Community Post Type: News

A Liverpool man who is facing physical and mental health challenges following a condition that left him as a wheelchair user is launching a Gospel Music project using its “phenomenal power” to make a positive difference in the community.

Gospel Music Against Poverty – GOMAP – is set to be an annual Liverpool-based gospel music event presented by Tigon Music in partnership with Liverpool Ark Discovery Centre (LADC).

The free showcase of gospel music will take place at Love Assembly on Steble Street in L8 and will feature a host of local talent.

The event is the brainchild of Ayotunde “AJ” Falana – a former LIPA student and a volunteer co-founder of Leading Support For Humanity (LSFH) – the parent social enterprise of Tigon Music who have organised this exciting night of Gospel Music with LADC.

LSFH uses projects powered by the arts to tackle multiple deprivation and poverty in Liverpool, the North West and beyond. The main deprivations they focus on tackling are the lack of skills and training in the music industry; terminal illness and children with physical disabilities; homelessness; and child poverty.

The rest of the LSFH team are made up of international evangelist, Pastor Herman Thystre; award-winning fashion designer, Tayameaca Hughes and Operations Director, Jospeh Ngugi.

When AJ was admitted to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital for three months with a condition that left him with serious physical challenges and as a wheelchair user, he thought that ‘he was never going to come out of the hospital alive’. But a timely visit from a pair of Christian evangelists turned his life around.

AJ says: “I was blessed with both a good medical team and mental health team at the Royal and fortunately for me I got out of the hospital alive. The visit from those evangelists came on the night I thought would be my last. After opening my heart to them, I made a covenance with my God that I will set up an event and a project to magnify His name.”

AJ intends to tell the full story of his time in hospital and the visit that changed everything for him at the event on 7th December. He hopes his testimony and the formation of GOMAP will inspire others.

He explained: “Whatever you are doing in life; great stories are made when a man or a woman refuses to give up and continues going on no matter what the situation. Just keep going on. I don’t want my disability to stand in my way of my ability. I want to make a positive difference in my community; it’s a form of escape from me and helps keep my sanity. By touching and changing other people’s lives, that’s where I gain my satisfaction from,  even though I don’t have the strength to do it all year round. My passion is to make a difference.”

One of AJ’s main aims with GOMAP is to take unemployed, poor and disadvantaged youths that have a passion for music away from the potential of joining organised crime groups.

He explained: “GOMAP is designed and developed to transform the GANG concept to “God’s Anointed Next Generation”. Instead of the criminal gang concept, GOMAP uses gospel music to put them on the right track and from the dark side of the road to the bright side of the road. To drop their knives and pick up the mic; to get off the street and in to the studio to discover their hidden talents.

“We’re using the phenomenal power of Gospel music as a Poverty Reduction Strategy. We want GOMAP to be a positive inspirational force to empower youths, especially those who are from disadvantage backgrounds and those facing challenges in our communities to help them reach their full potentials as Gospel music artists.

Gospel music itself transcends genre. It existed before genres in the music industry were created as we know them today. That’s why you can find it in the likes of reggae, jazz, R&B, pop and so on. It encourages unity and creates community togetherness rather than tension. It also promotes inclusion and helps build bridges between different alienated groups of people in the community.”

The concert will be headlined by by Gospel rapper, actor and content creator, Noah Olaoye aka Nunodaman. The scouse star has appeared regularly on the likes of Coronation Street and A League Of Their Own has amassed over 400,000 followers on TikTok through his comedy sketches.

Joining Noah on the line-up is Love Assembly’s Sapphire; singer-songwriter, Beulah; star of The Voice, Daisy Gill; instrumentalist drummer, H-MAN; Pastor Walter & The Sound Of Dominion Church Choirs; and soulful pianist and singer, Afrika Fuentes.

The launch event of GOMAP – Gospel Music Against Poverty will take place on Saturday 7th December 2024, 6:30pm at Love Assembly, Steble Street, L8 6QH. Entrance is free with donations welcome.

