Community Post Type: News

Landmark story: An Army of Women film screening / panel discussion at FACT, held 30 Apr ’25

An Army of Women film screening, 30 April, FACT, Liverpool.

The film follows a group of women in Austin, Texas, who join forces to legally challenge the system that allowed their rapists to walk free. An Army of Women is the landmark story of women fighting to hold law enforcement accountable, which has resounding relevance worldwide.

The screening is followed by a panel discussion with the director, Julie Lunde Lillesæter, and director of Reclaim The Frame, Melanie Iredale. As director and cinematographer, Julie combines a strong visual eye with a commitment to social change. Her films explore themes such as women’s rights and equality, migration, and the climate crisis, and her documentaries have been broadcast on Al Jazeera English, NRK, and The Atlantic.

To book tickets, visit here

Major exhibition will mark 250 years since the birth of JMW Turner, starts 25 Oct ’25

Tickets for the Walker Art Gallery’s major exhibition exploring the work of JMW Turner and his enduring impact on later generations are on sale – exactly 250 years since the artist’s birth on 23 April 1775.

Turner: Always Contemporary (25 October 2025 – 22 February 2026) will include National Museums Liverpool’s collection of Turner’s oil paintings, works on paper and prints, alongside modern and contemporary artworks that delve into themes of travel, landscape and artistic experimentation.

A number of important and influential artworks from major galleries across the UK will feature in the exhibition, ranging from work by Maggi Hambling and Jeff Koons through to paintings by Annie Swynnerton and George Frederick Watts. Prints by British artist Emma Stibbon, recently acquired by National Museums Liverpool, will also be displayed for the first time.

The exhibition will offer a new perspective on Turner and his legacy, highlighting how he grappled with issues that remain relevant today: climate change; immigration; tourism; and the role of the artist. Alongside Turner’s works, visitors will encounter pieces by Claude Monet, Bridget Riley, Ethel Walker and many more, bringing together 250 years of art to examine Turner’s timeless appeal.

Dr Melissa Gustin, Curator of British Art at National Museums Liverpool, said: “This is a hugely exciting opportunity to reconsider National Museums Liverpool’s collection of works by Turner. This exhibition will showcase the treasures in our collection and explore how Turner’s work has always been challenging, exciting and contemporary for audiences in Britain and around the world.”

Turner captured the power and changeability of the sea in a remarkable way, and it is perhaps for his immediately recognisable seascapes that he is most renowned. The exhibition charts his changing painting practice, moving from calm coasts in watercolour to raging storms in oil, impacting generations of artists in the process.

For Turner, painting was not just about capturing a picturesque view. He, and the artists inspired or shaped by him, used the world around them to explore the pressing issues of their day, and to push the boundaries of what art could be.

Turner: Always Contemporary will show how his paintings and drawings raise questions about the role of commerce, colonialism and industry that are as relevant today as they were when they were first imagined by the artist. The way people of Turner’s generation engaged with and shaped the lands, rivers and seas still impact us today and can be traced through art.

The exhibition is supported by Lead Partner Quilter Cheviot. Nigel Hibbert, Head of Office at Quilter Cheviot Liverpool, said: “Liverpool is a city rich in culture and heritage and is not just an important centre for culture in the northwest of England, but also the United Kingdom more broadly. As a business, Quilter Cheviot has a long history of working closely to support organisations in the arts and cultural sector.

“We were delighted when the opportunity to become Lead Partner of the Turner: Always Contemporary exhibition presented itself to mark Turner’s 250th anniversary, plus all he has influenced through to modern day. A great alignment with Quilter Cheviot’s heritage and values.”

To purchase tickets, from 10am today, visit: liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/turner

Fashion revolutionary Vivienne Westwood showcased in new Walker Art Gallery display, starts 18 Apr ’25

Walker Art Gallery is proud to present ‘Vivienne Westwood: Designer in Focus‘, a captivating new display celebrating the groundbreaking fashion designer’s remarkable career spanning over five decades. On display from Friday 18 April, this stunning showcase brings together a collection of Westwood’s revolutionary designs, from her punk beginnings to her status as a British fashion icon.

