoria Road, Formby, Liverpool L37 1LJ.
Sunday, 19th of March marks Mother’s Day, 2023. For those of us lucky to have our mothers around us, why not treat them to something a bit different this year? Here at Uncover Liverpool, we have compiled five activities that will really show your mum how much you love her.
1. Bisque It – Pottery Painting & Plant-Based Cafe
Bisque It offers a great way to spend time with your mum, while enjoying some relaxing pottery painting alongside food and drinks. Bisque It has two venues, one in Oxton and one in the Baltic Triangle. The Baltic Triangle venue is closed on Sundays, however you can pick up their Mother’s Day Mug Takeaway Kit so you and your mum can paint whenever and wherever you like!
2. Mam-And-Me-Ah! Mother’s Day Brunch
Camp and Furnace are hosting a Mothers’ Day ABBA tribute, including brunch, a live ABBA Tribute Show & 90 minutes of bottomless Prosecco, bottled beer & soft drinks. For all you Dancing queens out there, I’m sure that your mum will thank you for the music and food at this event.
3. Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea at the Mansion House, Calderstones Park
This special Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea at Mansion House kicks off with a glass of fizz (or non-alcoholic fizz) on arrival, alongside a selection of sandwiches and cakes from the award-winning Cuthbert’s Bakehouse (vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available). Victoria Sharpe will be taking musical requests and, as home to The Reader organisation, there will also be a poem recital – plus every mum, or mother figure, is gifted a hand-picked poetry anthology to take home. The Reader also recognises that Mother’s Day can be difficult for some so they are also offering a free reading workshop on their free ways to Nurture and be Nurtured.
4. Songs in the Park – a Mother’s Day Special, Sefton Park Palm House
If you are looking for a free event, then look no further than Sefton Park Palm House. On the eve of the first day of spring join Liverpool Voice Choir and many others as they perform this Mother’s Day special concert. Enjoy the leafy environment away from the city’s usual hustle and bustle. The event starts at 2pm and, although free, donations are welcome.
5. Top Girls at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool
Does your mum love a trip to the theatre? Then why not take her to see Top Girls, the play about female drive and determination in the 1980s, at the beloved Everyman Theatre. Fantastical and fiercely funny, Top Girls is acclaimed as one of British theatre’s crowning glories. As Caryl Churchill’s ground-breaking play turns 40, it is now more urgent and necessary than ever.
To find out what else is happening across Liverpool and the city region check out our What’s On listings.
There’s a fantastic range of things to do in Birkenhead. From the grand architecture of its Victorian landmarks to the serene expanses of its parks and gardens, here’s a closer look at the top things to do in Birkenhead. We’re uncovering the best attractions, activities, and hidden corners, including including innovative venues such as Future Yard and Make Hamilton Square, Additionally, there’s the excellent Williamson Gallery and Museum and the beautiful Birkenhead Park, plus much more.
Future Yard
1. Future Yard
Future Yard brings some of today’s most exciting new national and international artists to Wirral, whilst providing performance opportunities and training for emerging local musicians.
The venue is run on a non-profit basis and is committed to a goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral grassroots music venue in the North of England.
Future Yard CIC have also recently set up Future50, a scheme where organisations can pledge to support their Neighbourhood Fund. The scheme will fund free and subsidised training and events for local people.
Upcoming live shows include, Badly Drawn Boy, Steve Mason and legendary Liverpool band The Stairs.
Read more about Future Yard’s Propeller Programme, launching on November 13, 2024, offers free mentorship, business support, and workshops to music creators in the Liverpool City Region, empowering both early career and established artists to develop their projects and navigate the music industry with the help of funding from Wirral Council and PRS Foundation.
In 2019 Make CIC worked with Wirral Council to open a community creative hub in Birkenhead, Make Hamilton Square.
The vibrant urban growing space, services an in-house cafe with seasonal produce and honey from their busy bees. The space is also home to fifty businesses and makers, alongside an incredible programme of workshops and activities.
Make continues to support many creatives to run classes and start businesses. They provide space for people to affordably host shows and exhibitions, often for the first time.
Make Hamilton Square: 2 Cleveland Street, Birkenhead, CH41 6ND.