Alder Hey Children’s Charity and DaDa Disability and Deaf Arts joined forces to launch an animation developed by young artists to improve their health and wellbeing.

The ‘Alder Experiences’ project has been supporting young patients over the last three years to create an animation film based on a day in the life at Alder Hey, and this week the final cut was launched at a premiere at the hospital.

The project commissioned by disability arts charity DaDa working with Alder Hey offered children receiving care at the hospital opportunity to work with disabled-led Liverpool film company, Twin Vision, to create an animated film. The animation documented realistic features of a child’s experience of visiting the hospital, along with elements of fantasy to allow the young animators an opportunity to get creative. 

Young people worked with the animation company both one on one and in groups to learn different animation techniques and to create characters to feature in the final edit.

Parents of one participant described the impact of the project on their daughter’s mental health saying:

“The art has helped her again with her mental health.  It’s given her that focus, something to focus on when she gets really overwhelmed quite quickly.”

“I think when she did this, that she was really nervous, didn’t really want to do it, wasn’t sure.  But it was the idea of working one to one with an artist that sold it for her. It’s just given her the validation that she was good at something.”

“It’s encouraged her now to the extent where she’s now at college and she’s got a quite sizable group of friends, more like minded artists.  And it really is, it’s amazing.”

“If you’re offered the opportunity for something like this, take it because it is amazing. And you can see the vast difference. It’s just a different child.”

The partnership between DaDa and Alder Hey began as a three year social prescribing project back in 2018 connecting artists with young outpatients to offer 1:1 sessions supporting artist development, and has continued to grow from there.

Thanks to funding from Liverpool City Council, Arts Council England backed DaDa were able to work with Alder Hey to expand on the partnership and support more young people to improve their mental health and wellbeing through creative practice. 

At a public screening in Alder Hey waiting rooms and streaming on patient televisions, the Alder Experiences animation was launched this week showcasing the brilliant art produced by the young people.

DaDa Executive Producer Rachel Rogers said:

“Our ongoing partnership with Alder Hey is something we are immensely proud of. DaDa is about creating equity within the arts, particularly empowering disabled artists to explore creativity, develop their practice and produce quality art, and this project has provided space for us to work with young people who wouldn’t have opportunities to develop their craft in this way.

Through Alder Experiences we have seen young people start to see themselves as credible artists which has in turn begun to improve their mental wellbeing.

Through working with Twin Vision, the Alder Hey team and Producer Katie O’Callaghan who have a shared understanding of creating accessible art projects, we have been able to develop an inclusive project that has culminated in the production of a brilliant piece of animation.”

“We are delighted to have once again collaborated with DaDa on this innovative and patient-led programme. This programme has reached long term patients, who have to spend many weeks in hospital, as well young people accessing our mental health services. We have confidence and self-esteem improve through participation, as well as young people having the opportunity to develop animation and film making skills for the first time. This has provided much needed distraction for medical treatment and been a positive step in the young people’s recovery.”

Vicky Charnock, Arts for Health Manager, Alder Hey

Through the project over 20 young people have taken part in workshops and one to one training. 

The animation along with an interview with one of the participants and their family can be viewed over on the DaDa website:

www.dadafest.co.uk

 

 

Liverpool International Jazz Festival has announced the dates and line-up for its 12th annual celebration in 2025.

The four-day extravaganza of music and film at The Capstone Theatre will take place from Thursday 20th February through until Sunday 23rd February and will once again feature some of the world’s most talented artists in the genre.

On Thursday 20th February at 7:30pm, the son of legendary jazz musician and composer Dave Brubeck, Darius Brubeck will lead the London-based Darius Brubeck Quartet, which has been together for 15 years and tours internationally.

The group features saxophonist Dave O’Higgins, who has been described by The Jazz Guide as “A stunning player in the neo-bop vein, with an apparently effortless flow of coherent ideas, beautiful time and a highly developed harmonic sense”; bassist Matt Ridley, a graduate of Trinity College of Music London and a well-known sideman and band leader on the UK Jazz scene; and South African drummer, educator and composer Wesley Gibbens.

