Community Post Type: News

The life of Edward Rushton, Blind Poet and key figure in the Campaign against Slavery, will be spotlighted in a new production by Valley Theatre Drama Group in Liverpool.

The play – entitled “The Ballad of Crooked Lane” – is set on the day Rushton, now well into middle age, awaits eye surgery to regain his sight. While waiting, he goes over his eventful life with his friend and biographer, William Shepherd, the Minister of Gateacre Chapel.

“Rushton was a larger-than-life character,” says writer and director Tom Mclennan. “The story is that he lost his sight going below deck to help sick African captives on their way to the plantations. I first read about him in Bill Hunter’s biography “Unsung Hero” and have always felt his life deserves more recognition.”

Apart from campaigning against the slave trade – not always a popular thing to do in those days, since a large amount of Liverpool’s wealth was based on the evil triangular trade – Rushton was also instrumental in establishing the Liverpool School for the Blind, one of the first in the country, as well as being at the forefront of efforts to end the notorious pressgangs that terrorised coastal neighbourhoods, intent on kidnapping sailors for the British Navy.

“The Ballad of Crooked Lane” will be performed as part of a double bill along with Day Sheehan’s “Wake” for the Liverpool Fringe on Monday October 6th, 7.30pm, at Valley Theatre in Netherley, and on Tuesday 7th October, 7.30pm, at The Studio Beyond, 63 Wood Street, Liverpool L1 4AL

Entrance for the Valley Theatre event is free (pay a donation if you like it). Tickets for the Studio Beyond are £8/£6 and can be bought from:
https://store.makeitwrite.org/product/balladandwake/

Heart of Glass is a community arts group based in Knowsley and St Helens.

They also work with people in other parts of the UK and around the world making art with people. They believe art can bring people together. It can help us talk about important things, learn new skills, and imagine a better future.

Their Impact Report shows what they did from April 2024 to March 2025. They’ve now been working for 10 years with artists and local people, creating art in markets, schools, parks, care homes, and more.

The report shows how they:

● Made new friends
● Created together
● Shared ideas
● Brought people together

Amongst the highlights for the year, they helped write a Public Arts Strategy for St Helens, supported young people and celebrated 10 years of getting money from Arts Council England to make art with people.

To read the full report, visit here

Join Reclaim The Frame for a special screening, coming up at FACT on the 11th of September.

Shot in breathtaking black and white, Mother Vera is a visually arresting and deeply meditative portrait of a woman confronting the shadows of her past. Vera has spent 20 years in a convent on the outskirts of Minsk, living among men undergoing addiction rehabilitation.

When a conversation with her mother stirs long-buried memories, Vera is compelled to revisit her own past and the tragic events that led her to this secluded life. What unfolds is a quiet, powerful story of resilience, healing, and spiritual transformation.

With its haunting cinematography and contemplative pace, Mother Vera invites audiences into a world rarely seen on screen — one of silence, struggle, and redemption. Directed by Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson, and produced by Laura Shacham for She Makes Productions, Mother Vera is an unforgettable cinematic experience.

The screening at FACT has descriptive subtitles and will be followed by a Q&A with Cécile Embleton.

11th September, 7:30PM | FACT

Tickets available here: https://www.picturehouses.com/movie-details/002/HO00016646/mother-vera-plus-q-a?filter=

Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services (LCVS) has announced the launch of its new Training Programme. It will run from Autumn 2025 – Spring 2026 and is designed to equip the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to thrive.

While the programme is primarily aimed at the VCFSE sector, it is open to all.

The programme offers over 20 practical and affordable courses/workshops covering topics such as:

• Starting up a community project/organisation
• Writing successful funding bids
• Developing fundraising strategies
• Using social media effectively
• Measuring impact and proving value to funders
• Roles and responsibilities of trustees
• And so much more.

Alongside their Funding Masterclasses, Essential Skills Courses and our Monthly Start Up Workshops, they will now also have FREE Meet the Funder/Expert Sessions.

