Community Post Type: News

Knowsley Feelgood Festival and Flower Show are back at Court Hey Park on 2 & 3 August!

The Knowsley Feelgood Festival and Flower Show are back at Court Hey Park on 2 & 3 August! 🎉

Kick off your weekend on Saturday with the Feelgood Festival with something for everyone to to feel good Activities to get you moving and chill-out zones to de-stress.🧘‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Then on Sunday, it’s the Knowsley Flower Show! 🌸🌼

Whether you’re a master gardener, a baking whiz, or a crafty genius, there are over 100 categories to enter (even for kids!). Think you can grow the biggest beetroot or bake the best jam? Now’s your chance to prove it! 😉

Find out more, including how to enter this year’s Flower Show at https://orlo.uk/n9ggn

Full Cast Announcement For The Walrus Has a Right To Adventure At Liverpool Everyman June ’25

Inspired by strange but true headlines, including a white stag being spotted in the town centre of Bootle, Merseyside in 2021, the play follows three very different people as the wild unexpectedly enters their ordinary lives.

Tasha Dowd, writer of Tell Me How it Ends, which was produced by Liverpool Everyman in 2024, plays Rio, a sweet and earnest Tesco nightshift worker from Liverpool’s night takes an unexpected turn when a stag crashes into the store like something out of a Tom Hardy film. The encounter prompts a moment of reflection, leading Rio to question parts of their identity. As an actor, Tasha’s credits include Stocking Fillers and Vernons Girls at the Royal Court, Liverpool.

LIPA graduate Princess Khumalo, whose credits include The Streets Where We Live (Falling Doors, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse), plays Hazel, a sharp and witty woman living in Colorado Springs with her boyfriend Aiden, is caught off guard when he attempts to propose with a bear standing just behind him. The surreal moment gets Hazel thinking about love, life choices, and what settling down really means.

Oskar, a Norwegian tour guide from a long line of disapproving fishermen, turns up to work one day to find a walrus has taken over his boat, forcing him to rethink not just his next move, but how to keep making a living. Oskar is played by Reginald Edwards, whose credits include Great Expectations (Manchester Royal Exchange), A Christmas Carol, Hamlet, and Frankenstein (TNT/ADG Europe), as well as The Comeback Special and The Collector (Hope Street Theatre).

The play introduces characters at very different stages of their lives, offering something relatable for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The story also includes a heartfelt queer narrative, which the writer hopes will resonate with LGBTQ+ audiences looking for authentic and meaningful representation on stage.

Wirral-born writer Billie Collins has had a long-standing connection with Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, first engaging with the theatres as a teenager. This new production continues the organisation’s commitment to nurturing regional talent by bringing Billie’s latest work to the stage. A graduate of the BBC Writersroom Northern Voices programme, Billie’s recent credits include Peak Stuff (ThickSkin Theatre, UK Tour), Too Much World at Once (Box of Tricks Theatre, UK Tour), Saga (BBC Radio 4) and episodes of Malory Towers series 5 and 6 (King Bert Productions for CBBC).

Billie said,

‘The title of the play came from a news story about a walrus that strayed into backyards in Kotka, Finland, which was shared in my family WhatsApp group. That sparked the idea for this play, which explores themes of nature and climate, and the gap between our ideas of these things and what they’re really like. But I think it’s also about responsibility and freedom. Each character is struggling in some way with a weight of obligation – to their families, their jobs, their community… What happens when you realise you’re not really living the life you want? How can you make a change?’

The Walrus Has a Right To Adventure is directed by Nathan Crossan-Smith, who worked with Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP) on A Monster Calls in 2024. There is a workshop on Saturday 21 June with director Nathan Crossan-Smith, exploring how Nathan has used Foley and soundscapes to bring writer’s vision to life. Composer and Sound designer Oliver Vibrans (Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare North Playhouse), an Ivor Novello Award-winning composer, brings live Foley sound effects to the performance. The cast has trained as foley artists, recreating the sounds of the natural world in real time on the stage to immerse the audience more deeply in the play’s environment.

Lighting Designer Rajiv Pattani, whose credits include Yellowman at the Orange Tree Theatre was nominated for Best Lighting Design at the Broadway World UK Awards in 2022. Set and Costume design is by Chloe Wyn (These Majestic Creatures, Stephen Joseph Theatre), Voice Coach is Rachel Nicholson and Abbie Caskie from YEP joins the production as Trainee Assistant Director, working alongside Nathan Crossan-Smith.

There is a post-show discussion following the Wednesday 18 June performance, with members of the cast and company. Accessible performances include a Captioned Performance on Monday 16 June at 7:30pm and an Audio-described Performance on Thursday 19 June at 7:30pm. The Walrus Has a Right To Adventure was developed with the support of the National Theatre’s Generate programme.

Ticket prices range from £11 to £26 and are available at www.everymanplayhouse.com/event/the-walrus-has-a-right-to-adventure/

Jewellery designer Sam Holmes selected for Bluecoat Display Centre’s In the Window display for June 2025

Jewellery designer Sam Holmes has been selected for Bluecoat Display Centre‘s ‘In the Window’ display for June 2025, chosen from the graduating makers who exhibited at Manchester School of Art Graduate show, MMU in 2024

‘My journey as a jewellery designer began with a profound love for the outdoors, where I draw endless inspiration from nature’s intricate details and ever-changing landscapes. From the vibrant colours of wildflowers to the rugged textures of stones, I find creative fuel in the world around me. My process goes beyond craftsmanship; it’s a hands-on, immersive experience that connects me to the environment.

