Community Post Type: News

National Museums Liverpool is proud to announce a landmark three year partnership with The Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation, which becomes the organisation’s first Principal Partner through a transformational £1.5 million gift over three years to support projects that reflect Sir Ken Dodd’s inclusive and uplifting spirit.

The collaboration builds on a strong existing relationship with the Ken Dodd family, following the success of the Happiness! exhibition at Museum of Liverpool in 2024.  The Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation will become the lead venue partner for Museum of Liverpool, recently named as the most visited attraction in the North of England in the 2025 Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) visitor figures.

Spread over three years, the funding will see the transformation of the Museum of Liverpool theatre into The Ken Dodd Auditorium, a vibrant and accessible space for events, performances and community activity. Visitors can also look forward to a new permanent Sir Ken Dodd display in the Wondrous Place Gallery, opening during his centenary year in November 2027.

House of Memories – National Museums Liverpool’s award-winning dementia awareness programme – will also benefit from the support. The funding will support training, access to resources, and museum-based activities to enable carers to provide person-centred care for people living with dementia.

Another major part of the partnership will facilitate the expansion of National Museums Liverpool’s work with young people, including the existing Youth Engagement Forum which empowers 16-24 year olds to co-create creative programmes and events at venues such as World Museum, Museum of Liverpool and Walker Art Gallery.

The generous gift from the Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation will also help to grow National Museums Liverpool’s Under 26 membership scheme and strengthen links with schools, colleges and universities in line with a commitment to making access to arts and culture equitable for all ages. Development of initiatives such as Future Voices, an open mic and performance platform supporting young creative talent and pathways into arts careers.

Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool said:

“We are partnering with The Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation to build a long-term collaboration that honours Sir Ken Dodd’s legacy. By using National Museums Liverpool venues, programmes and events to promote joy, creativity, education, and community well-being, while engaging diverse audiences in Liverpool and beyond, we can continue to inspire future generations through projects that reflect Sir Ken Dodd’s inclusive and uplifting spirit.”

Andrea Nixon, Chair of National Museums Liverpool Board of Trustees said:

“The partnership between National Museums Liverpool and The Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation represents a significant moment for the region and demonstrates how cultural organisations and philanthropic foundations can work together over the long term to create meaningful, lasting impact across multiple sectors. We are incredibly grateful for this support and look forward to seeing the projects flourish and build upon the excellent work that both of our organisations already do.”

Anne, Lady Dodd said:

“Ken created his charitable foundation with the distinct aim of supporting performing arts charities and organisations, with a particular focus on providing help to children and young people to pursue their creative passions, whilst spreading laughter and happiness.

“This exciting partnership with National Museums Liverpool certainly aligns perfectly with the ethos of the Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation. Our significant donation will be used to benefit a vast range of programmes I know Ken would be immensely proud to be supporting. The fact this three-year arrangement coincides with Ken’s centenary year in 2027 is particularly poignant. It is a very fitting tribute to a beloved entertainer who absolutely adored this great city, the Merseyside people and their fantastic sense of humour.”

Picture This Photography Liverpool are thrilled to be celebrating World Photography Day by hosting a Pop Up Shop & Event Wednesday August 19th 2026 from 10am-4pm inside the iconic Royal Liver Building ground floor atrium.

The event will showcase affordable Liverpool Landscape Photo Art Prints & NoteCards including iconic Liverpool Waterfront & Skyline, unique Beatles collection, favourite local parks and so much more! Celebrate the art of photography in a fun-filled day while exploring the beauty of photography against the backdrop of one of Liverpool’s most famous landmarks.

*Challenge your photography skills and receive advice on improving your images
*Inspire your images with a Mini Photo Walk inside the Liver Buildings
*Learn their favourite Hints & Tips to help improve your shots
*Participate in the RAFFLE to enter to win a Limited Edition Print
*Browse event special offers
*Ask about giveaways & freebies
*Chat with the photographer to learn the stories behind the images and best locations to capture distinct shots
*Browse, view & purchase authentic, professional Photo Prints & Notecards for home or business

This is an amazing & unique collaboration event where the photographer was invited by The Royal Liver Building Team to appreciate the building architecture & history, view timeless Liverpool imagery and enhance visitor engagement during the Liverpool Art Fair to commemorate their Liverpool visit.

