Category: Culture Radar

This week our Culture Radar guest is Director of Libraries, Museums and Galleries, University of Liverpool, Dr Matt Greenhall.

Loved: I recently visited the Open Eye Gallery and saw Widline Cadet’s exhibition about her family’s journey from Haiti to the USA (Gallery 2). The juxtaposition between the large format photographs and collages of textures made for a thought-provoking exhibition. As a very amateur photographer, I always appreciate Open Eye’s exhibitions and how they make me see the world slightly differently each time!

Looking forward to: I’m really looking forward to this year’s Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (July). Last year’s events were incredible – moving, thought provoking, and funny, bringing together people from across the city, region and far beyond in celebration and dialogue. This year’s festival programme is so rich, with different artists, performers, and creatives, showcasing both traditional and contemporary artforms. I’m going to go to as much as possible!

Trivia: We’ve recently been on a digital journey within Libraries, Museums and Galleries at the University of Liverpool and have begun digitising parts of our heritage and cultural collections to make them available online. The University’s digital heritage lab provides access to a growing portion of the collections we hold, allowing you to explore them online. These are open to everyone, and we hope this resource will raise the visibility of our collections, and encourage more people to see them in person!

This week our Culture Radar guest is Director, Zest Event Management, Nicole Konigs Balfry.

Loved: As an event manager, I love a spectacle and I try to get to as many events (for R&D purposes!) as I can. A highlight in May was Bring the Fire Project’s Fire Gala at the Bombed Out Church, which was utterly mesmerising.

Looking forward to: I’m gutted that one of my favourite festivals in Liverpool’s events calendar Africa Oyé, is not taking place in 2025. For consolation, my friends and I have got tickets to see Black Uhuru at Future Yard later this month.

Trivia: I’m born and bred Swiss and have been living up my continental roots since January, working with the European diaspora communities at Liverpool European Festival. You can dip into European culture and heritage all through June, please visit liverpooleuropeanfestival.co.uk for the festival events.

This week our Culture Radar guest is Shakespeare North Playhouse CEO and Creative Director, Lisa Allen.

Loved: I recently attended the Class Assembly at the Everyman, which was a wonderful experience and an important conversation about working-class representation in the arts. I have generally been out and about, meeting people and getting to know the region; from beautiful parks like Calderstones and Birkenhead to guided tours of venues such as the Tung Auditorium and some fantastic press nights, it’s been a brilliant introduction to LCR’s culture and community.

Looking forward to: As someone who’s still new to the area, I’m just eager to soak it all up! There’s so much happening across the arts and cultural landscape in the Liverpool City Region, and I’m really looking forward to being part of the creative energy that makes it so special.

Trivia: My connection to Liverpool runs deep: my dad worked for many years on the docks in the iconic Liver Building for a shipping firm. That personal connection adds a special meaning to being here and makes this new chapter even more meaningful.

This week our Culture Radar guest is Director, Liverpool Biennial, Dr Samantha Lackey.

Loved: I loved Holly Johnson at MoL – joyful, nostalgic and deeply moving.

Looking forward to: Aside from Liverpool Biennial (of course!), I’m really looking forward to Independents Biennial which runs concurrently to Liverpool Biennial (7 June -14 September) and will spotlight new work from artists based across Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, Wirral and St Helens.

Trivia: With financial support from Paul Hamlyn Foundation and local expertise from DaDa, a Liverpool-based disabled and d/Deaf arts organisation, we have been working to radically expand the accessibility of Liverpool Biennial in recent years, supporting artists, visitors and team members. We continue this work through a Critical Friends group who continue to challenge the Biennial, both through our Festival and interim year programme of commissions, talks and events.

This week our Culture Radar guests are Eleanor Liverakou & Akil Morgan of Capoeira for All C.I.C.

Loved: LEAP Dance Festival was such a success, two years in a row! Showcasing the talent that Liverpool has to offer by a really great initiative and very passionate team.

Looking forward to: We’re really looking forward to attending the Liverpool Against Racism event and although it’s quite far still we cannot wait for Africa Oyé to return next year!

This week our Culture Radar guest is Lucy Byrne, Managing Director, dot-art and member of the Culture Network LCR Board of Directors.

Loved: I loved Shirley Valentine at the Everyman; I went with my mother in law who saw the original play there 40 years ago which was extra special. River of Light at end of last year was as spectacular as ever, but I also have to say I really loved the last show at the dot-art Gallery, Iconic Women, which showcased the work of 3 female artists whose work celebrates the achievements of amazing women, both local, national and international.