Located in the Craft & Design Gallery, the display features key pieces from Westwood’s most influential collections, including rare items from her collaborations with Malcolm McLaren during the early 1980s. Visitors will discover how Westwood’s creative vision evolved from the punk aesthetic of their Kings Road shop SEX to her later explorations of historical dress, global cultures, and classic British tailoring.

Highlights include a grey wool ‘Koo tunic’ from the Witches Collection (1983-84) featuring artwork by Keith Haring, the iconic ‘Dunbar Suit’ in pink Gordon tartan from the Anglomania Collection (1993-94) once worn by Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Holly Johnson, and a black velvet suit from the Time Machine Collection (1988-89) gifted by Liverpool-born model Julie Bramwell.

The display showcases Westwood’s remarkable versatility and her ability to draw inspiration from diverse sources, from 18th century French art to Native American design elements, while maintaining her distinctive, boundary-pushing approach to fashion.

‘Vivienne Westwood: Designer in Focus’ is on display from Friday 18 April 2025 and runs until October 2026. 

Admission to the gallery is free, with all donations supporting future programming.

For more information, visit liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker-art-gallery

Explosive Mexican-Brazilian band to play Birkenhead’s Future Yard, held 25 Apr ’25

Birkenhead is set to host ‘an unforgettable night of music’ featuring a boundary-pushing, genre-blending group with members from Mexico and Brazil.

Francisco, el Hombre will play Future Yard on Friday 25th April in a show presented by Liverpool’s Latin American arts and culture organisation, Luma Creations. As part of their highly anticipated European tour, the dynamic band will take the stage in Birkenhead in what promises to be an unmissable night of powerful music and high-energy storytelling.

Francisco, el Hombre has captivated audiences worldwide with their high-energy performances and unique fusion of Latin American rhythms, punk spirit, and politically charged lyrics. With members hailing from both Brazil and Mexico, the band weaves together vibrant sounds and powerful messages, making their music as thought-provoking as it is dance-inducing.

* * * DISCOUNT CODE ***
USE CODE ‘FRANELHOMFY25‘ AT CHECKOUT FOR £8 OFF * * *

Independents Biennial: Hilbre Island, Bidston Observatory, Belle Vale Shopping Centre and more to host artworks

Les Weston cast of the Building
Les Weston: cast of the Building

The art of artists living and working in the Liverpool city region will flood its six boroughs, in unusual, independent and non-traditional art spaces this summer as the Independents Biennial returns.

The artist-led festival, which runs concurrently to Liverpool Biennial, is created to showcase the vibrant art and art scene of the city-region. Since launching in 1999, it’s had many names – Tracey, Biennial Fringe, Liverpool Independents – but its mission has stayed the same: to give independent artists, studios, and creative networks a platform to showcase their work.

In 2025, it will host 22 new commissions and over 64 artists whose work will appear in galleries, the public realm alongside non-traditional art spaces.

Highlights include;

A new commission by artist Les Weston to create a performance and concrete sculpture, tracking memories from moving into Netherley’s Lee Park tower blocks in 1964, to their demolition in the 1970s, and the opening of Belle Vale shopping centre.

The “Drawing Out Hilbre Archipelago.” on Hilbre Island in partnership with Bada artists and Independents Biennial featuring artist residencies, workshops, exhibitions, and performances delving into the history, heritage, ecology, sustainability, times and tides of Hilbre Island, which is part of the restoration of Hilbre Island off the coast of Wirral and the creation of a new arts centre.

Miniature Dioramas across empty units in St Helens Town centre by artist Joao Koelho.

Ghost Art School in Kensington will explore a sense of place and an old social club.

The main locations in each borough are:

Wirral; 

Hilbre island, with the Drawing out Hilbre Archipelago project, led by artist Terry Duffy, Bidston Observatory with artist Tom Stockley,

Dibbinsdale nature Reserve with artist and warden Rod Dillon

Fort Perch Rock in New Brighton with Landline Studios

Sefton

Bootle Town Hall, Crosby Library with Rule of Threes, Crosby beach, The Atkinson, 50MV artist space and studio, Smollett Street in Bootle and the Poet Streets.

Knowsley

Shakespeare North, the public realm in Huyton, Heart of Glass and Make.

