Community Post Type: News

INDIKA, Milap’s festival of Indian Arts, returns to Liverpool this October 2025

Chiming with Milap’s 40 year anniversary, this October, the INDIKA festival will feature a programme of Indian music and dance, ranging from cutting-edge contemporary to deeply rooted traditional forms, plus yoga, poetry, storytelling and participatory activities for all the family.

INDIKA events will take place across iconic Liverpool City Region venues, including The Tung Auditorium, Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room, Future Yard, The Everyman and more to be announced soon.

INDIKA showcases the best of contemporary Indian Arts and Culture, presenting a bold and varied programme that celebrates India’s diverse cultural traditions. With Diwali falling on 20th October this year, Milap’s Diwali celebrations will feature as a centrepiece of this year’s INDIKA.

Audiences won’t just watch and listen to performances – they’ll feel them. With music, dance, food and storytelling from across India, INDIKA offers a multi-sensory experience that brings people together through culture and leaves audiences moved.
Milap continues its work to connect audiences with the vibrant sounds and compelling stories of India, showcasing its enduring influence on the world stage –  right here in Merseyside!

Liverpool Theatre School Presents You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, held 16 / 17 Jun ’25

Liverpool Theatre School’s graduating students are set to bring classic Peanuts characters to life during a heartwarming performance of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. The uplifting musical, starring talented final year Level 6 Musical Theatre Diploma students, will run at the Hope Street Theatre from 16 -17 June.

Based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M Schulz, Liverpool Theatre School’s charming production follows Charlie Brown and his endearing friends – Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Sally and Snoopy – as they navigate the simple joys and challenges of childhood. Promising a delightful evening of nostalgia and song, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown captures the essence of growing up, exploring everything from simple pleasures like baseball games and flying kites to the pressures of school and romance.

Directed by Sharon Byatt, with musical direction from Jordan Alexander, the production is the culmination of three years of professional training and artistic development for Liverpool Theatre School’s graduating students. As one of their last performances together as a group, the musical provides an opportunity to showcase their acting, singing and dance skills before they go on to work in the industry.

“This production is more than just a show, it’s a celebration of our talented final year students as they come to the end of their musical theatre training and prepare for life as professional performers,” said Liverpool Theatre School Principal Maxine Ellis. “I’m incredibly proud of how much every one of our graduating students has grown over the last few years, both as performers and individuals. We’re really looking forward to putting on a fantastic show – everyone is welcome to join us for an evening of laughter, nostalgia and toe tapping tunes.”

Liverpool Theatre School, whose patrons include dance legend Wayne Sleep OBE and musical theatre star Anita Dobson, accepts only the most talented students on its professional training programmes in musical theatre and dance. The centre of excellence boasts a long list of alumni with graduates going on to join the cast of hit shows such as Mamma Mia!, Frozen, SIX, Starlight Express, Blood Brothers and Wicked.

The performing arts school, located near the city’s creative quarter on Sefton Street, aims to provide the next generation of professional performers with the skills required for a successful career in the industry. As part of its commitment to making high level musical theatre and dance training more accessible to working class performers, Liverpool Theatre School offers a number of fully funded places and bursaries every year.

Tickets for Liverpool Theatre School’s production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown are available from Ticketquarter at £18 / £10.25 (concessions), including booking fee.

To find out more about Liverpool Theatre School, please visit liverpooltheatreschool.co.uk.

New Liverpool open-air cinema brings movies to the Mansion, starts 30 July ’25

This July, The Reader is launching Liverpool’s biggest new open-air cinema in the beautiful Calderstones Park.

The Reader‘s eight handpicked films, ranging from literary adaptations to feel-good classics and family-friendly favourites, will be hitting the screen under the stars between Wednesday 30 July and Thursday 28 August, set against the backdrop of the Grade II listed Georgian Mansion House.

Jen Chapman, Associate Director of Marketing, Communications & Digital at The Reader, the UK’s largest Shared Reading charity, said: “Open air cinema is such a fun experience and our gorgeous Mansion House garden in Calderstones Park is just the perfect space for it. We’ve carefully chosen some of the very best, and much-loved adaptations of literary classics told on the big screen – all best enjoyed with a freshly baked pizza, a chilled glass of fizz and someone you love.”