These free sessions will give local groups the chance to hear directly from funders such as the National Lottery Community Fund, Sported, Clothworkers’ Foundation, and local Liverpool-based trusts, alongside practical insight from experts in social investment, events management, and community fundraising.

Richard Davies, LCVS Director of Capacity and Engagement said:

“The Liverpool voluntary, community faith and social enterprise sector is full of passionate people with brilliant ideas, but turning those ideas into sustainable organisations isn’t easy.

“This training programme is about equipping local groups with the tools, knowledge and confidence to deliver great projects, attract funding, and make a bigger difference in their communities.”

Prices are kept deliberately accessible, with some training free for all as well as some training free to Liverpool-based groups and discounted rates for voluntary sector organisations.

 

An acclaimed celebration of the life and talent of music legend George Harrison is set to embark on a major new UK and Ireland tour this autumn.

Something About George – The George Harrison Story is taking to the road in October and November, playing 20 dates at 19 venues across Britain and Ireland including two nights at the historic Liverpool Playhouse.

The production comes from the same team behind Something About Lennon, which salutes the talent of the late Liverpool icon and fellow Beatle, and Something About Simon which showcases the music of singer-songwriting genius Paul Simon.

The autumn tour will open in Doncaster on 3 October before heading to Birmingham on 5 October, Leeds on 7 October and Alnwick on 8 October. From there it travels to Liverpool Playhouse for shows on 9-10 October, Hunstanton on 11 October and then crosses the Irish Sea for three shows in the Republic of Ireland – Tallaght (Dublin) on 15 October, Dun Laoghaire on 16 October and Castlebar in County Mayo on 17 October.

The tour continues with dates in Newcastle upon Tyne (26 October), Hull (28 October), Salisbury (30 October), Runcorn (31 October), Southport (1 November), Stockport (2 November), Maidstone (12 November), Dundee (14 November), Greenock (15 November) before it finishes at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre on 16 November.

Something About George was premiered to acclaim at the Liverpool Theatre Festival in 2021 before winning accolades on its inaugural tour and at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe. It has continued to captivate audiences across the country, including as part of a sell-out show marking the 80^th anniversary of Harrison’s birth, and most recently in an extensive nationwide tour in spring 2024.

West End performer and musician Daniel Taylor returns to front the production and to recount the fascinating story of the man dubbed “the quiet Beatle” along with performing his best-known, best-loved hits from across his solo career.

Daniel Taylor trained at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London and is an actor, producer and director. He has played John Lennon in the award-winning Lennon Through a Glass Onion and is also known from his many years in Blood Brothers, along with The Very Best of Tommy Cooper, Twopence to Cross The Mersey and By The Waters Of Liverpool. He also played Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in New York’s Central Park. Earlier this year he led the tour of Something About Lennon – the John Lennon Story.

Daniel will be joined on stage by a very talented band of musicians led my Musical Director Joe Smithson.

Featuring beautiful songs like My Sweet Lord, Something, Got My Mind Set on You and Handle With Care, the production showcases Harrison’s incredible solo material and music from rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys which was made up of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty.

And, of course, any show celebrating one of the Fab Four must include a few classics from The Beatles. From heartbreak to hedonism and songwriting to success, Something About George celebrates a life that was certainly anything but quiet.

Something About George is written by Jon Fellowes and brought to audiences by producers Bill Elms, Fellowes and Gary Edward Jones of Something About Productions.

Co-producer Bill Elms says: “While it’s now more than 20 years since the world lost George Harrison, his voice lives on through his wonderful, matchless music. The response of audiences to Something About George since it was first staged in Liverpool in 2021 has been nothing short of amazing and shows just how loved and admired he was both as a man and a musician.

“I’m excited to present another UK tour of this stunning show, including two nights in George Harrison’s home city Liverpool where tickets are already selling fast. It’s an opportunity to revisit cherished old friends and to stage the show in new venues, and I’m also pleased to be able to take it back to Ireland where we received such a warm welcome last spring.”

LIVERPOOL PLAYHOUSE

Williamson Square, Liverpool, L1 1EL

9-10 October 2025

www.everymanplayhouse.com

 

Mellowtone have announced two new special shows for autumn ’25.

