Community Post Type: News

This month, Liverpool’s HMS Eaglet will host a very special Veteran’s Pride event celebrating the service of LGBT+ veterans and serving personnel in the UK’s Armed Forces.

Already award-winning, this will be only the second year of the event, Veterans Pride 2025 will take place on Saturday 9th August. The event has been created and organised by a team of partner military charities led by LGBT+ military charity Fighting With Pride, they have collaborated with the Royal Navy and the Royal British Legion (RBL).

The event will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the “gay ban” being lifted in the armed forces. The careers of many of the veterans attending were cut short by the historic ‘gay ban’ which remained in place until 12th January 2000. Some of those who lost their careers faced arrest, intrusive, investigations and even prison sentences just for being ‘gay’.

Background

In January 2022, the UK Government announced an LGBT Veterans Independent Review, which was Chaired by former Master of the Rolls, Lord Etherton KC.  Over an 18-month period, 1100 veterans gave evidence of their experiences, with many having faced criminal charges and dismissal for being gay or presumed to be gay.

On 19th July 2023, in response to Lord Etherton’s Report recommendations, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, made an apology on behalf of the British nation in the House of Commons as he announced a package of reparations.

Veterans Pride 2025 will have a 1940’s ‘authentically vintage’ theme and will include moments of recognition and celebration of LGBT+ veterans service, the evening will be hosted by local performer, West End and TV star Gillian Hardie.

Other performers entertaining guests on the evening will be cabaret artist Queera Lynn, the UK’s only wartime styled drag artist, comedians from Veterans Comedy Club and saxophonist and vocalist Jessica Stretton will complete the evenings line up Kenny Bryce, Fighting With Pride’s UK Veterans Community Workers Team Manager, based in Liverpool said: “We are delighted to be returning with the award-winning Veterans Pride event for another year at HMS Eaglet, we look forward to welcoming LGBT+ Veterans and allies to join us in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the “gay ban” being lifted from the Armed Forces. We have a fantastic night of entertainment, and I know that all attending will have a great night.

We would like to thank our sponsors Spark Medical and Thrive Together for their invaluable contribution and commitment to LGBT+ Armed Forces Community.”

The evening will be a mix of invited guests and tickets are also for sale for allies to attend at £10 each, www.outsavvy.com/pages/eventpreview.aspx?eventid=28535

For further information on Fighting With Pride please visit www.fightingwithpride.org.uk, for further information on the Veteran’s Pride event contact kenny.bryce@fightingwithpride.org.uk.

Join the action this summer at The Black-E for their Youth Arts Scheme! A fun-filled programme packed with free lunch & snacks, daily activities, and plenty of space to express yourself and make new friends!

FREE meals – register to HAF if your child is entitled to benefit related free school meals. Non HAF for those not on benefits.

11am – 3:30pm
Tuesday 29th July – Friday 29th August
Liverpool | Ages: 6 – 16 Years Old

Whether you’re into art, movement, or just looking for something exciting to do; come be part of something inspiring. ✨

📲 Spaces go fast – Use the links below to register or tag a friend who needs to see this!

🎟️ Book Tickets: 29/7/25 Youth Workshop:

Benefit related free school meals – https://tinyurl.com/4kna5avb

Non benefit related free school meals – https://tinyurl.com/2er92uwb

To celebrate National Coworking Day, they’re opening their doors for a completely free day of coworking at DoES Liverpool on 8 August — the city’s home for creatives, coders, makers, tinkerers, freelancers, and remote workers.

Whether you’re looking for a change of scenery, curious about what goes on inside their community workshop, or just want to get some work done alongside friendly, interesting people — this is your perfect excuse to come and try it out.

What’s DoES Liverpool?

They’re more than just desks and WiFi. DoES is a *community-powered coworking and makerspace* in the heart of the Fabric District.

They’ve got:

A welcoming workspace with great WiFi & good vibes

A workshop with 3D printers, laser cutters, electronics tools & more

A kitchen for coffee breaks and conversations

A creative, collaborative atmosphere that’s unlike anywhere else

New here?

No problem! This is the perfect chance to drop in, say hi, and see what they’re all about — whether you’re staying for an hour or the whole day.

