Community Post Type: News

ArtsGroupie are delighted to announce three exciting projects in their Autumn/Winter programme:

• • A New piece of theatre, The Hammer & Helena.
  • A FREE exhibition, Revealing Trails, with Liverpool Irish Festival.
  • A FREE Heritage Walk tour 20^th Oct at 11am, Pier Head to the Collingwood Dock, part of The Docklands Trail, https://docklandstrail.co.uk/

A New piece of theatre, The Hammer & Helena

A true story of the most evil book ever written and its horrifying legacy.

Innsbruck, 1485.

Helena Scheuberin finds herself the unwitting muse of a religious zealot – the self-proclaimed Hammer of Witches. Her witch trial would raise the ire of the Hammer, its outcome dooming women for centuries after. Now, Helena confronts her accuser one final time with her soul on the line.

Written and directed by David Griffiths, creator of ArtsGroupie CIC’s chilling adaption of The Signalman and starring Samantha Alton (‘Kitty Queen of the Washhouse’) as Helena Artsgroupie – New Theatre, The Hammer and Helena, – A FREE exhibition, Revealing Trails, with Liverpool Irish Festival and – A FREE Heritage Walking Tour, Sun 20th Oct at 11am, Pier Head to the Collingwood Dock, part of The Docklands Trail. Scheuberin and John Maguire (‘A Portrait of William Roscoe’) as Heinrich Kramer.

At The Unity, Liverpool – Saturday 16^th November.

Tickets & further information Here

FREE EXHIBITION – Revealing Trails with Liverpool Irish Festival at The Docklands Trail

This exhibition documents Liverpool’s role in the foundation of the Global Irish Famine Way and reveals how Liverpool came to be involved.

The first section briefly tells the story of The Walk of the Bronze Shoes, whilst the second considers the resilience of Liverpool’s people through the research and expressions of contemporary participants. Featuring collaborative community artworks — led by local artists

• Lydia O’Hara
• Tadhg Devlin
• Pam Sullivan, and
• Nicola McGovern.

The works respond to the Liverpool Irish Famine Trail’s plaque sites, telling rich stories with how people connect with the history, their heritage and how what happened then maintains a connection with what is happening in our world today.

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, this exhibition includes art works, artefacts and memories. Everything you see was created in 2024, though items may have roots and references going back through the generations.

Opening times will be:

• 10am-1pm, Wed 9 Oct, Sun 13 Oct, Wed 16 Oct and Sun 27 Oct
• 10am-5pm, Sun 20 Oct and Sat 26 Oct.

Free, just turn up (donations welcome).

https://www.liverpoolirishfestival.com/events/revealing-trails/

FREE HERITAGE WALKING TOUR

Artsgroupie and The Docklands Trail

Sunday 20^th October at 11am – meet at the Pier Head, outside the Liver Building and we will walk to Collingwood Dock to see the Revelaing Trails exhibition and take in the historical sites along the way.

The walk will be around 1 hour and will finish at The Docklands Trail Collingwood Dock, opposite the Titanic Hotel and next door to Everton’s new football ground.

E-Mail – artgroupie@outlook.com to reserve a place.

The cast is confirmed for Girls Don’t Play Guitars, opening at Liverpool’s Royal Court.

Written by Ian Salmon (The Comeback Special) and Directed by Bob Eaton (Lennon), Girls Don’t Play Guitars is back at Liverpool’s Royal Court from 27 September. The five star musical tells the story of The Liverbirds, the world’s first all-girl rock ‘n’roll group. The tale is now a book, but discover for yourself the show that brought it all to life.

Book your tickets here

Playing The Liverbirds are Molly Grace Cutler (Val) Alice McKenna (Mary), Lisa Wright (Pam), Sarah Workman (Sylvia)

Playing multiple roles in the cast are Jonathan Markwood, Guy Freeman, Max Guest, Charlie Guest, Mark Newnham and Tom Connor.

In Liverpool in 1963 the music world was exploding. Musical talent, attitude and the knowledge that you could be anything you wanted to be saw the city flooded with bands and singers who were headed to the top.

Standing tall amongst all of the boys was the World’s first all-girl rock ’n’ roll group. From The Cavern to Hamburg’s Star Club Mary, Sylvia, Val and Pam did it on their terms, turning down Brian Epstein, hanging out with Jimi Hendrix and driving Chuck Berry wild.

This foot-stomping musical first hit the stage in 2019 and is back and packed with all of the great 60s songs that shook The Cavern, including the Liverbirds smash hits Peanut Butter and Diddley Daddy. The book of The Liverbirds is hitting the shelves, so make sure you get to listen to the music live in 2024!

Writer Ian Salmon says this is one of those Liverpool stories that had to be told,

“As a Liverpool writer there aren’t many stories from the Merseybeat era that remain untold; it turned out that one of the few was one of the greatest. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to tell this with the help of two of the girls themselves. These are the stories that need to be known, need to be recorded, need to be passed down to the generations that follow so that they’re remembered forever, and the theatre is a fantastic place to do that.

There’s a line that I wrote toward the end of the show; “On nights like this, in rooms like these, you make dreams come true”. That was about giving the Liverbirds the homecoming gig that they never had, but it’s really about what we do as writers; we create something from nothing, we give stories life.”

Girls Don’t Play Guitars, as told to the writer by Mary Dostal and Sylvia Wiggins, from an original idea by Paul Fitzgerald.