The first film to open the summer season on Wednesday 30 July, 9pm is 1999 high school rom com 10 Things I Hate About You, a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles. It will be followed by the 1989 comedy Shirley Valentine on Thursday 31 July, 9pm, adapted from Willy Russell’s monologue about a Liverpudlian housewife’s transformational trip to the Greek island of her dream, and Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-winning coming of age period drama, Little Women, on Thursday 7 August, 8.45pm, based on Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel.

Enjoy the perfect summer holiday watch and ABBA singalong under the summer sky with Mamma Mia! on Friday 8 August, 8.45pm, and paying homage to Jane Austen’s 250 year anniversary is the 1995 all-star adaptation of Sense & Sensibility with Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet on Sunday 10 August, 8.45pm. Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 remake of Shakespeare’s teen tragedy, Romeo & Juliet, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, will also be screened on Friday 15 August, 8.30pm.

The season draws to a close with two family-friendly films: the 2022 version of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, an adaptation of the RSC’s Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical, on Wednesday 27 August, 8.15pm and 2024 blockbuster musical Wicked on Thursday 28 August, 8.15pm starring Cynthia Arivo and Ariana Grande.

This new outdoor cinema has been made possible thanks to a grant by social investor Livv Investment, part of Livv Housing Group, based in Prescot.

Sharon Marsh, Executive Director at Livv Investment, said: “We’re delighted to be investing in The Reader and are pleased to hear their plans for an open-air cinema over the summer. By investing in The Reader, we’re not just supporting the arts – we’re helping to facilitate measurable social impact. Reading initiatives and cultural events build stronger, healthier communities, reduce isolation, and foster resilience. It’s a powerful return on investment in human connection and creativity, and we’re looking forward to seeing this investment come to life.”

TICKETS, TREATS & SEATS

Gates will open an hour before screening time in the lawned, festoon lit landscaped garden. Arrive early and soak up the atmosphere with music, food and drinks under the summer sky. Pre-orders will be taken for Hot Dogs (VE available) £8, Nachos, (VE available), £8, and Pizzas (Margherita or Pepperoni, VE available), £14.

Treat yourself to a bottle of fizz for £25 or a bucket of Peroni beers (six bottles) for £20. Book a deckchair for £5 or bring your own picnic blanket.

Tickets cost £14.50 for adults and £9.50 for under 16s. Calderstones members (http://thereader.org.uk/visit-calderstones/calderstones-membership/) will be able to save 10% and receive priority booking from 10am on Friday 6 June. General sale opens from Tuesday 10 June. All bookings can be made here, https://thereader.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows?tags=cinema2025

The new film season is part of the charity’s al fresco programming. It also runs an annual vibrant summer open-air theatre season, which saw 2025’s upcoming productions launched in spring. To see What’s On visit here, https://thereader.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows.

All profits will support The Reader’s charitable work transforming lives through literature in Liverpool and beyond.

FULL LIST OF FILMS:

10 Things I Hate About You (12)
Wednesday 30 July, 9pm
“I hate you so much it makes me sick – It even makes me rhyme”
This whip-smart retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew starring Health Ledger and Julia Stiles is packed with iconic moments and snappy one-liners. It’s “too good to be true”.
1999 / 1hr 37min

Shirley Valentine (15)
Thursday 31 July, 9pm
“Why do we get all these feelings and dreams and hopes if we don’t ever use them?”
The much-loved film adaptation of Willy Russell’s play about a fed-up Liverpool housewife who takes a life-changing trip to Greece and rediscovers her sparkle, her sense of adventure and the joy of life.
1989 / 1h 48min

Little Women (U)
Thursday 7 August, 8.45pm
“I just wish I was rich, and I could spend my whole life in a hammock reading”
Greta Gerwig sprinkles her directorial magic onto Louise May Alcott’s classic coming-of-age novel about the four beloved March sisters and the unbreakable bonds of love.
2019 / 2h 15min

Mamma Mia! (12)
Friday 8 August, 8.45pm
“Life is short. The world is wide. I want to make some memories”
Dust off your dungarees! This star-studded musical comedy sound tracked by ABBA’s greatest hits feels like a mini holiday on screen. Perfect for watching under the summer sky. 2008 / 1h 48min

Sense & Sensibility (U)
Sunday 10 August, 8.45pm
“My heart is, and always will be, yours.”
Jane Austen’s timeless tale of class, love and money shimmering with pitch perfect performances from an A-list British cast.
1995 / 2h 16min