No need to book — just turn up and plug in.

DoES Liverpool

The Tapestry, 68–76 Kempston Street, L3 8HL

Celebrate coworking, community, and creativity — together.

#DoESLiverpool #FreeCoworkingDay #NationalCoworkingDay #LiverpoolEvents

Here’s a link to the information on the DoES website – https://doesliverpool.com/does-event/free-coworking-day-at-does-liverpool/

From Seal to Frankie Goes to Hollywood, from ABC to Yes, from Grace Jones to Belle and Sebastian, and from Robbie Williams to Pet Shop Boys, one man has been at the heart of some of Britain’s most important pop music of the past 50 years: Trevor Horn.

The super producer has been described as the man who invented the eighties and he was also responsible for the sound of such bands as Dollar, Malcolm McLaren, t.A.T.u. and countless more, including Hans Zimmer, Marc Almond, Tori Amos, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Tina Turner, Art of Noise, Rod Stewart, and LeAnn Rimes.

After achieving a number one hit with his band, The Buggles, with Video Killed The Radio Star, Horn became a member of Yes before becoming the most important hit-maker of the 1980s – and beyond. Awards followed – there were four Brits, a 1995 Grammy for Seal’s Kiss From A Rose, a 2010 Ivor Novello for his Outstanding Contribution to British Music, and a CBE.

Following the publication of his best-selling memoir, Adventures In Modern Recording: From ABC to ZTT, Horn is visiting a select handful of theatres to talk about his exploits as a bona fide legend of pop.

For tickets, see the Floral Pavilion website here

Cinderella is preparing to enchanting family audiences at Shakespeare North Playhouse this Christmas – and the full cast for the award-winning theatre’s spellbinding seasonal show has been revealed.

Tia Larsen takes the title role in the fairytale favourite which is being given a very special Prescot twist in a captivating new adaptation by writer Nick Lane.

And she will be joined on the Cockpit Theatre stage by Emma Grace Arends, Emma Bispham, Thomas Cotran, Elliott Kingsley and Charlie Mae McKevitt.

Cinderella runs from Friday, 21 November to Saturday, 10 January 2026. Tickets are on sale now with a special ‘early bird’ offer until 8 August.

In the Kingdom of Prescotisia lives a young woman called Cinderella, whose world is turned upside down when her beloved mother suddenly disappears, and her father remarries. Even worse, it turns out Cinders’ new stepmother, Filania, is awful – and so are her two dreadful daughters!

When Prince Flarf of Crosbinia decides to throw a huge party, they are determined to be celebrated as the belles of the ball while Cinderella is left home alone.

But all is not lost because happily, help is at hand in the form of Fairy 23780, better known as Mandy, who is fresh from Fairy Godmother school and excited to be able to assist Cinderella to find her missing mum AND win the heart of the handsome prince to boot. Or rather, glass slipper.

Cinderella is the most popular fairytale of them all.

And packed with magical moments, favourite tunes, lots of laughs and a heartwarming message about family, friendship and self-discovery, this new production is the perfect family show for the festive season.

Tia Larsen returns to the Cockpit stage at Shakespeare North after appearing as swing in Alice in Wonderland last Christmas, where the versatile and talented young actor impressed audiences and critics alike, performing a variety of key roles during the run.

The Rose Bruford College Wigan graduate’s other stage credits include Vignettes at Hope Mill Theatre, The Incident (M6 Theatre Company), Approved (SJT theatre) and Den Festival Manchester and the Royal Exchange.

Emma Grace Arends is Mandy the Fairy. Emma’s theatre credits include The Duchess of Malfi (Greenwich Theatre), The Scouse Jack and the Beanstalk, Scouse Dick Whittington and The Legend of Rooney’s Ring at Liverpool’s Royal Court, Home, I’m Darling (Frinton Summer Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing/Romeo and Juliet for Folksy Theatre, Twopence to Cross the Mersey and Her Benny at the Liverpool Empire and Sleeping Beauty at M&S Bank Arena.

She is also well-known to young audience members through her roles in the UK tour of Peppa Pig’s Big Surprise, and on the big screen in Peppa Pig My First Cinema Experience – Daisy Sky.