Their wide-ranging permanent collections include painting, sculpture, furniture, prints and decorative arts. They are also home to the largest public collection of Della Robbia pottery in the UK – Birkenhead’s contribution to the Arts & Crafts movement.
Meanwhile, their superb ship models celebrate the region’s fascinating maritime history. They also host a range of temporary exhibitions and events.
Williamson Art Gallery: Slatey Rd, Oxton, Birkenhead, Prenton, CH43 4UE.
4. RAWD
Ten years ago, a disabled theatre company was set up with a focus to enable, enhance and engage disabled artists across Wirral, through weekly sessions.
In their 10th year, RAWD has got a little bigger, with more members and a wider outreach. They continue to champion disabled artists and put them centre stage in theatres and festivals.
RAWD explore new and innovative ways to turn-up disabled voices in the arts as a whole; with fun and inclusivity at its heart.
Birkenhead Priory is a unique family outing – experience the history, wonder and beauty of this 850 year old site. As the oldest standing building on Merseyside, the Priory offers a unique insight into the town of Birkenhead, and its historical and spiritual importance in the North West.
Now surrounded by factory units and shipyards, the Priory is an oasis of calm in a busy world. Head along and explore the site with the whole family- there are things to do for the entire family to enjoy! Climb the 101 steps to the top of St Mary’s tower for spectacular views of the Mersey and local area.
You can even bring a picnic to enjoy in their grounds!
Birkenhead Park. Credit: Ryan Warburton via Unsplash
6. The Hive/Wirral Youth Zone
Wirral Youth Zone, named by young people as ‘The Hive’, is a purpose-built facility for young people aged 8 – 19, and up to 25 for those with disabilities.
Young people have access to fantastic facilities for a cost of £5 for an annual membership and 50p per visit. The facilities include a climbing wall, boxing gym, music suite, art room and sensory room.
The Youth Zone provides a safe environment where young people can come and enjoy themselves and enables them to raise their aspirations and confidence.
Back when Birkenhead was a pioneering industrial town it was the first place in Europe to adopt a street tramway. The trams ceased operating in 1937, but visitors can ride on original fully restored heritage trams, see their collection of preserved local buses and view their ongoing restoration projects in the museum.
They also have a huge working model railway, ideal for keeping the whole family entertained!
Wirral Transport Museum and Heritage Tramway: 1 Taylor Street, Birkenhead, CH41 1BG.
8. Convenience Gallery
Convenience Gallery is a community-centered arts organisation providing opportunities for local communities to engage, create and work in the arts. They take art out into public spaces and mental health settings, rather than traditional environments, working with local people.
The gallery are advocates for artists fair pay, mental health, wellbeing and inclusion. They are dedicated to championing the arts and artists.
They always aim to create high quality, diverse, educational and challenging programming.
9. There are plenty of things to do at Birkenhead Park!
On Easter Monday 1847, the gates were opened to the very first publicly funded park in the world. Designed by Joseph Paxton – Birkenhead Park was created to be the People’s Garden – a place where the lowliest peasant to the British Monarch could enjoy a piece of the countryside in the city.
In 1850, Fredrick Law Olmstead visited the park and with its inspiration, then went on to design and create what is arguably the most famous public park in the world – Central Park, New York.
In 2004 Birkenhead Park underwent an £11.8million restoration returning it to its former glory. Today, Birkenhead Park is a Grade I listed landscape, it caters for all visitors with a number of sports such as football, cricket, bowls, angling and cycling, as well as providing an onsite visitors centre.
Birkenhead Park: Park Drive, Birkenhead, CH41 4HY.
10. Bloom Building
Bloom is a great space to for all types of creative events. They have previously opened their doors to festivals, electronic nights, film screenings, book launches and immersive exhibitions.
They hold a range of monthly events at Bloom such as Open Mic nights, Life Drawing, Open Mic poetry nights and a weekly choir. Bloom also hold coffee mornings with Mencap and Positivitree weekly.
The venue is available to hire for community projects and private bookings.
The Birkenhead Youth Club started life as The Birkenhead Boys Club in 1932, the prime mover in its establishment being the late Harry France, a Senior Probation Officer, in the town.