The following afternoon on Friday at 1pm will see a screening of Playing the Changes – Tracking Darius Brubeck, a film about what it is like to grow up as a jazz musician in a turbulent time of racial segregation in the US and political tension during the Cold War, and about applying these experiences to living and teaching in segregated South Africa. The feature examines how jazz had such a transformative role in different societies like (post-)Soviet Poland and Nelson Mandela’s South Africa, where jazz was present, but disowned through apartheid.

Following the screening there’s a Q&A with Darius, his wife Cathy and director Michiel ten Kleij.

The Friday evening will then see a performance from a ‘wild and exhilarating’ blend of top UK musicians from various generations, for whom Swiss drummer and percussionist Florian Arbenz has tailor-made his newest project.

Throughout his nearly 30-year musical career, Arbenz has consistently demonstrated that he’s not only a brilliant drummer but also has a keen sense for unique and gripping combinations of musicians and instruments. In his latest project, he turns his attention to the musical connections he’s formed during his frequent visits to the UK.

From the rising star Immy Churchill to internationally renowned musicians like Percy Pursglove, Jim Hart, and Ivo Neame, and the legendary veteran Christy Doran, five illustrious British musicians contribute to Arbenz’s supergroup.

On the afternoon of Saturday 22nd February at 1pm, the festival joins forces with Liverpool’s South Asian arts company, Milap for a captivating afternoon of music featuring the extraordinary talents of Rekesh Chauhan and Kousic Sen.

Chauhan, a multi-award-winning British pianist and composer, is celebrated for his versatility in both Indian and Western classical traditions. His performances have graced some of the world’s most prestigious stages, and he has collaborated with legendary artists such as Pt. Birju Maharaj and Mercury Prize-winner Talvin Singh.

In Milap’s Beyond Roots, Rekesh will be joined by internationally renowned tabla maestro Kousic Sen. Together, they will explore the dynamic intersection of Indian classical music and jazz, blending tradition with contemporary innovation.

Then, on Saturday evening, the festival will welcome Neil Cowley Trio onto the Capstone Theatre stage, returning to the scene after a break of 7 years with their new album ‘Entity’.

As a young boy, Cowley studied classical music and by the age of 10 had performed a Shostakovich piano concerto to a full house at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. By his mid-teens he had turned his back on his classical career entering the world of old-school R’n’B, soul and funk and working with some of the most successful bands of the day including the Brand New Heavies and Zero 7 alongside his own chill-out production duo, Fragile State.

The trio went on to record six highly acclaimed studio albums – Displaced (2006) winner of the 2007 BBC Jazz Award for Best Album; Loud… Louder… Stop (2008) hailed by Mojo as a ‘modern classic’, Radio Silence (2010), cementing Cowley’s credentials as a brilliant, dazzling composer; The Face of Mount Molehill (2012) with a string ensemble that earned them the 2013 Jazz FM award for Best UK Jazz Act and Touch and Flee (2014), described by Cowley as his ‘concert hall album’.

The Sunday afternoon of the festival will see internationally acclaimed jazz pianist Dorian Ford celebrate the 50th anniversary of Keith Jarrett’s legendary improvised 1975 Köln Concert with a unique performance.

Reaching back through time he blends his passion for Jarrett’s brilliant original with his own improvisations, Ford’s riffs and grooves re-igniting the spark of genius of the young Jarrett. The original live recording is still the best-selling solo piano album in history in both classical and jazz.

Closing the festival on the evening of Sunday 23rd February at 7:30pm will be the award winning young saxophonist and composer, Emma Rawicz.

Rawicz is a bandleader with an astonishing musical maturity. At just 22 years of age, she has achieved a huge amount, including the release of two critically acclaimed albums Incantation and Chroma and extensive headline tours across 15 countries.