Emma Bispham is Filania. Her stage credits include Blood Brothers (Phoenix Theatre), Taboo in the West End, on tour and in a 20^th anniversary concert at the London Palladium, Macca and Beth, A Thong for Europe, Sisters of Mersey, The Scouse Sleeping Beauty and The Scouse Snow White, all at Liverpool’s Royal Court, Bad Girls – the Musical at West Yorkshire Playhouse and Closer Than Ever (Liverpool Everyman).

As a member of the Everyman Rep Company, she appeared in Paint Your Wagon, The Big I Am and Othello, while she also recently played Goop and Hairy McFairy in the Everyman Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto Rapunzel.

Thomas Cotran returns to Shakespeare North Playhouse after appearing as Berowne in Love’s Labour’s Lost earlier this year. Here he will play Prince Flarf.

Among his other stage credits are One Man, Two Guvnors at The New Vic, Song of the Sytch for Claybody Theatre, The Great Gatsby and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, The Snow Queen for Wrongsemble/The Albany Theatre, Footloose (UK tour), You Can Bet It’s Christmas for Slung Low, and Raising Agents, Red Sky at Night, Atlanta Forever and A Dogs Tale (all Mikron Theatre Company).

In September he will be in the world premiere of The Grand Babylon Hotel at the New Vic in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Elliott Kingsley will appear as King Dean. Elliott trained through the YEP programme at Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and was part of the Everyman’s Rep Company where he performed in Fiddler on the Roof, The Story Giant and Romeo and Juliet.

His other stage credits include Boys from the Blackstuff at the National Theatre and London’s Garrick Theatre, The Tempest at Royal and Derngate in Northampton, The Wonderful World of Dissocia at Liverpool Playhouse and Drag Nativity at Storyhouse in Chester. He previously performed at Shakespeare North Playhouse in Ira Aldridge: Story Adventure.

And Charlie Mae McKevitt makes her Shakespeare North Playhouse debut as walking understudy. Last season she appeared in the Further Adventures of Peter Pan at the Floral Pavilion.

All other roles will be played by members of the cast.

Cinderella is directed by Nicole Behan who returns to Shakespeare North Playhouse for a second Christmas after acting as Associate Director for last season’s production of Alice in Wonderland.

Nicole is artistic director of Paperwork Theatre which recently developed Lovestruck, an immersive multi-location production which toured to the Liverpool Everyman, Storyhouse and Shakespeare North Playhouse.

Her other directing credits include Pass the Parcel and Stocking Fillers (Liverpool’s Royal Court), My Beautiful Laundrette (Leicester Curve and National Theatre Theatre Nations tour), Come Closer: Memories of Partition (Royal Exchange), Qualified (Hope Mill), You, Me & the Goalpost at Bolton Octagon, and Northern Flight and Deep Blue, both at the Liverpool Everyman. Along with Alice in Wonderland, her associate director credits include Red or Dead at Liverpool’s Royal Court and Ghost Caller for Headlong.

Assistant director is Kate Treadell, while the creative team also includes Abigail Middleton as movement director and choreographer and Rob Green as composer and musical director, with set and costumes by Chloe Wynn and sound design from Ernest Acquah.

Cinderella is produced by Shakespeare North Playhouse and is the Prescot theatre’s fourth Christmas show since it opened its doors in July 2022.

Lisa Allen, CEO and Creative Director at Shakespeare North Playhouse, said: “Cinderella holds a special place in the hearts of so many, and we’re thrilled to be giving it a unique Prescot twist this Christmas. With Nick Lane’s adaptation, a cast brimming with talent, and Nicole Behan at the helm, audiences can expect a show that’s packed with laughter and holiday magic.

 “We can’t wait to welcome families and festive theatre lovers of all ages to share in this joyful show at Shakespeare North Playhouse.”