The club is for anyone aged between 8 and 24. They have an extensive range of sports facilities, from an indoor 5-a-side pitch to squash courts and trampolining. Admission is just 50p per night.
The facilities are also available for hire at very reasonable rates.Opening times are 6-9pm, Monday to Friday.
Wirral MakeFest is a free community event that aims to cultivate the public’s engagement with makers, inspiring future careers, hobbies and skills in the community and raising the visibility of local makers through the event and its accompanying website.
The event takes place 3 June 2023 at both Birkenhead Central Library and Williamson Museum and Art Gallery.
MakeFest is a fusion between art, science and technology. Their makers are from a wide range of arts and sciences, from crafts and drama to VR.
Have we missed anything in this article? Let us know! Get in touch with Clare at clare@culture.org.uk. We strive to make our features as inclusive as possible, so we’re keen to hear your suggestions.
Last week, we sat down with the legendary Indian vocalist Bombay Jayashri to discuss her incredible career, and her upcoming visit to the UK. On the 24th March, the acclaimed Carnatic singer will perform in Liverpool for one night only. Marking her first performance in the UK in over 15 years, Jayashri last performed in the country back in 2008, at London’s Southbank Centre:
“It was such a fantastic event. I remember little details of that concert. The stage, the decor was in pink and yellow. I have such fond memories of a great audience and fantastic acoustics. We had a blast of a time.”
“Of course, prior to that, I’ve come to Milap for workshops with the beautiful students. They’re energetic students who are so eager to learn…”
With a career spanning over three incredible decades, Jayashri has broken barriers as a cultural ambassador of India’s rich heritage. Her artistry has encapsulated the meaning of ‘East meets West’; having performed extensively throughout the subcontinent and further abroad, the performer has the extremely rare privilege of being the first Carnatic classical vocalist to have graced the stage in some of the world’s finest Opera Houses.
“I think travel has taught me much more than any school or college that I have gone to, because it’s about people. It’s about relationships, how you communicate, how you’re inspired by that, their cultural identity. How you see your cultural identity through their lens, how they see yours, how I see theirs, so yes, travel is important, specifically in many, many countries in Europe, UK, Germany, France, Portugal, and Spain.”
Known for her distinctive vocal range and quality, her incredibly varied repertoire features songs from various Indian languages including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. A frequent headliner at major Indian festivals, her finely honed voice exudes a hypnotism difficult to resist.
“Indian classical music is a very systematised way of singing. We have two forms. The Hindustani Indian classical music and the Carnatic Indian classical music, two very different forms. The Hindustani is practiced in the Northern states, Carnatic is practiced in the four, now five Southern states of India, they’re very different, in grammar, in architecture, in temperament, the way they flow, the phraseology, though they come from the same route, which is the seven notes. And that’s because of the different influences that South India has had, as opposed to the different influences North India has had in terms of who the people were that ruled the place, who are the people who patronised the music, what languages North Indians speak, how those languages then in turn affected, the presentation of the music and all of that. So they’re very different. But yet, to someone who’s outside India, they may still seem very similar.”
In 2012, Jayashri was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Song category for ‘Pi’s Lullaby,’ from the film Life of Pi, and in 2021, Jayashri was awarded a Padma Shri – India’s fourth highest civilian award.
Bombay Jayashri, alongside H.N. Bhaskar (violin), Sai Giridhar (mridangam) and Giridhar Udupa (ghatam) will perform at Liverpool’s The Tung Auditorium on Friday, 24th March 2023. Tickets are available to purchase at thetungauditorium.com/events/bombay-jayashri-in-concert
I believe that if someone takes components, whether they be thread and fabric, precious metal, wood or clay and by some process combines these to make something aesthetically appealing and on occasion useful, then they are an artist.
The term handmade as opposed to homemade has rightly gained more respect and popularity over the last few years. Appreciative customers are more aware of the time and love lavished upon such items in addition to the quality materials and skill involved. I am happy to see more venues for small local businesses popping up, across our city allowing our talented makers the opportunity to sell directly to a discerning public.