She has appeared in high profile festivals and venues including concerts featuring as a soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and with the German SWR Radio Big Band at a sold out Berlin Philharmonie. She was the youngest ever Artist in Residence at Cambridge Jazz Festival and has received a number of awards and nominations recognising her achievements.

After a record year in 2024, Liverpool International Jazz Festival is back in 2025 with another exciting line up featuring some of the world’s leading jazz musicians. Individual event tickets start at just £5.50, whereas full festival bundle tickets are just £65.45.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS INCLUDING THE FULL FESTIVAL BUNDLE PACKAGE

Smithdown Social Arts Hub, in collaboration with The Athenaeum, is celebrating the success of their ongoing art exhibition, now entering its 7th week.

This unique exhibition, which features rarely-seen works by historic Liverpool artists James Brierley (1783–1814) and William Gawin Herdman (1805–1882) alongside contemporary local artists, such as Amy Davenport and Steve Bayley, has drawn significant public interest, resulting in strong visitor numbers, art sales, and an artist commission.

The exhibition has attracted over 200 visitors since its opening, with many attendees commenting on their appreciation of access to unseen Liverpool artist heritage and celebration by local artists of their artistic interpretations of meaningful Liverpool culture following the exhibition theme, ‘Liverpool Culture’.  Proprietors and visitors have praised the exhibition’s unique curation and the rare opportunity to view artwork from The Athenaeum’s private collections.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response,” said Brenda Monahan, Director at Smithdown Social Arts Hub. “It’s clear that the exhibition is resonating with people from Liverpool by connecting them to their artistic heritage and giving present day Liverpool artists the opportunity never before had by Liverpool artists. It’s been a truly remarkable experience!”

The exhibition has been a platform not only for showcasing Liverpool’s artistic talent but also for supporting local artists financially. Multiple pieces by the contemporary artists featured in the exhibition have been sold. In a further testament to the exhibition’s success, one of the artists has received a commission to create a piece of original work based on the merit of the work hanging in the exhibition, a development that highlights the positive impact the exhibition is having on Liverpool’s creative economy.

The Athenaeum, which has hosted the exhibition in its historic halls, has also commended the event for its success. The venue has seen a significant increase in footfall, with visitors keen to experience the blend of contemporary art and heritage. The exhibition has also sparked renewed interest in The Athenaeum’s extensive collections, further solidifying its place as one of Liverpool’s cultural landmarks.

‘It is fantastic to partner with Smithdown Social Arts Hub for this important and exciting exhibition,” said Roger Phillips, Chair of The Athenaeum. We are committed to providing access and engagement to the Athenaeum, and to do so with a Smithdown Social Arts Hub has been phenomenal. If you have not seen the exhibition yet it is a must!’

With the exhibition running until 28 November 2024, there is still time for visitors to experience this unique event. Plans are already in motion for visitors to enjoy dining in the historic News Room alongside their visit to the exhibition. (Dates will be announced shortly for this opportunity.)

Exhibition Details

• Dates: Thursdays and/or Fridays until 28th of November 2024
• Location: The Athenaeum, Liverpool
• Featuring: Rarely-seen works by James Brierley (1783–1814), and William Gawin Herdman (1805–1882), alongside contemporary works by 42 local artists

About Smithdown Social Arts Hub

Smithdown Social Arts Hub is a community-focused creative organisation dedicated to supporting local artists and making the arts accessible to everyone. Through innovative exhibitions, workshops, and collaborations, the hub connects Liverpool’s rich artistic past with its vibrant creative present.

About The Athenaeum

Founded in 1797, The Athenaeum remains one of Liverpool’s most esteemed institutions, known for its expansive library and historical collections. The venue continues to play a key role in Liverpool’s cultural and intellectual life, offering a prestigious space for public engagement with the arts.

Smithdown Social Arts Hub
Email: hello@smithdownsocial.co.uk
Website: smithdownsocial.co.uk

 

 

A theatre production created by and for people living in care homes will be spreading joy and goodwill for Christmas ’24.