Looking forward to: I can’t wait for Liverpool Biennial, which is always a treat for art lovers, but this year is curated by the wonderful Marie-Anne McQuay, plus we have the biggest ever Independents Biennial running alongside, so its really going to be wonderful. Looking into next year, I somehow managed to get tickets for Jodie Comer in Prima Facie at the Playhouse, which actually felt like winning the lottery as over 30,000 people tried!

Trivia: dot-art also runs Liverpool Art Fair, the annual, open submission selling exhibition which takes place in the Royal Liver Building. After the success of our 10^th birthday last year where we showcased over 200 local artists, we are returning this summer from 11^th July – 25^th August. Artists who would like to get involved can submit work until 25^th May!

This week our Culture Radar guest is Paul Doyle, Director, Leap Dance Festival.

Loved: I absolutely loved Glitterbox at Blackstone Warehouse last month: great vibe, good crowd, lots of disco house and David Morales. The Leap team also really enjoyed DaDaFest’s closing cabaret event: EAT ME x DadaFest present: RAGE (particularly Jay Farley’s reading from their new poetry collection A [Cupboard] Full of Tomboys, and songs from Crip Ladywood).

Looking forward to: Obviously we’re gearing up for the return of Leap Dance Festival (26th April – 9th May), and I’ve got my tickets for Radio 1’s Big Weekend and Cream Classical! It’s amazing to have so much happening in the city this summer – the team are also really excited about Liverpool Biennial and Independents Biennial 2025.

Trivia: Leap Dance Festival has been part of Liverpool City Region’s cultural calendar for nearly 30 years (formerly as part of Merseyside Dance Initiative’s annual programme). Chaos Arts CIC revived the festival in 2024 following the permanent closure of MDI in 2022, and last year we brought dance to over 37,000 people locally!

This week our Culture Radar guest is Laura Pye, Director/ CEO at National Museums Liverpool and member of the Culture Network LCR Board of Directors.

Loved: I saw Shirley Valentine at the Everyman recently and absolutely loved it, I have seen the play a couple of times and felt this version was both the most true to the original script I had seen and yet the most contemporary feeling. It was brilliant theatre.

Looking forward to: There is always loads going on across the city region so often it hard to keep up, as we approach the summer I am looking forward to WoWFEST25 in May and I have had tickets for Hamilton at the Empire for what feels like years!

Trivia: National Museums Liverpool will be 40 next year, whilst many of our museums and galleries are much older than that we were brought together as a national arms length body by an act of parliament in 1986.

This week our Culture Radar guest is Nicola Triscott, Director/CEO of FACT and and member of the Culture Network LCR Board of Directors.

Loved: DaDa Fest’s Zoe Partington’s Painting in Light, stunning text-based light sculptures conveying slogans and messages from disabled people’s activism, in venues across the city. Also the photos and engaging stories of women disability activists, artists and leaders at Open Eye.

Looking forward to: Excited for Liverpool Biennial, this year curated by Marie-Anne McQuay. And, at FACT, Amartey Golding’s exhibition featuring a huge chainmail sculpture created in collaboration with imprisoned men from HMP Altcourse. Sadly, I missed the hot ticket of Jodie Comer in Prima Facie at the Playhouse next year!

Trivia: Last year, FACT opened Studio/Lab on its top floor, a creative space designed to support artists who want to learn and experiment with digital and immersive media. We have a growing membership with opportunities to showcase work at FACT.

This week our Culture Radar guest is Madeline Heneghan, Co-Director, Writing on the Wall and member of the Culture Network LCR Board of Directors.

Loved: The launch of Jay Farley’s debut poetry book A Cupboard Full of Tomboys. Jay’s performance accompanied by techo music, was inspired and powerful. Rough Trade provided the perfect vibe and it was packed to the rafters.

Looking forward to: Sorry but it has to be WoWFest25! Our month-long annual festival returns in May and this year we’re celebrating a quarter of century of Writing on the Wall. We’re delighted with the programme and looking forward to welcoming old friends and WoW first timers, including Irvine Welsh, The Singh Twins, Gary Younge, Jackie Kay, Frank Cottrel Boyce and loads more. I’m very proud that during the festival we will be presenting Liverpool Rising Against Racism in partnership with Love Music Hate Racism & Liverpool City Halls in a cultural show of unity in the face of those that try to divide us.

Trivia: I’m the queen of the poached egg, no vinegar, no swirling – mine are perfect time. Trivia about WoW: We were part of the team that wrote the beautiful heritage plaques on Princes Boulevard. It’s one of favourite places in the city. Come and check it out.