The Felt Factory
Since 2015 I have been organising Liverpool Makers Bazaar (LMB) a pop up market of all things handmade. I curate as wide a variety of crafts as possible to ensure that our events are interesting for our regular customers and hopefully lucrative for our stallholders. Past makers of jewellery for example have worked in silver, fabric, concrete, resin, polymer clay, beads, glass… you get the idea.
Down the years I have been frequently impressed with the imagination and creativity that people display in their work. For example, we are often joined by stallholders with beautiful mouth blown glass, several amazing painters selling originals and prints and candle makers to name but a few. You really don’t want me to list them all as they are not the same group at each event.
There is surely a craft for everyone and if you maintain that you are not artistic, perhaps that is because you have not yet discovered the right one for you. Or indeed maybe it is waiting for you to invent it.
LMB has swelled from the initial 24 stalls in the community centre at The Old Police Station on Lark Lane, to a healthy 45 stalls across the three rooms available in this quirky old building. As well as our artists, we host Mrs B’s Vintage Tea Room, a legend in everyone’s lunchtime, offering hot drinks and the most wonderful home-made cakes, served on fine vintage china atop embroidered tablecloths. We take our fuel stops very seriously!
With the exception of July and August we hold a monthly market through March to December at Lark Lane. But this year, as I have retired from my day job, I hope to have the capacity to hold extra pop up markets around and about. But news of those later in the year. When I know, you will, so keep an eye on the Instagram page for details.
East Street Concrete
LMB operates a first come best served policy. When one event finishes, we issue a callout for stallholders for our next event, on Instagram and Facebook. Potential attendees provide pictures of what they wish to sell. If their work is made by them and is sufficiently different from the work of those we have already signed up, we invite them to join us (subject, to receipt of their public and product liability insurance and payment).
In addition to our frequent attendees, happily we have new artists joining us each time. We have been lucky enough to host some very experienced makers alongside first timers, which can be of benefit to both. Sales aside, there are many networking benefits at our events. I have seen firm friendships forged, productive business introductions made and opportunities seized. On a smaller scale practical advice such as recommendations for insurance, card readers or packaging is offered freely between stallholders, alongside suggestions to improve display layouts or expand on products on offer.
Liverpool is an incredibly creative city brimming with people who have amazing ideas and the technical know-how to realise them. I have been delighted to have met so many talented local people and hope to meet more in the future. It would also be my pleasure to introduce you to some of them, with the assistance of the ever supportive Uncover Liverpool. I have been asked to bring you a series of interviews spotlighting some of the wonderful small local business owners who are doing what they love and with your help as customers hope to forge a livelihood from it.
In June 2022, Unity Theatre released their very own online streaming service, ‘Unity Online’. This service now means there is an archive of eclectic and eccentric performances originally from the Unity stage that you can view comfortably from home, if you prefer. Or, perhaps you missed the original viewing because of schedule clashes, or illness; Unity Online gives you a Plan B for the unfortunate live theatre-goer typical mishaps. Unity is well into its Winter/Spring programme, and so Unity Online offers many of the shows you may have missed during the colder Winter months.
What is so special about Unity Online is that all performances are filmed in front of live audiences, and so as a viewer at home, you get that feeling and buzz of being in the theatre. You equally can create your own viewing party, without worrying about paying for numerous tickets, making for a more accessible experience.
This is an exciting opportunity for artists at Unity Theatre, giving those who are featured on the platform a recording of their performance, enabling them to utilise this for future marketing and promotion. All round, a positive move towards a more accessible and tangible theatre scene.
I had the good fortune of seeing a show which is now featured on the Unity Online platform entitled ‘Tough Old Bird’, which I enjoyed thoroughly and after watching, I wanted to show my friends and family the show. With this platform it’s so easy for me to do so.
The shows featured on the platform are wide-ranging and ever-changing, keeping the platform fresh and engaging for audiences. The platform also features teasers for new releases, interviews and podcasts, and news.
Luke Bryant, Unity Theatre’s Marketing Campaigns Lead said:
“Unity Online means so much to us at Unity, and hopefully also to the large community of artists that it platforms. As a site dedicated to making incredible work from Liverpool-based artists accessible to the whole world, it encapsulates everything we set out to achieve as an organisation, both on stage and online. As the site grows, now more than half of Unity Online viewers watch from outside of Liverpool, which we think is a great achievement!’