Each piece I create is a reflection of the moments spent gathering materials, sculpting designs, and letting the essence of the natural world guide my vision. Through my work, I aim to craft not just jewellery, but an experience—a story that celebrates the beauty of our planet, inviting others to carry a piece of nature’s elegance with them, wherever they go.’- Sam Holmes

Watch a clip of Sam making the Clough Quarry Pendant which is available to see and buy from our show which opens this weekend.

Liverpool’s World Museum visited by Blue Peter

Many childhood dreams came true when World Museum had a visit from Blue Peter !

The iconic CBBC show came to film a claw-some segment with the Living Centres team in May 2025 and to visit a few different spaces in the museum, including Bees: A Story of Survival and the dinosaur gallery.

Their Living Centres team were also instrumental in making the day go smoothly for the Blue Peter crew, and not just from behind the camera.

A massive shoutout to Ben Mitchell, Lead Curator (Living Centres) and Abigail Smith, Living Centres Assistant Curator who had a starring role alongside some of their aquarium residents, including their legendary lobster Marge and our jellyfish and baby axolotls.

The team showed the presenters what it takes to look after their creatures, including food prep and feeding. To top it all off, everyone involved got their very own Blue Peter badge. 🥳

You can catch the finished piece on BBC iPlayer. Keep your eyes peeled for some familiar faces (and fins).

Acclaimed Director Nick Bagnall gives talk at Liverpool Everyman, held 6 Jun ’25

Liverpool Everyman’s host for Tea & Talks in June is Nick Bagnall.⁠
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Nick will be exploring how you take a huge story from the seed of an idea through to its realisation on stage. Using his work from adapting and directing stories such as The Iliad and The Odyssey, he will talk through the pathways in which these stories find their way on stage. And answer the question, how do we make old and well-worn stories accessible and dynamic to a modern ear?

From reimagining Shakespeare to retelling Fairy tales, he will talk you through how it starts and ends, and all the madness in between.⁠
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Fri 6 June, 2 pm, Liverpool Everyman⁠

More information and tickets here

Bridgerton Candlelight experience returns to Liverpool July ’25

Following the success of the first concert series, Liverpool will once again welcome the Bridgerton concert by Candlelight®, presented by Netflix, Shondaland, and Fever.

Starting in July, the experience will return to St George’s Hall Liverpool into a spectacular setting illuminated by thousands of candles and enhanced by a beautiful display of blossoms. Audiences will be able to relive the best moments from the three seasons through live music performed by the local string quartet String Infusion Quartet.

The program includes popular songs featured in the show, such as Billie Eilish’s ‘Bad Guy’, Ariana Grande’s ‘thank u, next’, and Sia’s ‘Cheap Thrills’, among others. These special performances will also return to cities like London, Paris, New York, Madrid, Sydney and Berlin giving fans another chance to enjoy a unique and unforgettable Bridgerton-inspired experience.

Candlelight® is a series of live concerts presented by Fever, designed to democratize access to classical music. This innovative format offers a unique musical experience through a diverse selection of programs, catering to all tastes. Performed by talented local musicians in iconic venues illuminated by thousands of candles, Candlelight creates an immersive and intimate atmosphere.

Candlelight draws in a broad audience, including those who may have never considered attending a classical music concert. Audiences can connect with the masterpieces of composers like Vivaldi, Mozart, and Chopin, while also enjoying fresh interpretations of popular hits from artists like Queen, ABBA, Coldplay, and Ed Sheeran. The Candlelight brand is present in over 150 cities worldwide and has delighted millions of guests since its launch.

Candlelight: Best of Bridgerton on Strings
Venue: St George’s Hall Liverpool
Dates and times: July 25th 18:00, 20:30

Tickets can be purchased at: https://feverup.com/m/197218

Award Winning Drama Project Ends With Hope Street Theatre Finale – Workers Playtime, held 6 – 8 Jun ’25

A Drama Project celebrating the Workers Theatre Movement of the 1920s and 30s will come to an end the weekend of 6 – 8 June at the Hope Street Theatre.

Workers Playtime Hope Street Theatre

The finale shows will feature 3 Living Newspapers created by local writers, directors and actors as well as a play, “Unity”, by local writer Tom Mclennan.

One of the featured Living Newspapers has already won the Richard Wainwright Award at the Leverhulme Drama Festival and will be performed on the Saturday.

The Workers Theatre Movement delighted in creative styles and techniques which brought a welcome change from much of the stuffy theatre of its day and went on to influence many modern theatre organisations including Unity Theatre.

Tickets £8/£6 from hopestreettheatre.com

0344 561 0622

Supported by Unity Theatre Trust, the Barry Amiel and Norman Melbourne Trust and the Lipman-Milliband Trust.

Blue Room gallery tour – Bluecoat arts project supporting learning disabled / neurodivergent artists, held 22 Jun ’25

Join Blue Room, Bluecoat’s inclusive arts project supporting learning disabled and neurodivergent artists, for an explorative tour of their Gallery during Liverpool Biennial.

Blue Room artists will lead an interactive Bedrock gallery tour sharing their perspective on the exhibited works and bring to life the sensory experience of the gallery, followed by a behind-the-scenes look at creative responses made in their supported studio at the Bluecoat.Sun 22 Jun, 1-2pm & 3-4pm
Free, booking required (donations welcome)

Book now, link here

Collective Encounters expanding Radical Retrospectives project in 2025

Collective Encounters are expanding their Radical Retrospectives project 🔥

Thanks to additional funding from Aceagrams and Granada Foundation, their National Lottery Heritage funded project will include a programme of organisational development and artistic exploration, enabling the company to look back over the past 20+ years and ask: what next for Theatre for Social Change in Liverpool City Region? And you can get involved as well.

Expect workshops, discussion events, performances and exhibitions throughout 2025, peaking in October with a ‘mini festival’. Visit their website for the full news story and upcoming events.