The Royal Liver Building is based at the Pier Head, Liverpool Waterfront, L3 1HU. The main entrance to Royal Liver Building Reception is located in the courtyard of the building, just off Canada Boulevard or is accessible via The Strand. The building is wheelchair accessible.

Picture This Photography are an international brand specialising in interior collections for business & home where they supply custom images for UK restaurants & offices and also are a supplier for The Beatles Story Fab 4 Stores, The Victoria Gallery & local card & gift shops.
Picture This Photography are represented by Dot Art Gallery Liverpool and are part of current & previous exclusive exhibitions including The Liverpool Art Fair.

Take a sneak peek at their Liverpool online store here for examples of work available & so much more!

Hope to celebrate World Photography Day with you!

A new way to explore Liverpool’s past is being unveiled this April as The Modernist Society expands its free-to-use app. Four bespoke tours will guide users through an often unappreciated and overlooked aspect of the city’s recent, revealing the stories and history behind some of Liverpool’s most famous modernist landmarks.

This April, Liverpool will be the sixth city to receive its own set of curated tours exploring 20th-century landmarks, following the Modernist app’s successful Manchester launch in 2024. The Liverpool tours span across the University campus, Metropolitan Cathedral, and Business district, allowing users to experience the city’s best modernist architecture, from hidden gems to back-street surprises.

The app tours will officially launch on the Apple App Store and Google Play in April 2026, accompanied by a series of associated events. These include a walking tour on 11 April, culminating at the exhibition Building in Focus: Beneath the River Mersey at RIBA North, Mann Island, and a talk on the post-war redevelopment of the city by Dr Richard Brook of Lancaster University and Dominic Wilkinson of the Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) School of Architecture, to be held at the Utility Design Store.

The four tours feature handily written explainers and interactive maps that have been researched and devised by Wilkinson, promises to be packed with expertise and insight for new and avid fans of modernism alike.

Since launching in 2024, Liverpool is the sixth city to be added to the app, and its expansion won’t end here. The plan is to keep adding tours in more cities in the UK and overseas, so it becomes an invaluable and handy resource for fans of modernist and brutalist architecture wherever they may be in the world. The aim is to encourage people to download the app, to go out and walk in their city, and to encounter the buildings in real life.

Liverpool’s rich commercial history has produced some of the region’s most iconic modernist landmarks, with the tours aiming to champion this to a whole new range of fans. The tours’ prominent stops range from the RC Metropolitan Cathedral, the Lewis’s

Building, the Philharmonic Hall, alongside lesser-known treasures like the Piazza Waterfall and the former HSBC Bank on Dale Street.

Whether you’ve developed a newfound love for Modernism or are an avid fan, the ease and accessibility of the Modernist app opens the world of architects like Frederick Gibberd and Basil Spence into the palm of your hand.

The expansion marks a major milestone for The Modernist Society, founded by Jack Hale and Eddy Rhead, as interest in modernist architecture enjoys a newfound cultural buoy. From their Manchester base, the modernists now have branches in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Huddersfield, Sheffield, Swansea, Glasgow and Bristol.

Eddy Rhead, co-founder of the Modernist Society, says: “We were used to running a lot of walking tours in and around Manchester and they always proved to be really popular, but due to constraints like man-hours, resources, and simply time, we wanted to be able to reach more people quickly.”

With our Manchester base, it’s why expanding the app to Liverpool felt like a natural next step. If you’re from Liverpool or live here, you will recognise a lot of the buildings on the tour, but you won’t necessarily know the stories behind them. We want to encourage people to walk around the city and look at things a little differently. You never know – maybe we can even help a few people to like modernist architecture a bit more than they did before?”

Devised by the Modernist Society, the app has been designed and built in collaboration with Manchester and Leeds-based digital marketing agency Fablr.

The addition of the Liverpool tours has been made possible with support from the Arts & Culture FUND from the Liverpool Business Improvement District. The Modernist Society’s co-founders, Jack Hale and Eddy Rhead, express their thanks to the Liverpool BID for its support in helping to open up their love for all things modernist to a whole new generation of fans.