As for where Unity Online is going; in the future we can’t wait to develop the platform with our various content series, like the Roundtable discussions as well as a brand-new dedicated resource hub. We hope for Unity Online to grow into a truly unique hybrid of top-quality entertainment and artistic education.”
All in all, as an epic project to diversify the accessibility to Unity Theatre and grow the audiences for upcoming artists, Unity Online is a fantastic offering. Check it out for yourself at www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/unity-online/
St Helens, in the Liverpool City Region, offers plenty of exciting things to do. Explore its rich heritage at the North West Museum of Road Transport and the World of Glass, or enjoy a peaceful walk around Carr Mill Dam. Art lovers can dive into local workshops and events, while nature enthusiasts can relax at the Dream sculpture. For live entertainment, catch a show at St Helens Theatre Royal, or unwind with a visit to Inglenook Farm. Discover all the best things to do in St Helens for your next day out!
World of Glass
Things to do in St Helens:
1. North West Museum of Road Transport
This engaging Road Transport Museum is based in the old town centre bus depot, which dates back to 1881. The museum is home to a fleet of historic buses, previously in operation across the whole region.
Head along on weekends and Bank Holidays, to view their collection of single and double-decker buses dating back to the 1930s, all decked-out in their original livery.
The museum also displays other fascinating vintage vehicles, including a fire engine from the 1950s, and a range of historic cars.
The Old Bus Depot: 51 Hall St, Saint Helens WA10 1DU.
2. Heart of Glass
If you’re looking for things to do in St Helens that celebrate creativity and community, Heart of Glass is a community arts organisation in St Helens. They believe that art has the power to bring us together and create real change, for the people of their community. Through collaboration and conversation, they bring amazing art projects to the most surprising of spaces throughout St Helens, Knowsley and beyond.
Their community projects have included creating colourful murals to cover concrete buildings with the help of young families in supported accommodation (Sphere of Nature), or working with colleagues across Europe as a founding partner of the Collaborative Arts Partnership Programme, a four year programme of artist exchange, research and learning.
Their philosophy is simple: art belongs everywhere, to everyone. Discover their upcoming events and workshops here.
Haydock Street, St Helens, WA10 1DD
3. Wonder Arts
Wonder Arts (previously Citadel Arts Centre) is a children and families organisation operating exclusively in non-traditional spaces in St Helens. They provide high quality arts experiences for children and family audiences who would not otherwise engage with arts venues.
They operate as a building-free organisation and offer experiences different from the norm. The team work in the public realm, in communities and in outreach settings delivering their unique arts activities. Find out about their upcoming events here.
Dentons Green Lane, St Helens, WA10 2QB
4. Car Mill Dam
A lovely place to stroll around with an option of a scenic drink at a waterside cafe. Ideal to relax and watch the local wildlife, which includes Goldfinch, Blackbirds and Grey Herons.
The four hundred year old Carr Mill Dam is also a great spot for water sports enthusiasts and anglers, the lake is crossed by the impressive Nineteen Arches Bridge and there are well made footpaths around the entire dam.
The site also contains the only tract of ancient woodland in St Helens.
Carr Mill Dam: Billinge, St Helens, WA11 7LX.
5. World of Glass
For a unique cultural experience, the World of Glass museum is one of the top things to do in St Helens.
Pilkington display their World of Glass collections at this excellent canal-side museum, located on the site of the former glass factory.
You can view the collections of ornate studio glass and discover the history of St Helens’ glassmaking trade, from its 17th-century inception to a heyday in the 19th and early 20th century.
Their Glass Roots Gallery looks at the wider history of glass, displaying pieces going back to Ancient Egypt. Glassmaking demonstrations are held every day, and you can even try your hand at a glassblowing course.
World of Glass: Chalon Way E, St Helens, Saint Helens WA10 1BX.
6. St Helens Theatre Royal
Dating back to the early 1900s, St Helens Theatre Royal was designed by renowned theatre architect Frank Matcham, and was later revamped in the 1960s.