 Book on the website on shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk

 

Join FACT and At The Library this August for fun family film screenings, nature hunts, and creative activities at Bootle Library and Christ Church Bootle – all inspired by the magic of nature and part of this year’s Summer Reading Challenge! 🧡

Mon 18 Aug
⭐️ FERNGULLY: THE LAST RAINFOREST (1992)

Tue 19 Aug
⭐️ FLOW (2024)
⭐️ WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (2009)

Wed 20 Aug
⭐️ THE IRON GIANT (1999)
⭐️ RIDDLE OF FIRE (2023)

🎟️ £3 kids / £6 adults. L20 residents can enjoy half-price tickets.
Book now → fact.co.uk/citc

Another reminder about the The Raise Up summit!

A new social mobility summit is being launched on 15 October in Boxpark, with STOs across the region coming together. Including a presentation from Channel 4, the two sessions include panel discussions, career insights, employability opportunities and much more to tackle youth unemployment.

Tickets for 18-24 year olds are free and can be accessed here…

Liverpool – prepare for an outbreak of a different kind. This July, Liverpool’s streets will be contaminated with creativity as drag artist Auntie Climax embodies Cholera herself, leading audiences through the city’s hidden waterways and forgotten histories in the most provocative walking tour that will ever take over your body and imagination.

The Cholera Walking Tour (July 25-27, 6pm-7:30pm + July 26, 10am) promises to go viral for all the right reasons, delivering a lethal dose of entertainment while exposing the murky depths of Liverpool’s relationship with water, disease and social (in)justice.

Co-created with Toxteth L8 residents, Liverpool based artists Hwa Young Jung, Dr. Annalaura Alifuoco, social researchers Dr. Rachel Seoighe, Dr. Trude Sundberg, physician / microbiologist Dr. Natalie Beveridge and Granby Winter Garden, the tour emerges from genuine community voices and lived experiences. This is activism disguised as entertainment – or perhaps entertainment that refuses to be cleansed of its political power.

“We’re not just performing history,” explains Liverpool Hope University Senior Lecturer Annalaura Alifuoco. “We’re diagnosing present-day symptoms of environmental injustice and offering a different kind of treatment – one that centres collective wellbeing, communal knowledge and joyful resistance.”

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION:

● Dates & Times
July 25th Friday
▪ 6pm – 7:30pm
July 26th Saturday
▪ 10am – 11:30
▪ 6pm – 7:30pm
July 27th Sunday
▪ 6pm – 7:30pm

● Route: Liverpool Cathedral to Granby Four Streets via Prince’s Avenue

● Tickets: https://fwdrag.art/2025/06/23/liverpool-tour-tickets-on-sale/

● Accessibility: We are committed to making our events as welcoming and inclusive for as many people as possible. If you are planning to attend one of their events and have specific access requirements, please contact by e:hello@fwdrag.art t: 01904876318 and they will make every effort to accommodate you.

If you have any questions ahead of the event, please feel free to contact them and they look forward to seeing you there!

● Funding: Ecological Citizen(s) Network+ with additional support from Liverpool Hope
University

It might not be the Maldives, but the Palm House in Sefton Park offers its own little slice of the tropics, especially in the summer months when Liverpool’s famed ‘giant conservatory’ is naturally warmed to balmy holiday temperatures. Even when the sun doesn’t show its face outside, there’s a raft of things to enjoy ‘under the palms’ over the summer holidays, for all ages.

Whether visitors want to craft, create, relax, meditate, learn something new or just enjoy an evening of good food and entertainment, the team at the Palm house has worked with other organisations across the city to curate a steady stream of events and activities to suit everyone.

Kate Johnson, CEO of the Palm House said: “We love being a hub for local community events, offering a variety of free activities throughout the year for our visitors of all ages. The summer holidays are a great opportunity to build up our programme with more activities to suit our younger visitors and have them enjoying the space in and outside the Palm House.

“Along with our programme of adult-events, we have craft activities, a Teddy Bear’s picnic and yoga for little ones, and older children can enjoy our inspiring art workshops here this summer. We hope these opportunities to experience the Palm House, its beautiful plants and unique atmosphere will be just the start of the memories they can make in this fabulous building.”

The summer programme kicks off with Liverpool Arab Arts Festival on Saturday 20 July, and also includes the Japanese Society North West’s Summer Matsuri on 31 August, bringing the spirit of Japan to Liverpool in this extraordinary festival.

For more information on what’s going on over the summer at the Palm House, visit www.palmhouse.org.uk/whats-on/