Katie Bentley is Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications at Liverpool Business Improvement District:

“We are delighted to be able to support creative projects like this through our Arts & Culture Fund. Liverpool’s architecture is famous the world over, however there are stories behind our 20th century buildings that might not be as well known. We have a very walkable city here, and what we spotted in this project was that it is a way of encouraging discovery on foot, of exploring Liverpool’s modern architecture as a daytripper, or on your lunch break. Art in our public realm is a hugely important tool to engage people in the culture and character our city, so we’re excited for people to be able to dive into that history and culture through the app”.

For more information about the app, please see The Modernist Society, Google Play, and Apple App Store.

An emotionally charged live dance performance is set to take a Liverpool festival by storm this April.

Liverpool Hope University’s Angel Field Festival and Leap will present Cathy Waller’s You and Us on Friday 24th April at the city’s Capstone Theatre.

The show offers a powerful reflection on invisibility, revealing stories that are usually kept out of sight and placing them centre stage.

Founded in 2012 by the award-winning Choreographer and Movement Director, Cathy Waller Company is recognised for its physically powerful, musically rich performances. Cathy’s artistry is in demand across the UK and internationally, where she collaborates with renowned theatres and companies. You & Us continues her vision, bringing movement, sound and imagery together to challenge perception and celebrate connection.

What began with Cathy’s personal experience of invisible disability, grew into a collaboration with hundreds of people, unravelling stories that touch on identity and culture, challenging the unwritten rules of belonging.

At its centre is an emotionally charged dance performance that channels extraordinary physical power, against an original, pulsing soundtrack created by MOBO award winning Lewis Wright. Developed alongside the company’s award-winning short dance film the result is a poetic, exhilarating combination, holding up a mirror to how we move through the world.

Don’t miss this extraordinary show that channels physical power against an original, pulsing soundtrack created by MOBO award winning Lewis Wright. Using Cathy Waller’s signature movement style to capture the extraordinary qualities of her company performers, the show draws on experiences from over 400 people who worked with the company to explore ‘invisibility’ and what it means to really be seen.

You & Us will be performed on Friday 24th April 2026 at The Capstone Theatre in Liverpool. Tickets are available now via the venue’s website.

A triple bill featuring Ian Boddy, Sulk Rooms, and Field Lines Cartographer will be presented as part of Liverpool Hope University’s Angel Field Festival 2026.

This event is sponsored by DiN Records.

DiN Records present these three leading lights of the UK electronic music scene in concert together. They will all perform solo sets followed by a unique, three-way jam.

The music of Field Lines Cartographer weaves celestial tapestries from modular synths with whispers of the natural world. His work drifts between deep space and ancient earth, mapping dream states and hidden energies in sound.

Sulk Rooms draws the link between euphoric electronica and smoke-engulfed drones. Slow-morphing textures sequence and cascade, encapsulating intimate moments of colliding sound amongst fluttering arpeggios and transcending synth builds.

Ian Boddy has been producing his own style of exploratory electronic music for over 45 years. A master of the modular synth, he paints pictures in sound and takes the audience on a sonic journey from familiar territory to places unknown.

The Electronic Music Triple Bill will take place on Saturday 25th April 2026 at The Capstone Theatre in Liverpool. Tickets are available now via the venue’s website.

The Scouse Nativity, The Greatest Story Ever Told is coming back to Liverpool’s Royal Court in an all new production for 2026. Written by Kevin Fearon, the show was first staged in 2017.

The stage is set in Bethlehem, 0 AD (or 0 BC, I’m not too clued up on these things) and Terry, a lonely shepherd, looks out over the land and sees that all is good. Apart from that bloody great star. He should probably take a look at that.

And so it came to pass (fortunately for The Royal Court) that Terry, in the pub with his mates, decided to keep a record of that beautiful star and the events that followed.  2026 years later we have finally unlocked the secrets of the Gospel according to Saint/Our Terry… The Scouse Nativity!