Liverpool

Fabric District, Bridewell Studios, Make North Docks, CBS, Open Eye Gallery, Bluecoat Arts Centre, Ratshack, Old International Social Club in Kensington, Belle Vale Shopping Centre, MDI on Hope Street

St Helens

Public realm venues across the borough

Halton

Hazlehurst Studios

Patrick Kirk Smith is Director of Art in Liverpool and Lead Producer of Independents Biennial:

“The nature of independent art currently is that while networks and scenes may be thriving, access to traditional art spaces is a challenge. What artists tend to do, in those circumstances, is to create and display art anywhere they can. This is an artist-led festival in the way that it is the artistic communities of the Liverpool city region who define where they want to exhibit. And for many, it is bringing art out of galleries and instead bringing art directly into the public realm, into former community spaces and empty buildings, onto neglected high streets and shopping centres”. 

The print magazine Art in Liverpool will act as a programme for the festival, alongside digital platforms, allowing people to find out what’s on and read more about the art and artists in the newspaper.

Lady Lever Art Gallery present artwork by Jim Moir in new exhibition, opens 14 Jun ’25

The Lady Lever Art Gallery will present artwork by Jim Moir in a new exhibition, Dawn to Dusk: Birds by Jim Moir (14 June to 2 November 2025). Moir is known for his exquisite paintings of British birds, around 45 of which will be on display. Some of the paintings have been created exclusively for the exhibition.

Many visitors will be familiar with Moir’s work following the successful Sky Arts series, Painting Birds with Jim and Nancy Moir. This will be the first time that the artist’s paintings are displayed in a national gallery, with most works available for purchase.

Although he is known to many for his earlier comedic work under the stage name of Vic Reeves, art came first for Moir. “All I ever did as a child was paint,” he has claimed, having produced art throughout his life.

Born in Leeds in 1959, Moir grew up in Darlington. Both of his parents were artistic – his mother was a painter and his father was a woodturner. He was immersed in the art world as a child, regularly attending craft fairs and galleries with his parents. He achieved his first taste of success at the age of ten, winning a competition on a cornflakes box by painting a combine harvester. He went on to study at art school.

Jim Moir said: “It’s an honour to be exhibiting at Lady Lever; a truly unique gallery that’s brimming with masterpieces. The process of working with the team at National Museums Liverpool has been a greatly enjoyable one and I’m very much looking forward to sharing the finished exhibition with visitors.”

Growing up in a rural area, the natural world was Moir’s playground as a child. He and his friends would search for birds and their nests in hedgerows. After his father gifted him a set of very heavy binoculars from the Second World War, he became more interested in watching the birds from afar.

Dave Moffat, Assistant Curator of Decorative Art at National Museums Liverpool, said: “Moir’s paintings are unmistakably his; his passion for birds is visible in every brushstroke, along with his knowledge of each species. He studies each bird before painting it, allowing him to capture their character and quirks with his own unique blend of precision and wonder. The exhibition presents a joyful and imaginative study of British birds.”

From garden birds to seabirds, Dawn to Dusk celebrates the magic and majesty of many of the UK’s most-loved feathered friends, inviting us to appreciate their brilliance and importance through the beauty of paint.

liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/jim-moir

Young Everyman Playhouse 2025 Kicks Off with New Shows and Partnerships

The award-winning Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP) has launched into 2025 with a host of exciting new partnerships, including the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, DaDaFest, and Alder Hey, alongside fresh creative activity and a new class of young talent across its programmes.

This year’s YEP Class of 2025 includes Actors (14–17 and 18–25), Technicians (14–17 and 18–25), Directors, Producers and Writers. Following the success of YEP 2024, the programme is already shaping up to be an exciting and busy year, including a production of The Snow Dragons by YEP Actors 14–17 on the Everyman’s main stage on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 July.

Updates to YEP this year include a refresh for YEP Directors, in collaboration with the Young Advisors. 18–25-year-olds have the unique opportunity to get exclusive access to the rehearsal room by going on placement as a YEP Trainee Assistant Director on one of the Everyman’s four homegrown shows. They will also train in weekly sessions with expert professionals to explore and develop their skills. The year began with a masterclass led by the theatres’ Creative Director, Nathan Powell.