The Tapi Project 

On Wednesday 22nd October, they welcome The Tapi Project to the Everyman, in association with Milap. The Tapi Project’s music is a continuous revival and retelling of stories and themes that make up modern India – held together by compelling songwriting and compositions. Influences from the worlds of jazz, folk and rock – filtered through the Indian subcontinent – all combine to create a unique and genre-defying sound.

The event is a part of Milap’s biennial INDIKA Festival. Read more about the programme here.

Afel Bocoum 

For over three decades, legendary Malian musician Afel Bocum has been a guardian of the Niger River’s musical soul. A musical companion to Mali’s late great desert blues pioneer Ali Farka Touré, Bocoum launched a solo career with his debut album in 1999, Alkibar (The Messenger), and gained international recognition through collaborations with Damon Albarn, including 2002’s Mali Music. Now, as one of the Sahel’s most beloved artists and ambassador for endangered instruments like the njurkel lute and njarka fiddle, Bocoum is set to release singles from his new album Harber in late 2025.

Mellowtone X Milap present:
The Tapi Project 
+ DJ Richie Vegas

Wednesday 22nd October
Downstairs at the Everyman
Tickets
£11 adv

Africa Oyé & Liverpool Philharmonic, in association with Mellowtone present:
Afel Bocoum  
+ support TBA

Tuesday 20th January
Philharmonic Music Room
Tickets

Direct from the West End, The Last Laugh comes to Liverpool from Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 September. This brand-new play reimagines the lives of three of Britain’s all-time greatest comedy heroes, Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse.

Eric Morecambe is played by Bob Golding, whose acclaimed one-man show Morecambe won Best Entertainment at the Laurence Olivier Awards. Golding has also appeared in the West End productions of the musicals Only the Lonely and Elvis the Musical

Damian Williams takes on the role of Tommy Cooper, having previously played the legendary comic in the tour of Being Tommy Cooper. His theatre credits include the musicals Hairspray, Ladykillers and Educating Rita. He was also named Best Pantomime Dame at The Great British Pantomime Awards for his long-running work at Sheffield Lyceum.

The cast is completed by Simon Cartwright, who brings Bob Monkhouse to life, with screen credits including the award-winning Channel 4 hit Toast of London and the films Mother’s Day and Closure.

Paul Hendy, the writer of The Last Laugh said:

“Rewind back to 8.55pm on Christmas Day 1977. 28 million people – half the UK population at the time – sat down as families to watch The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Special, making it the most watched TV comedy show ever.

 I also have a distinct memory of Tommy walking through a white gate – that’s all he did, he just walked through a white gate. It shouldn’t be funny, but it was. Why do we remember these images? Why do we still quote these jokes and comedy lines? I think a key word is family. We remember sitting next to our mums and dads and grandads and them laughing… really laughing at these funny men. Grandparents, parents and children all together, laughing at the same thing at the same moment … surrounded by love and laughter. In many ways, Eric and Tommy were like extended family – the favourite funny uncle! 

So, whether, like me, you first saw these greats as a young child, or if you’re discovering them today for the first time (if you are, watch them on YouTube, they’re brilliant… honest!), I do hope The Last Laugh captures some of the joy and laughter that these three men brought to so many throughout their lives. “

This production is written and directed by Paul Hendy. Set design is by Lee Newby, Composer and Musical Arranger is Ethan Lewis Maltby, Lighting design is by Johanna Town, Sound design by Callum Wills, Costume design by Amy Chamberlain, and Casting by Kate Roddy.

This production is written and directed by Paul Hendy, with set design by Lee Newby, music composed and arranged by Ethan Lewis Maltby, lighting design by Johanna Town, sound design by Callum Wills, costume design by Amy Chamberlain, and casting by Kate Roddy.

The Last Laugh comes to the Liverpool Playhouse from Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 September. Tickets are priced from £17 to £47 and are available at:

www.everymanplayhouse.com/event/the-last-laugh/

Don’t miss the Bidding Workshop on 3rd September with public sector procurement experts Thornton & Lowe, fully-funded for Liverpool businesses through the Business Support Service at Liverpool City Council.