Kevin Fearon, Executive Producer at Liverpool’s Royal Court says,

“We couldn’t wait until the tenth anniversary to bring back The Scouse Nativity. After a record breaking Christmas with The Scouse Christmas Carol we wanted to give Liverpool the funniest festive show on its Christmas wish list. The Scouse Nativity has been the most requested show to bring back to our stage. It’ll be a great night out, the stars are out, get inn quick while there’s still room”.

Tickets for The Scouse Nativity start at £19 and go on sale to the public at 11am on Thursday 19 March here https://liverpoolsroyalcourt.com/

The show runs from 6 November to 16 January

Suicide Bereavement UK’s 15th International Conference is taking place at Liverpool’s Titanic Hotel on 16th September 2026.

Growing international interest

This year they’re excited to host the conference in Liverpool—our first time outside Manchester! There’s already a great buzz, and we’re thrilled to see even more international delegates signing up. So far, they have attendees from 17 countries, including Australia, the USA, Ghana, Botswana and many more.

Pre‑conference get‑together

They’re thinking about organising an informal get‑together the night before the conference. If that’s something you’d enjoy, please drop a quick email to debbie.wilson@suicidebereavementuk.com. If enough people are interested, they’ll make it happen

Early‑bird extension

Good news! Following several requests, they’ve extended the early bird registration deadline to 30th April.

Exhibition tables

They have space for 2I exhibition tables in their Support Services Exhibition. These are free for charities, as long as they purchase two delegate places.

For more information and to register CLICK HERE

The Liverpool Architecture Festival is back for 2026. The 2026 edition (LAF26) will launch on Thursday 21st June and run through until Sunday 21st June 2026, with free events championing architecture and the built environment across the Liverpool City Region.

The theme for LAF26 is ‘Futures’, and their values of Community, Inclusivity and Climate will be at the forefront of the festival.

For further information visit: www.laf-uk.com

The Beatles Legacy Group (BLG) is marking 10 years since its creation in 2016, to enhance and protect the cultural and economic impact of the Fab Four in their home city of Liverpool.

Formed in response to a report which recognised the significant £81.9m impact The Beatles had on the economy of Liverpool, over the past 10 years, the BLG has continued in its purpose of boosting the visitor experience and ongoing impact of the most famous band in history, in the city where it all began.

To celebrate its milestone year, the BLG launched the Liverpool Music Heritage Trail on 24 March, tracking 60 years of music history and shining a spotlight on the cultural value of music venues in the city throughout the years.

Supported by funding from The Beatles Story, the Liverpool Music Heritage Trail is the first of its kind in the city, featuring 12 plaques in the style of vinyl records positioned in the locations of places that had an impact on Liverpool’s music scene over a period of 60 years. From 1957 – 2016, the locations selected demonstrate the identity that emerged from the city’s maritime heritage and its relationship with music, as grassroots, underground scenes found a place amongst the warehouses and brick-built basements, to create global phenomena.

Taking 90 minutes to complete on foot, the free trail includes the original entrance of The Cavern Club on Mathew Street, along with venues such as Erics, The Lomax, Probe Records, NEMS, The Sink, and super-club Cream. People can connect with videos, historical information and playlists to bring each location to life and with the sounds, stories and human experiences that are embedded in Liverpool’s proud musical heritage, psyche and personality.

People can take part in the trail for free by downloading the map from www.liverpoolmusiccity.com/liverpool-music-heritage-trail and heading to any of the locations to begin.

QR codes on the plaques lead to a wealth of information via films and Spotify playlists compiled by the people who were there and knew the venues well. Earphones are recommended for the full experience.

Peter Hooton, Chair of the BLG and frontman of the band The Farm said: “The Liverpool Music Heritage Trail feels like the perfect way to mark 10 years of The Beatles Legacy Group, as it solidifies our purpose to keep music at the heart of this magical city of ours. The concept of a music heritage trail came to me when I started doing music tours of the city a few years ago. As I was pointing out venues and record shops that no longer existed, people on the tour would ask me why there was no reference to many of these iconic places that had inspired and shaped our musical and cultural identity. I knew I had to try and celebrate them before they were lost in the mists of time.