Winter Wonderland will see That Theatre Group working with residents living with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Dementia across Merseyside to produce a show before taking it on tour across care homes in Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and Wirral this Christmas.

The show builds on the legacy of Eurovision 2023, following on from Songs for Europe, which was commissioned by Culture Liverpool and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the host city’s EuroStreet programme.

Spurred on by the success of Songs for Europe, Peter applied for Arts Council England funding to establish a 10-week theatre company-in-residence in a care home and create a new show, and was awarded £45,565 through its National Lottery Project Grants programme.

Producer Peter Ward, whose work is inspired by his partner who moved into a care home during the pandemic, said: “The company-in-residence programme will take workshops into 10 care homes in Merseyside. Through storytelling, the residents will be encouraged to share their memories of Christmases gone by as well as their hopes for the new year. Their memories will inform the content of the show and their voices will be used as the narrative.

“From their favourite carols they used to sing in church to treasured toys they received as gifts from Father Christmas, we hope to rekindle a bit of Christmas magic. The result will be Winter Wonderland, an uplifting and moving show which will spread joy and goodwill to care homes in the region.”

Emma Hayes, Manager at Green Heys Care Home which will be hosting the residency, added: “We welcomed Songs for Europe as part of Culture Liverpool’s Eurovision 2023 EuroStreet programme, which was a massive hit with our residents. So when Peter approached us to ask if we could host a theatre company-in-residence to help create the next production, we jumped at the chance.

“Reminiscing – whether that’s about past Eurovision Song Contest acts or Christmases gone by – has such a positive effect on our residents, improving their mood and making them feel confident and capable again.”

The project is being welcomed by Parkinson’s UK whose Corporate Partnerships Officer Clare Walsh said: “Taking part in creative activities such as theatre can help people with Parkinson’s improve their quality of life by helping them relax and focus their minds. We know that singing can have major wellbeing benefits and helps to improve speech difficulties, encouraging people to express to their emotions in a positive way and boosting their confidence too.”

As well as supporting older people, the project is helping younger people gain experience in the creative industry by offering with two work placements to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire students, as well as providing a post for an emerging community theatre artist, a recent graduate from the conservatoire. The company-in-residence model will also be the subject of a research project by two Faculty of Health & Applied Care PhD students from Liverpool John Moores University.

Jen Cleary, Director North, Arts Council England said: “We know that taking part in cultural activities can make a huge difference to how people feel and have a positive effect on their lives, so I’m delighted that we are supporting Winter Wonderland to 30 care homes across Merseyside over the Christmas period. I’m sure that the artists and students taking part in the tour will benefit as much as the residents from the show and it’s great to see this activity following on from the Songs for Europe and building on the legacy of Eurovision 2023.”

Producer Peter Ward explains how his work is inspired by the deteriorating health of his long-term partner, Graeme Phillips, renowned for his role as Artistic Director of Unity Theatre in Liverpool for 33 years.

“Following an acceleration of Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia symptoms, Graeme moved into a care home in 2020 during the height of the pandemic.

“He was convinced he was living in a theatre school and all the carers were actors so I wanted to use theatre as a meaningful therapeutic engagement device for him and hundreds of other people living with dementia.

“Earlier this year, I supported him to return to Unity Theatre in a directorial capacity to revive Krapp’s Last Tape. The play has held a special place in his heart since he first came across it as a young boy and it was the last production he put on at Unity 10 years ago, before he retired.

“It was such an emotional experience. When he was rehearsing, he was completely focused. The disease seemed to evaporate. Not once did he hallucinate, he was completely focused. It was staggering for the carers to see him like that.”

He added: “The reason behind the name of the theatre company is wherever we go, the care home residents can’t remember who we are, they just say “that theatre group” so the name stuck.”

Winter Wonderland will tour care homes in Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and Wirral from 25 November to 20 December.