Delivered by Charles Grosstephan, their specialist consultant who focuses on tendering, this workshop is designed to help fuel business growth in Liverpool through supporting companies to be in a better position to be successful with their bids. It will cover:

• Introduction to bidding
• Demystifying the terminology
• Overview of Procurement Act
• Tender research
• To bid… or not to bid?
• Strong bid-writing

All businesses in Liverpool are welcome to attend – details & booking link below!

• Wednesday 3rd September from 10am-12noon
• The Dairy Business Park, Long Lane, Aintree, L9 7AT
• https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bidding-workshop-tickets-1405192120459

Sananda Maitreya, the multi-million-selling, award-winning musician, announces a 9-date headline tour of the UK this autumn.

Tickets on general sale: https://lnk.to/SM25

“Come One, & Come All. After all, HAVEN’T WE WAITED LONG ENOUGH?”

Following his triumphant performance at Love Supreme Festival in 2024, this will be Sananda’s first UK headline tour in 23 years. Sananda and his band, The Sugar Plum Pharaohs, will be performing songs from his iconic debut album Introducing the Hardline through to his most recent work The Pegasus Project: Pegasus & The Swan spanning the full arc of his extraordinary career.

Thu 23 Oct Norwich, Waterfront

Fri 24 Oct Cambridge, Junction

Sun 26 Oct Liverpool, O2 Academy

Tue 28 Oct Manchester, O2 Ritz

Thu 30 Oct Leeds, Beckett Students Union

Fri 31 Oct Sheffield, Foundry

Sun 02 Nov Birmingham, Town Hall

Wed 05 Nov London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Thu 06 Nov Brighton, CHALK

The artist, composer, arranger, producer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur and Post Millennium Rocker rose to fame in 1987 with his debut album, the GRAMMY Award-winning Introducing The Hardline, which debuted at number 1 in the UK charts and featured the international smash hit singles ‘Sign Your Name’, ‘Wishing Well’ and ‘If You Let Me Stay’.

Speaking about his long-awaited return to the UK stage Sananda said “Why now? I was waiting for the Midnight Hour, & it’s now 5 minutes to midnight. We aim to blur the hours & transport our sweaty bodies to a superimposed electric glow, an orgasm of sonic surrender, & a peek behind the seductive shadowy curtains of the Moon’s Magnetic Magic.

“Coming up, we never played clubs enough. We matured too fast commercially & outgrew the clubs physically, but never sentimentally. So, we are very eager to return in this tinderbox atmosphere, where Rock vibrates truest & best, nurtured passionately while nestled in the blessed bosoms of those with whom we are excited to share this unique experience, because after we are done with these 9 shows, we will more than likely never again encounter one another in such an intimate exchange of physical & spiritual proximity.

WE WANT YOU TO SAY THAT ‘YOU WERE THERE’ So, Come One, & Come All. After all, HAVEN’T WE WAITED LONG ENOUGH?”

Sananda Maitreya should feel proud of both the mesmerising journey his music has taken since Introducing The Hardline brought him to an unsuspecting world in 1987, and of the magical, mystical, freewheeling adventures he now has in music.

He presents his music as Post Millennium Rock; its main elements are heart and soul, its nature is passion, courage and curiosity and it acknowledges no rules but the goal to lead the listener back to his heart, to provoke his mind and re-approach him to his true feelings. His music is free of restrictions and marketing pressures. It is a music that combines all the genres that the artist loved since his childhood: opera, country, classical, jazz, blues, gospel, pop, reggae as well as rock.

Few musicians give more to the game or are plainly having as much fun playing it than Sananda Maitreya.

Liverpool’s thriving combined arts venue – Unity Theatre – has announced its brand new Autumn / Winter 2025 season, featuring a varied programme of high-quality theatre, arts, music and performance. Serving as a counterpoint the mainstream, Unity exist to champion diverse arts and platform underrepresented voices – and this season’s programme does just that.