“In 1957, the meeting of Lennon and McCartney first took place and that’s also when our musical journey begins, with the opening of the original location of The Cavern Club in the same year. We also include another pivotal step in The Beatles’ careers from 1962, when they signed their first official management contract with Brian Epstein in NEMS* on Whitechapel.

“The trail celebrates and explores these key Beatles’ locations of course, but 10 others take us through a variety of key musical moments. From Eric’s, a venue on Mathew Street which had a key impact on local musicians and hosted leading punk and new wave acts including The Clash, The Ramones and Joy Division during its four short years of opening, to the more contemporary venue The Kazimier, which closed in 2016. Located in Wolstenholme Square, it was just next door to another key part of the city’s music culture, Nation nightclub – the home of Cream – demonstrating just how diverse the past 60 years have been for Liverpool and how quickly music scenes move and develop, often in disused warehouse spaces linked to the port.”

Along with funding from The Beatles Story, the trail has been made possible with support from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Liverpool Business Improvement District (BID), who have been instrumental in securing agreements from the current businesses located where the plaques are to be placed.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram said: “Liverpool will always be synonymous with the four lads who shook the world. The story of The Beatles began here, and their success helped put our city on the global cultural map, inspiring generations of artists and continuing to attract visitors from around the world who still support our economy and local jobs even today.

“But The Beatles’ legacy is about much more than the past. It ignited a creative spark that still defines our region today. By protecting and promoting that heritage through initiatives like The Beatles Story and now the Liverpool Music Heritage Trail, we’re ensuring future generations continue to be inspired by the city that helped give the world a new soundtrack.”

As well as launching the Music Heritage Trail, the BLG is to form a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) and is announcing the commissioning of a new report reviewing the cultural and economic value of The Beatles over the past 10 years since the creation of the BLG.

Kevin McManus, board member of The Beatles Legacy Group and Head of UNESCO City of Music at Liverpool City Council said: “As a group, over the past 10 years we have supported a number of initiatives including the development of a Masters in Beatles Studies at the Institute of Popular Music, the creation of a Beatles Education Officer post, artwork commissions and the latest Music Heritage Trail. With more work to come and more quantifiable activities and opportunities to evaluate, including the additions of Strawberry Fields, the Beatles Museum on Mathew Street and the British Music Experience, it’s a great time to commission a follow-up report to assess the impact of The Beatles on our city.

“It will enable us to move forward into the next 10 years with really useful information to help guide our activities. We are also taking steps to formalise the group further by developing into a CIC to continue to have an impact and purpose within the Liverpool community. We want to work with our partners, neighbours and key people in the music community to support our shared goals to improve and sustain the impact of The Beatles on the city’s economy and cultural landscape.”

Bill Addy CEO of Liverpool Business Improvement District said: “Cities always evolve and every generation has its music venues, cultural venues, clubs and bars. What does this have to do with business and the public realm? To fully be part of a city and to understand it, you have to understand its past as well as its present. We are delighted to support this trail because it provides a context and a history for the modern, vibrant music scene in the city. It also helps the hospitality businesses that have grown around historic venues so it’s about exploring a city further. For visitors we hope this gives an added flavour of the psychogeography around music and culture in Liverpool”.

Mary Chadwick, General Manager at The Beatles Story said: “For the past 36 years, we at The Beatles Story Museum at The Royal Albert Dock have been keeping the legacy of The Beatles alive through immersive experiences and impressive artefacts that tell the band’s story. We’re fortunate to be at the centre of Liverpool’s rich and important music history, and to be able to support this new Music Heritage Trail. Keeping alive the legacy of not only The Beatles but of the city’s wider music impact, is something we’re very proud of.”

Liverpool is a city built on diversity, strength and solidarity.

Liverpool City Council have launched This is Liverpool; a campaign celebrating who we are and what we stand for: a city that welcomes everyone and stands united against racism.

Liverpool City Council has made a clear commitment: To become an anti-racist organisation and to help build a city where everyone feels they belong.

They encourage everyone in Liverpool to come together, support each other, and openly oppose racism wherever they see it.

Together, we can make Liverpool a place where everyone feels safe, valued and respected.

 Find out more, unite against racism and share facts, not myths: https://liverpoolexpress.co.uk/thisisliverpool/