While Arts Council England is financially supporting the project, That Theatre Group requires match funding to tour the show and deliver regular activities in care homes. Please support via www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/winterwonderland

Following the success of Leap Dance Festival’s return this year, the team have been nominated for One Dance UK’s People’s Choice Award . The award is decided by public vote and it is simple to cast your vote with just 1 click. Leap Dance Festival are delighted to represent Liverpool City Region and the wider North West dance sector at this years awards.

Leap Dance Festival Director, Paul Doyle said “It is an honour to be nominated alongside the amazing artists and companies in this category and it is great to see that the work we have been doing here in Liverpool is being recognised nationally, particularly at a very turbulent time for the dance sector in this country.”

To cast your vote for Leap Dance Festival go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PeoplesChoiceAward24 voting closes 9th November.

Knowsley community spaces Incredible Edible (Court Hey Park) and Make on the Corner (Derby Road, Huyton) are set to host the final two-week creative residency of artists Unfinished Business this November.

Produced by community arts organisation Heart of Glass and Incredible Edible Knowsley, the residency, titled The Instinct Lab, combines fermentation, art-making, microbiology, and inner wisdom to inspire positive change in individuals, communities, and the world around us.

The project is made possible by funding through Arts Council England.

This final residency will bring together the artists’ work with communities in Knowsley over the past year, which has included seed planting, fermentation, sauerkraut spell-making and building a special shed at Incredible Edible Knowsley community allotment to house all the fermented food made (“The Home of the Spirit of the Ferment”). Plus much more.

This time they will be offering attendees a series of free, fun immersive experiences and workshops where they can journey deep into their gut instincts, explore their intuition, and connect with ancient traditions.

Anna Kronenburg, Producer Heart of Glass says:

“We couldn’t be more excited to have Anna and Leo back with us! They’re both amazingly generous artists, totally committed to sharing their creative skills, knowledge and passion. Their work really hits home with our mission to spark real, lasting change, and we can’t wait to see more magic unfold over the next few weeks!”

Leo Kay, artist Unfinished Business says:

“The Instinct Lab is all about gut feelings, intuition, fermentation and the art of divination, so building our shed to house ferments right here at Incredible Edible community allotment has been a real honour. This amazing space, led by Karen—a true community icon—has been the perfect home for our creative workshops, all supported by an incredible, committed community. We’re so grateful for the chance to develop our practice here, right where it belongs.”

Free tickets can be booked here: https://www.heartofglass.org.uk/project-and-events/events/the-instinct-lab-part-three

Free events at Incredible Edible (Court Hey Park)

Monday, 4th November, 11am – 3pm: Sauerkraut Spell Making
Participate in a unique process where attendees will collectively create a giant pot of sauerkraut and develop a “spell” for positive community change.

Tuesday, 5th November, 10am – 1pm: Feeding Our Ancestors
This workshop explores prebiotic cooking, honoring our ancestors, and learning to nourish your microbiome. Participants will cook a collective lunch together.

Tuesday, 5th November, 1pm – 3pm: Fermenting Radish Eyes to See into Your Future
Learn how to ferment radishes (designed to look like eyeballs) and explore intuitive, creative soothsaying techniques.

Thursday, 7th November, 10am – 2pm: The Bakery of Slow Ideas
Craft ancient grain sourdough bread while discussing what empowerment means within the community. The loaves will be baked and ready for collection the next day.

Free events at Make on the Corner (Derby Road, Huyton)

Drop-in events from 14th – 16th November, 1pm – 4pm daily:

Engage with a variety of artistic and sensory experiences: dip your hands into a sourdough installation (MUSH), enjoy a meditation, or simply stop by for tea and a fermented snack.

Special free ticketed events include:

Thursday, 14th November, 11am – 1pm: Workshop – Fermented Chilli Fruit Sauce
Learn to make your own fermented chili sauce.

Thursday, 14th November, 4.30pm – 6pm: Talk – Me, Myself, and My Microbiome
Join microbiologist Dr. Thomas Willmot to explore the world of microorganisms that live on, in, and around us.

Friday, 15th November, 11am – 1pm: Workshop – Creative Kvass
Discover how to make beetroot kvass, a fermented drink that benefits your gut health.