YEP Producers started the year with a project partnership with DaDaFest to curate DaDaFest International 40: Dive into Our Archive, alongside disabled curator Gill Crawshaw. Together, they explored the history of Disability and Deaf Arts, and how to develop disability arts with future generations.

Liverpool-based theatre company All Things Considered is collaborating with YEP Actors aged 18–25 to create a brand-new show for the EV1 Studio, running from Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 July. All Things Considered Theatre is known for its socially engaged work, creating immersive and participatory performances that spark open, honest conversations with audiences.

After the success of the first YEP Technicians 14–17 group in 2024, the programme is back and offering young people an introduction to the world of production arts, including a masterclass with FACT Liverpool. The YEP Technicians 18–25 group will continue their collaboration with Bristol Old Vic.

The YEP Writers Showcase returns on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 October. With just two directors, four actors, and five days in the rehearsal room, this focused team of professionals will bring to life a selection of bold new writing from this year’s group of YEP Writers.

In addition to delivering its core programmes, YEP continues to foster meaningful partnerships that expand access to creative opportunities for young people across the region. One such partnership is with the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, with whom YEP is collaborating to deliver a week of workshops, information sessions, and backstage tours for 14–25-year-olds from across the North West. The activities will run from Monday 14 to Thursday 17 April.

Chris Bayes, Access and Participation Manager of Royal Central School of Speech and Drama said:

“ This exciting week-long residency and formal partnership will hopefully encourage talented young people from across the Liverpool City Region who engage via the outstanding Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP) programme to develop an affinity with Central and join us as students in the future. As a proud Liverpudlian, I am delighted that Everyman Playhouse is one of the Regional Theatre’s with whom we have developed a partnership as part of our ongoing commitment to Fair Access.”

Building on a longstanding partnership with the Arts and Health Team at Alder Hey, YEP has launched a free youth theatre programme for young people aged 8–13 who are receiving outpatient care and facing challenges related to illness. The sessions are designed to help participants connect with others, build resilience and wellbeing, and develop creative storytelling skills. Sign-ups are still open for those interested in joining.

In 2024, YEP supported 85 young people, delivering over 6,000 contact hours and reaching more than 1,600 audience members. It continues to be a vibrant space where young people can express themselves, share their stories, and explore opportunities in the creative industries. Recruitment for YEP opens in autumn 2025.

For more information, visit www.everymanplayhouse.com or email yep@everymanplayhouse.com with any questions.

Dr John Cooper Clarke returns to Liverpool for WoWFEST25

Poet. Performer. Punk icon. Godfather of Punk Poetry.

A defining voice in British poetry and performance, Dr John Cooper Clarke brings his sharp humour, biting verse, and unmistakable delivery to WoWFEST25!

You will not want to miss this unique evening of conversation and performance that promises to be full of his trademark sardonic wit, biting satirical verse, and hilarious ponderings on modern life.

📍 Everyman, Hope Street
📅 Friday 30 May
🎟️ Link to the festival here

Unity Theatre new workshops for spring / summer ’25

Unity Theatre have announced a bunch of new workshops for you to get involved with this spring/summer ⁠
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HOW TO WOO THE AUDIENCE BEING A POTATOE ⁠presented by Madame Señorita & Physical Fest⁠
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Thursday 10th — Friday 11th July | The Arts Bar Studios⁠
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In this workshop, they will be using clown training to focus on the relationship they build with the audience. They will dive deep in our vulnerability to discover “our individual theme/game” that will allow us to play with the public. ⁠
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Introduction to Clowning with John Lawlor 🤡⁠
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Tuesday 20th May | 6-8pm⁠
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This workshop will focus on being rather than doing. Through games & impros, we explore the present moment, connecting with ourselves and others. Embracing innocence & wonder, you’ll embark on a personal journey to discover your unique sense of humour & truthfulness, by listening & being receptive.⁠
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BESEA Autobiographical Writing Workshop with Houmi Miura 🖊️⁠
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Monday 9th June | 6-8pm⁠
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Explore playful, creative tools to start writing an autobiographical show, away from the pressure of a blank page. Specifically for British East & South East Asian creatives, they’ll delve into translating the themes of East Asian identity and diaspora into a theatre script with performer and writer, Houmi Miura.⁠
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All tickets available via their website