Romeo & Juliet (12)
Friday 15 August, 8.30pm
“Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”
Baz Luhrmann’s breathtaking adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy feels as fresh today as when it first hit the big screen and features one of the greatest soundtracks in cinema history.
1996 / 2h

Matilda the Musical (PG)
Wednesday 27 August, 8.15pm
“All the reading she had done had given her a view of life that they had never seen.”
This riotous musical of Roald Dahl’s story about an extraordinary girl celebrates kindness, courage and taking a stand for what is right. Even if that means being a little bit naughty…
2022 / 1h 57min

Wicked (PG)
Thursday 28 August, 8.15pm
“As someone told me lately, everyone deserves the chance to fly.”
Take flight with this musical phenomenon featuring knockout performances, impossibly beautiful visuals and certified bangers. Pure magic.
2024 / 2h 40min

Major public and private investment secured for the transformation of Tate Liverpool

Concept art for reimagined Tate Liverpool © 6a architects
Concept art for reimagined Tate Liverpool © 6a architects

Tate Liverpool today announced major public and private investment towards the reimagining of the landmark gallery on Royal Albert Dock. This included £12m of funding from the DCMS’s Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund as well as generous philanthropic donations from the Garfield Weston Foundation, and The Ross Warburton Charitable Trust.

The redevelopment of Tate Liverpool will transform the UK’s most-popular modern and contemporary art gallery outside London. The project is now entering the final phase of fundraising ahead of the gallery’s reopening in 2027. A beacon for cultural regeneration in the north since it first opened in 1988, the gallery’s transformation has been described as Britain’s most important cultural project and will make a vital contribution to Liverpool’s £6bn visitor economy.

Last month Tate Liverpool announced that the first major retrospective of artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman will form part of the reopening programme, which will be a celebration of the rich culture of the North.

Tate Liverpool director, Helen Legg, said: “We’re grateful to the government for this investment and for their vote of confidence as we realise this once-in-a-generation renewal of Tate Liverpool. I am also thankful for the support of the trusts, foundations and private donors whose investment will ensure we serve the needs of artists and audiences, now and into the future. The bold transformation of Tate Liverpool will be invaluable to the region’s visitor economy, a catalyst for the next era of waterfront redevelopment, and an opportunity for our communities to enjoy world-class art and culture in the heart of Liverpool.”

Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said: “Liverpool is one of the great cities of the world and the transformation of Tate Liverpool will mean this amazing cultural venue can continue to flourish for future generations. I’m delighted our Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund is supporting this redevelopment, which will strengthen Liverpool’s economy and encourage even more people to visit this incredible city that has culture at its heart. Our support is part of this government’s commitment to ensure arts and culture is accessible to everyone right across the country.”

Designed by 6a architects, Tate Liverpool’s renovation will see the iconic gallery reimagined for the 21st century, opening up spaces to display the incredible variety of Tate’s collection and host world-class exhibitions. These galleries will sit alongside new public spaces for play, relaxation and learning with views across the Mersey, helping to connect the gallery with the city and communities that surround it.

The transformation will allow the gallery to meet the scale and ambition of today’s most exciting artists and to welcome visitors into a brand-new museum environment. The designs include a new public ‘Art Hall’ on the ground floor. Opening up the gallery’s façade will increase its visibility on the waterfront, creating an inviting destination within the Royal Albert Dock. The project will also make a greener gallery, reducing running costs and replacing core infrastructure to end the building’s reliance on fossil fuels.

Collective Encounters Open Space Guest Speakers Announced, held 18 Jun ’25

Open Space: Guest Speaker Announcement:

Collective Encounters delighted to share they will be joined by Penny Caffrey, Pei Yee Tong & Maria Malone from Movema, along with Alan Lane from Slung Low at their upcoming Open Space event titled ‘Alternative Hierarchies in Arts Organisations’.

Prompted by findings from the Imagine it Different report (Clore Leadership, 2024), they’ll ask how alternative leadership models centred on collaboration, shared decision-making and community might better reflect the values of participatory and socially engaged practice.

Guest speakers will offer provocations drawn from real-life experience in non-traditional arts organisations. Then, it’s over to you—the conversation is shaped by participants.

📅Wednesday 18 June 2025
📍 Online via Zoom
⏰10am-1pm
🎟 £5 via link here

Open Eye Gallery Photo Here exhibitions across Liverpool City Region, starts 12 Jun ’25

Join Open Eye Gallery for the first three of the six Photo Here exhibitions!