Saturday, 16th November, 4pm – 6pm: Talk – The Gut Brain Connection
Learn about the intricate relationship between our bodies and brains with David Field, a Somatic Experiencing® specialist.

The residency culminates with The Final Ferment, a community celebration on Saturday, 16th November, 6pm – 7pm, where participants will share their ferments and creative contributions.

The Reader + Milap present
Diwali at The Storybarn

Saturday 2nd November / 10:00am & 12:30pm
The Mansion House, Calderstones Park, Liverpool, L18 3JB
TICKETS

The Reader and Milap come together again to present Diwali at The Storybarn. Following on from last year’s sell-out event, The Reader’s Story Hunters are back with the spirit of Diwali exploring the Indian festival of light.

There’ll be time to explore the magical Storybarn, share Diwali inspired stories and crafts, and create your own magical tale. Best suited for 4-9 year olds, younger siblings welcome.

Bundobust + Milap present
Diwali at Bundobust

Thursday 31st October – Sunday 3rd November
Bundobust Liverpool, 17-19 Bold St, L1 4DN &
Bundobust Manchester, 61 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2AG
Free Admission (Booking Recommended)
BOOK A TABLE

After last year’s sold-out events, Milap will join forces with Liverpool & Manchester’s favourite Indian street food restaurant, Bundobust, to celebrate Diwali with a special set menu of nostalgic dishes. £1 from every Chaat Deluxe will be donated to Milap as a registered charity.

Expect a weekend long, family-friendly festival filled with Desi food, drink, arts, crafts and culture — the perfect occasion to come together and celebrate Diwali, a festival that symbolises joy, new beginnings, and hope, fostering togetherness and renewal

Maureen Nolan and Coronation Street’s Emrhys Cooper are set to head a stellar cast in St Helens Theatre Royal’s fantastic festive family show this Christmas.

The show was officially launched today at the Hilton Hotel in Liverpool City Centre, the full cast stopped passersby in their tracks as they paraded in sumptuous costumes for the invited media and photographers.

Pop legend and West End star Maureen will play the Wicked Queen while Emrhys, who is currently appearing on TV screens as Corrie’s Rowan Cunliffe, will take on the role of Prince Fredrick in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which comes to St Helens from Saturday 30 November to Sunday 12 January 2025.

They will be joined by the fairest cast of them all, panto royalty Leanne Campbell who is appearing digitally as the Magic Mirror, outstanding newcomer Chantelle Morgan as Snow White, and St Helens’ favourites Lewis Devine as Muddles and Richard Aucott as Nurse Nelly.

Regal Entertainments Ltd, which stages the hugely popular seasonal shows at the theatre, has also enlisted the help of some very special local legends to voice the roles of the Dwarfs – with the magnificent seven comprised of Johnny Vegas, Joel Ross, Pete Price, Philip Regan (Queen of Scotty Road), Craig Phillips, Louis Emerick and John May.

All of those lending their voices are donating their fees to their chosen charities.

The cast will be joined by a superb supporting company of future West End stars from Nazene Danielle’s School of Dance – Dance Dynamix and canine performers Doggie Delights also return after being a hit in the Easter Panto.

Maureen Nolan is a member of the legendary Nolans girl group of singing siblings who took the charts by storm in the 1970s and 80s with their hits including the top 3 floor filler I’m in the Mood for Dancing. She has worked in the industry for six decades and has appeared alongside a host of major stars from Frank Sinatra to Motorhead.

Her many theatre credits include Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers, a role she played for two years in the West End. In fact, no fewer than four Nolan sisters have played Mrs Johnstone – winning them a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Other stage appearances include Vi Moore in Footloose and Ruth in Calendar Girls, along with Mum’s The Word, Menopause the Musical, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and The Eva Cassidy Story – Over the Rainbow. She’s also no stranger to panto, having appeared in more than 20 including Robin Hood and Babes in the Wood at the Liverpool Empire and, most recently, the Wicked Queen in Snow White at Stafford.

