Category: Culture Radar

This week our Culture Radar guests are Maisy Gordon & Evan Byrne, Co-CEO’s of Tip Tray Theatre.

Loved: We recently visited FACT to see the new Bassam Issa Al-Sabah exhibition: THE MISSION IS THE END, THE END IS ALL I WANT! Every element of the exhibition was fantastic, definitely check it out before it closes on 22nd Feb!

Looking forward to: We are really looking forward to celebrating Chinese New Year in February. The celebrations are always so much fun and there’s loads of different events happening around the city.

Trivia: Tip Tray Theatre is now part of The Culture Network, so we would love to introduce ourselves! We’re a disabled-led, Knowsley based company supporting underrepresented and emerging artists through socially engaged theatre, development opportunities and creative activism. We make work that’s curious, political, and rooted in lived experience.

 

This week’s Culture Radar guest is Ria Bagley, Membership and Systems Coordinator at The Culture Network LCR.

Loved: I’ve loved Remember Nature at FACT, where I performed alongside Bernadette McBride, Tom Doubtfire, and Paul Harfleet. I brought a setup full of tech to weave together sounds of the past and present, and even let my mushroom and plant choir voice a speculative post-human future. FACT has always felt like a place where you can think differently, and performing within that shifting environment with such an open-minded audience reshaped my own approach which felt less like performing at something and more like performing with it, in conversation with the space. The Moi Bakeshop at FACT deserves a shout out for their excellent brunch offerings!

Looking forward to: I’m really looking forward to seeing the Toxteth: The Harlem of Europe exhibition at the Victoria Gallery & Museum. Toxteth is too often framed through the lens of the riots, but for me it’s one of the most vibrant, characterful and resilient places I’ve ever known, and the kind of neighbourhood that deserves to be celebrated.

Trivia: I may think I’m a punk, but I have an Internal Audit Practitioner designation and IIA Certificate in Audit and Business Risk \m/.

This week’s Culture Radar guest is Unity Theatre’s Marketing & Digital Lead, Emily Maguire.

Loved: Having Homotopia Festival back at Unity— Liverpool’s longest-running LGBTQIA+ arts festival came back with a bang this month. It was so fun to work on the various events they held at Unity, with a particular shout out to An Evening With Dross – everyone was taken aback with the stunning visuals that brought Unity One to life.

Looking forward to: I can’t wait for Unity Theatre’s Christmas Cabaret, its quickly becoming one of my favourite festive events we have on at Unity. Expect anarchic hilarity, comedy, acrobatics, puppetry and standout performances from Velma Von BonBon, Katy Anne Bellis, Caustic Widows, and Teatro Pomodoro and more…

Trivia: This year will be the first time in 7 years Unity has created an in-house Christmas production (Sleep Can Wait!). I can’t wait to see families in our space enjoying the festivities!

This week’s Culture Radar guest is Archana Shastri, Director of Marketing & Communications, Milap.

Loved: I recently had the chance to see one of India’s most celebrated composers, Ilaiyaraaja, present his very first Western symphony, performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. With a career spanning over 7,000 songs and a huge global following, it felt special to witness such a milestone in his incredible career — the music was breathtaking, and it was amazing how he brought his signature Indian sound seamlessly into a Western symphonic form.

Looking Forward To: INDIKA Festival is just around the corner, and honestly, the whole line-up is going to be brilliant. In music, I can’t wait for The Stringmasters featuring Milap favourites Jayanthi Kumaresh (veena) and Anil Srinivasan (piano) with Indian percussion, and in dance, Dancing the Divine with kathak dancer Sanjukta Sinha — the way she blends energy, passion, and grace is astounding.

Trivia: I trained in Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form, for over 15 years.

This week’s Culture Radar guest is Creative Coordinator of The Windows Project, Dave Ward.

Loved: Toria Woofe at the Nordic Church. She is a UK Americana singer/songwriter, she was amazing… the venue is just as incredible; they do monthly music events as means of local fundraising ranging from folk, to classical and jazz. What a warm and welcoming experience.

Looking Forward To: I’m looking forward to the forthcoming classical music season at Liverpool, Philharmonic. I have very eclectic taste, but classical music is a passion of mine; my dad was a music teacher, so it is in my blood!

Trivia: I also write folkloric fiction under the name David Greygoose (my great grandmother’s name) and have provided lyrics for the forthcoming album Smoke Road by Crystal Jacqueline. In my spare time I grow cooking apples, stew cooking apples and eat cooking apples … amongst other things!

This week’s Culture Radar guest is Marketing intern for The Tung Auditorium, Ajani Healy.

Loved: I love the grass roots jazz scene in Liverpool, and recently Hope Street Jazz hosted Jazz Fest, six days of free live jazz music, at Fredericks on Hope Street. I checked out a couple nights, but my favourite was definitely Finite Experience. Their set was very dynamic and inviting, and there was a lot of good energy on display. I also checked out the Liverpool Biennial exhibit at FACT Liverpool which was an interesting experience.

Looking Forward To: I’m really looking forward to the upcoming Yoko Ono Lennon Lunchtime concerts at The Tung Auditorium. There’s a wide variety of acts, many of which I hadn’t heard about before, so I’m excited to discover some new music. The shows take place on Wednesdays at 1pm, and they’re free so I encourage everyone to attend if they can.

Trivia: I’ve only just joined the team at The Tung Auditorium, so I’m learning all of the fun facts little by little. My favourite so far is that the riser steps in the auditorium, when manufactured were laser etched on the back, one with a giant bourbon biscuit and the other with many small bourbon biscuits. It’s a bit hard to see if you don’t know to look for it.

This week’s Culture Radar guest is Ashley Colley, Marketing Account Manager, ACC Liverpool.

Loved: Dua Lipa at Anfield, hands down. There was endless dancing, and such a vibrant atmosphere around the stadium. The best tunes, she just killed it. 10/10 pop star – I’m such a fan! I’m frantically typing this because I enjoyed it THAT MUCH.

Looking Forward To: Inhaler at M&S Bank Arena on 11 October. They’re a Rock band from Dublin, and Liverpool is like a second home to them having practiced here for many years. To see them now about to headline at M&S Bank Arena is unreal. Also looking forward to the supports on this show, and the reunion of The Bandits!! Not a lot of people know but they’re an iconic Liverpool band from early 00’s who helped launch bands such as The Coral and The Zutons. I think that’ll be a great gig at the Arena, cannot wait!

Trivia: I used to be in a punk / metal band and toured UK / Europe for about 4 years. Career highlight was playing Glastonbury Festival, personal highlight was playing Download Festival; I’m a total metal head (who cannot handle a mosh pit anymore). A more recent and un-interesting fact about me is that I’m also totally on board with the Country Craze (unashamedly) and I cannot stop listening to any & all Country Music. So, if anyone has any good recommendations, please send Spotify links my way!

This week’s Culture Radar guest is Engagement Manager for Wonder Arts, Danny Woods.

Loved: Loved the immersive installation, ‘Put Your Feet in my Shows’ created by Michelle Wren & Kazem Ashourzadeh; very powerful and certainly eye-opening.

Looking Forward To: I’m looking forward to getting about and taking in as much of the Liverpool Biennial as possible before it ends on 14th September and I always look forward to the return of the River of Light, perfect way to spend an Autumn evening in Liverpool.

Trivia: I first became involved with Wonder Arts (previously Citadel Arts Centre) when I joined the Youth Theatre when I was 16 years old and later became a volunteer until becoming Marketing Officer in 2015. Now as the Engagement Manager, this year marks 24 years of being involved with the organisation and a whole decade as a member of staff.