Theatre Royal has a wide and interesting programme of events. This year, their programme features comedians such as Sarah Millican, pantomimes, musicals and Dinosaur World Live events for kids.
The venue hosts appearances by sports personalities, many relating to Liverpool FC, and popular cultural figures. In the school holidays, kids can also watch colourful science demonstrations and children’s shows adapted from books and TV.
St Helens Theatre Royal: Corporation St, Saint Helens WA10 1LQ.
7. Dream
Dream is an impressive sculpture and piece of public art by Jaume Plensa. In 2008, St Helens took part in Channel 4’s The Big Art Project along with several other sites. The project culminated in the unveiling of Dream, a 66-foot-high sculpture located on the old Sutton Manor Colliery site.
The council and local residents (including 15 former miners from the colliery) were involved in the consultation and commission process through which Dream was selected. The plans involved a full landscaping of the surrounding area on land previously allowed to go wild after the closure of the pit.
Sutton Manor, St Helens, WA9 4BE
8. Things to do in Inglenook Farm
The farm is ideal for a relaxing family day out, kids will love the farm’s animals, which include a pair of Shetland ponies, goats, ducks, peacocks and chickens. The land is also used to grow chamomile and lavender for essential oils, which are distilled on site.
There’s a host of local businesses based at Inglenook Farm’s courtyard, a craft beer shop, a vintage bike restorer, a pet groomer, and a garden room designer.
Visitors can also drop-in to their legendary farmhouse cafe for cooked breakfasts and lunchtime bites.
Inglenook Farm: Moss Nook Lane, Rainford, St Helens, WA11 8AE.
To discover events happening across the Liverpool city region visit our What’s On events listings.
Have we missed anything in this article? Let us know! Get in touch with Clare at clare@culture.org.uk. We strive to make our features as inclusive as possible, so we’re keen to hear your suggestions of things to do in St Helens.
Mark Stratford held the audience in the palm of his hands at Hope Street Theatre last night, during his one man adaptation of the famous Robert Louis Stevenson novella.
The play stayed faithful to its 19th century roots, while at the same time aesthetically stripping it down to its bare minimum. However, elaborate sets and lighting were not needed when the main actor was so full of depth.
Stratford conceived, designed and adapted this take on good vs evil, and thoroughly delivered on what he set out to achieve.
He commences the play by addressing the audience as Inspector Newcomen, where he breaks the fourth wall, in a manner to gain the audience’s attention, and set out to tell this strange tale. He takes on a sway-back posture, complete with hands on hips and cockney accent to establish the character.
This adjusting of his gait is something that he masters all the way through the performance, allowing the audience to subvert reality and accept him in all the various characters that he plays. Whether he is upright and respectable as Dr Jekyll or hunched and spider-like as Mr Hyde, his physical transformation into all of these characters is quite astonishing.
The heart of the show lies in the character of Mr Utterson – Dr Jekyll’s lawyer and most trusted friend. Mr Utterson is warm and relatable and takes the audience with him through his investigation into the relationship between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
The set, also designed by Stratford, was basic – just small 19th century tables and props placed strategically across a bare stage, however, this was enough to transport the audience to the time period. Stratford’s costume was that of a true Victorian gentleman, yet it was easy to envision costume changes on the different characters.
While the lighting was basic and minimum, it was essential to the mood and story. It was obvious when there was a scene change as the lighting indicated this – dark with a spotlight for night time, red when there was a murder, soft white for day time and -most striking of all – green when the gruesome Mr Hyde made an appearance.
The final reveal of the real connection between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde might have played out a little too long, yet it was a tour-de-force of acting from Mr Stratford. He manically changed from character to character, adjusting his accents and stance impeccably. His Mr Hyde was so menacing during this period that their were several nervous giggles from the audience throughout.
If one was to become analytical then the final fifteen minutes of the story could be compared to someone suffering from addiction – the potion changes his personality until he is needing more and more each time. Mr Stratford’s physical performance left him sweating as protrusively as someone in withdrawal.
Whether metaphorical or not, this performance of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde should not be missed. Mark Stratford deserves many accolades and success for the amount of work and talent that he has poured into this production.
5/5
The Stratford Playhouse are currently touring The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. You can find their tour dates here.