Actor, singer, dancer and filmmaker Emrhys Cooper plays Prince Fredrick. Emrhys can currently be seen as cult leader Rowan Cunliffe in Coronation Street. His other screen appearances include, Vincent Wright in CSI: NY, Richard in Desperate Housewives, Young Greer in Person of Interest, and Alistair in Emmy-nominated drama series Vanity, alongside big screen appearances in Bright Young Things. Dreamcatcher and smash hit movie Mamma Mia!

Before moving to Hollywood, where he spent 15 years, a young Emrhys appeared in Aladdin in Maidstone, while his stage credits also include We Will Rock You, Fame the Musical, As You Like It, Entertaining Mr Sloane and The Boys in the Band. As a dancer he has worked with stars like Madonna, Pussycat Dolls, Christina Auguilera and the Sugababes.

And as a writer and director, his credits include the short film Trophy Boy (Official Selection at Cannes Film Festival) and his award-winning feature film directorial debut The Shuroo Retreat (released in over 35 countries and available on Prime).

Leanne Campbell returns in digital form, thanks to amazing state-of-the-art audio-visual technology, after appearing magically as the Genie in the Mirror in last Christmas’s Aladdin.

Leanne started her acting career at the age of 10, with early roles including Annie at the Liverpool Playhouse and an award-winning performance as young Helen in the much-loved Twopence to Cross the Mersey. She went on to play many leading roles in musicals and plays including Me and My Girl, Carousel, The Sound of Music and Scrooge. She was also cast as Pam in ITV’s Children’s Ward.

In 2020 she wrote and starred in the successful comedy play Pete Price is Dead at Liverpool’s Royal Court, other recent productions include The Salon and Achy Breaky Bride. Her many high-profile panto appearances include five years at the Liverpool Empire and six consecutive years at the city’s M&S Bank arena.

She currently presents the regional Breakfast Show on Hits Radio alongside Joel Ross.

The hilarious Lewis Devine is Muddles. Lewis most recently appeared as Silly Billy in Goldilocks and the Three Bears at St Helens. His other roles for Regal Entertainments include French Frank in Beauty and the Beast, Wishee Washee in Aladdin, Chester the Jester in Sleeping Beauty and Buttons in Cinderella.

Coming from a talented performing family, Lewis won the first ever Kids Stars in Their Eyes as Donny Osmond and is part of a comedy show band called Schooner with his father Terry. Away from the stage, he runs The Devine Theatre Company to develop Merseyside youngsters in the entertainment industry.

Nurse Nelly is played by Richard Aucott who also returns to the Theatre Royal after appearing as Widow Twankey in Aladdin at St Helens last Christmas. His other roles have included Dame Gertie in Goldilocks, Potty Polly in Beauty and the Beast and Ugly Sister Borisina in Cinderella.

Richard first set foot on stage aged 13 as the back end of a pantomime horse in Toad of Toad Hall. Starting at the bottom he made his way up the ladder until at 18 he played his first Dame. Since then, he has appeared in almost 30 pantos up and down the country, mostly as the Dame. He also makes most of his own stage costumes. His other theatre credits include Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Mr Woodhouse/Mr Elton in Emma, and Alan Bennett in The Lady in the Van as well as roles in The Importance of Being Earnest, Much Ado About Nothing and The Herbal Bed.

Chantelle Morgan will play the titular role of Snow White, who was chosen out of 150 hopefuls to join the unmissable panto’s starry cast after open auditions were held at the theatre.

Chantelle trained in Musical Theatre at The Urdang and Emil Dale Academy and has been very fortunate to share the stage with some very well-known artists including Welsh star Luke Evans on BBC’s Luke Evans Show Time. Other credits include Jill in Jack and the Beanstalk (2023), Maid Marion in Robin Hood (2022), Cinderella (2021), Kylar in Bring It On: The Musical (2021), Sister Mary Roberts in Sister Act (2018), and performing alongside Gareth Malone at the opening of Soho House.

Book online here