Unity has been behaving radically onstage since the 1930s, with its roots in The Unity Theatre movement – a national theatrical initiative that produced politically left-wing works by and for working class audiences. Throughout the 40s, 50s & 60s, Unity were audaciously radical and experimental, staging politically and socially conscious contemporary works that challenged conventional theatre and addressed themes of workers’ rights, fascism and wider issues of inequality.

Today, Unity Theatre is the only surviving member of that movement, and the organisation continue its mission with the same sentiment dating back to the 30s – investing in local work, emerging artists and theatre companies – and producing high-quality radical and groundbreaking theatre.

Artistic Director of the Unity, Elinor Randle spoke about a few upcoming highlights of the season:  “I’m absolutely thrilled about the exciting autumn season ahead at Unity! We’re showcasing a fantastic mix of local and national talent, including the nationally acclaimed Graeae Theatre Company and last year’s Fringe sensation from Chalkline…”

Graeae Theatre will be bringing their compelling production ‘Bad Lads’ to the Unity this November. It’s a story of oppression and resilience that challenges audiences to think about justice at a time where the cry for accountability in our society is louder than ever. Meanwhile, Chalkline are staging ‘The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return’, following its sold-out run at Edinburgh Fringe. The production tackles themes of knife crime and youth intervention, told by a tapestry of biting wit and lyrical intensity.

Elinor continues: “… As always, we’re committed to supporting artists, and it’s wonderful to see two of our Up Next Artists returning this season with developed pieces, Rooted and Stella, both of which began right here at Unity. I’m also proud to welcome bold new work from some of Liverpool’s vibrant and diverse festivals — Milap, Homotopia, Liverpool Irish Festival, and Luma Creations.”

Unity Theatre has developed into not only a fantastic city-centre performance space but a fully-fledged cultural hub for Merseyside-based creatives and the wider community. Unity’s activity now extends far beyond the world of traditional theatre and programming, with a vibrant exhibition space, music events, film screenings, creative workshops and a dedicated talent development programme for emerging performance artists.

The venue hosts monthly Scratch Nights and Work In Progress Nights giving developing artists opportunities to try out new work, culminating in the annual Up Next Festival where those emerging productions are featured in the festival’s programme. The Unity place great emphasis on its artist development pipeline in which local talent is consistently platformed; both ‘Stella’ by Chris Tomlinson & Robert Farquhar and ‘Rooted’ by Claire Beerjeraz were first developed at the festival and will now feature amongst the Unity’s wider Autumn / Winter 2025 season this year.

Unity Theatre also stage their own in-house productions, including people from the local community; this season, Elinor Randle directs a modern and spectacular interpretation of Jean Genet’s classic ‘The Maids’, inspired by Graeme Phillips who first directed the play in 1992. Exploring themes of oppression, isolation and incarceration, the show unites Liverpool theatre icons and engages refugees, asylum seekers, and care-home residents in a vibrant participatory programme.

Unity Theatre is also a home to many of Liverpool’s diverse arts and cultural festivals. This Autumn, the programme features Milap’s INDIKA Festival of Indian Arts and Culture, Luma Creations’ La Feria Festival of Latin American Arts and the Liverpool Irish Festival as well as Homotopia, which promotes local, national and international queer and trans creatives and artists. Through this work, Unity represent a broad spectrum of Liverpool’s community – particularly the underrepresented voices, stories and lives of the more marginalised groups within society.

The season closes with the Unity’s ever-popular Christmas programme. Following the success from previous years, Unity are producing their very own family and neurodiverse friendly Christmas show in collaboration with Liverpool-based theatre company Tmesis Theatre. ‘Sleep can wait!’ explores myths, legends and imagination – and is set to enchant audiences this festive season.

To kickstart the wonderful season ahead, Unity are set to host their Autumn / Winter 2025 Season Launch… Elinor said: “Our new season kicks off September 10th! Come and join us for a fun night of chats, sneak peeks, and short performances, a little taste of what’s coming up, shared with our amazing local community.”

For full details, visit their website here