Photo Here is a programme of socially engaged photographic residencies and exhibitions: six diverse groups from across the Liverpool City Region provide a unique snapshot of their lives and communities. Here are the upcoming exhibitions:

📍Crosby Library
❤️ Not All Who Wander Are Lost by Stephanie Wynne and Crosby Camera Club
📅 12 June – 24 July
Celebration:14 June, 12pm–2pm

Discovering the feel of Sefton – the streets, fields, green spaces, coast and places where day to day life takes place – and responding through photography to locations across the length and breadth of the borough that are familiar and less familiar.

📍World of Glass and Street and a Half
❤️ Waiting Rooms by Hassona and Cafe Laziz
📅 14 June – 26 July
Celebration: 15 June 12pm–2pm at World of Glass / 1.30pm–4pm at Street and a Half

Showing the diverse culture of St Helens through portraits of people with different immigration and residence statuses. Each image is an introduction to a resident of St Helens and the stories that make a town feel rich with history and experience.

📍The Kirkby Centre
❤️ Communities of Welcome by Anoosh Ariamehr and Communities of Welcome
📅 19 June – 29 August
Celebration: 19 June, 1pm–3pm

Each person brings their own unique history and experiences to a place. This exhibition tells personal stories of connection, identity and place. When these stories are shared, they help us build stronger, more cohesive communities.

Photo Here is commissioned by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, as part of this year’s Cultural Events Programme. Developed by Open Eye Gallery in collaboration with each of six local authorities: Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.

Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Open Day with Milap, held 28 Sept ’25

Join Milap at Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room on 28th September to kickstart the Music Room 10 celebrations! 🎉

Milap are delighted to present boundary-breaking guitarist Modarelli Giulanoand world-renowned tabla maestro Kousic Sen for an exhilarating blend of traditional Indian classical music and contemporary improvisation.

This event is free and requires no advance booking.

Visit the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall website here

Previously sold-out immersive Romeo + Juliet cinema experience returns to Liverpool June ’25

Backyard Cinema’s much-loved production of ‘Romeo + Juliet’ is set to return to Liverpool this June, bringing a unique blend of film, live music and immersive theatre to the grand surroundings of St George’s Hall.

Running from 23–29 June, the acclaimed reimagining of Baz Luhrmann’s iconic 1996 film will transform the Grade I-listed building into a candlelit Verona.

Audiences will be treated to a live gospel choir performing standout tracks from the film’s soundtrack, including “Young Hearts Run Free”, “Everybody’s Free”, “Kissing You”, and “When Doves Cry”. The result is a multi-sensory experience that blurs the lines between cinema, concert and theatre.

Evening screenings will take place nightly at 7.30pm, with additional matinee performances scheduled for Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June.

Known for its innovative approach to event cinema, Backyard Cinema has earned a reputation for transforming spaces into immersive worlds.

Their production of ‘Romeo + Juliet‘ has toured the UK extensively, with previously sold-out runs in Liverpool.

For tickets, visit here

Beats Beyond Borders – A Festival of Music, Activism and Solidarity

Beats Beyond Borders is a one-day festival of music, activism and solidarity, organised by Clementine Arts CIC. It’s taking place on Saturday 22nd June, from 1pm-10pm, at Future Yard, Birkenhead, as part of Refugee Week 2025.

This powerful event will bring together some of Merseyside’s most exciting up-and-coming artists alongside spoken word performers, guest speakers, and refugee voices, in a creative stand with displaced communities in Palestine, Sudan and the UK.

Tickets are a minimum £12 donation and can be purchased on Future Yard’s website.

100% of profits from ticket sales will go to three incredible humanitarian charities:

· Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
· Save the Children Sudan
· Heart 4 Refugees, a grassroots support organisation based in Birkenhead

The line-up includes artists such as DBA!, Jessica Dives, Ellis Murphy, The Balla, Grace Elizabeth Harvey, Tender Claws, and many more — with every performer generously donating their time.

We’re also honoured to be joined by guest speaker Channtelle Lunt and poet and activist Amina Atiq , alongside contributions from members of Heart 4 Refugees, sharing poetry rooted in lived experience.

There will be family friendly elements from 1pm to 3pm with face painting, henna, and eco friendly instrument making.

BBB is more than a music festival – it’s a space for justice, compassion, and collective action, and showing solidarity with those impacted by war, displacement, famine, and systemic oppression.