Directed by Bob Eaton
Musical Direction by Howard Gray
Set Design by Mark Walters

 Movement Director by Beverley Norris Edmunds
Lighting Design by Ian Scott
Sound Design by Kate Harvey
AV Design by Jamie Jenkin

This October, National Museums Liverpool is marking Black History Month with exhibitions, displays and events that explore Black heritage, culture and identity.

Hear from the voices and perspectives too often silenced as the organisation embraces this year’s theme, ‘Reclaiming Narratives’.

The Walker Art Gallery is host to powerful and thought-provoking exhibitions and displays of contemporary art:

• Conversations (19 October – 9 March 2025). Opening during Black History Month this exhibition brings together work by nearly 50 leading Black women and non-binary artists. Featuring paintings, sculpture and video from the last ten years, the exhibition provides a snapshot of the work, ideas and self-expression within Black British art right now. The exhibition is part of a wider research and collecting project through which the Walker aims to acquire new artwork by Black British women and non-binary artists, who are currently underrepresented within its collection.
• Stitching Souls: Threads of Silence (28 Sep 2024—2 Mar 2025). British-Trinidadian artist Karen McLean has been working closely with the Walker since 2023, drawing inspiration directly from the gallery’s internationally renowned collections. This emotive installation, commissioned for the Walker, serves as a memorial to the victims of the tragic Zong Massacre of 1781, while exploring Liverpool’s colonial legacies, and its role as a major UK port during the transatlantic slave trade.
• Now you see me: Chris Day (6 Aug 2024—24 Nov 2024) is a new commission for the Walker, which was made in response to the gallery’s painting, ‘The Card Party’ by Gawen Hamilton (1698-1737), considering the almost hidden figure of an enslaved Black boy. Chris employs materials he uses in his career as a plumber, such as copper piping and wire within his unique glass pieces.
• Carving Out Truths is a community-led research and display project confronting the collections links to slavery, colonialism, and empire.  Showcasing several permanent ground-breaking interventions in the Walker’s Sculpture Gallery, this work examines the origins of the collection, focusing on individuals and stories that have previously been excluded.

Sandra Penketh, Executive Director of Collections and Research said: “This Black History Month we are delighted to bring a wealth of exceptional artists to the Walker Art Gallery. The diverse collection of works on display are a testament to the wonderful art being created by Black British artists and remind us of the power of art to inspire dialogue, questions, reflection and transformation.

“Across National Museums Liverpool ongoing capital projects, research and new displays, involving individuals, communities and other key partners all contribute to making diverse histories more visible.”

This October discover more about National Museums Liverpool’s Waterfront Transformation Project, an initiative to revitalise the area between the Royal Albert Dock and Mann Island.

Central to the project is the major redevelopment of the International Slavery Museum. ‘Where do we go from here?’ is a display that charts the museum’s progress from 1994 to the present day. Exploring the last 30 years of exhibitions at the venue, it offers visitors the opportunity to share their own memories and hopes for the museum’s next chapter. Also at the International Slavery Museum, a series of new interventions of contemporary art among a display of historic objects reframe how certain objects in the collection are perceived and understood.

Sign up for a regular newsletter sharing the latest news from the Waterfront Transformation Project and its plans to promote greater inclusion and diversity in heritage.

Emergence as Empowerment on 25 October is an event co-hosted by National Museums Liverpool and the University of Liverpool.

Join Elliss Eyo-Thompson, Project Facilitator, International Slavery Museum, and storyteller, Kelechi Okafor, at the Tung Auditorium for a screening of ‘Delado: Rising from the Ashes’, a documentary which delves into the tensions of Liverpool 8 following the 1981 Toxteth Uprisings. The event includes a live conversation and Q&A session.

At Museum of Liverpool the focus is Black Scousers and the many achievements and contributions they have brought to the vibrant city of Liverpool. From the recent exciting scenes in Paris when heptathlete, Katarina Johnson-Thompson won an Olympic silver medal, to the influence of bands like The Real Thing, a free tour of the museum’s collections will draw out stories of inspiration and celebration. Inspirational Black Scousers tours are available on 1, 2, 8, 10, 16, 17 and 23 October.

Chris Kerfoot, Participation Programme Manager, said: “The Museum of Liverpool is bursting with stories of individuals who have achieved great things and made our city proud. We celebrate the contribution of Black Scousers all year round, but it is a joy to throw a special spotlight on their stories during Black History Month in our free gallery tours.”

World Museum has one of the best collections of Nigerian art and architecture in the UK. Rethinking Relationships Discovery Day on Saturday 19th October is an opportunity to take a closer look and even handle objects, usually in storage, and learn more about a new project which will provide opportunities for research and engagement with the collection.

Opportunities for Black History Month celebration and learning extend online, with National Museums Liverpool’s collections, articles, videos and podcasts available all year via its digital hub: www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/black-history

Conversations is supported by Art Fund and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.

Stitching Souls: Threads of Silence is part of the 20/20 project https://www.arts.ac.uk/ual-decolonising-arts-institute/projects/2020. The project was led by University of the Arts London (UAL) Decolonising Arts Institute and supported by funding from Arts Council England, the Freelands Foundation and UAL.

Now You See Me: Chris Day is presented by the Contemporary Art Society via the Griffin Award.

Carving Out Truths has been supported by Art Fund through a Headley Fellowship and Art Friends Merseyside.

Wired Aerial Theatre have launched new Bungee Workout™ classes at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) on Tuesday evenings 17:30-18:30 & 18:30-19:30.

📅 Alongside these new sessions, their regular Bungee Workout™ classes at Everton Park Sports Centre (Lifestyles) are carrying on too.

🖱️ To find information on how to book on to classes just click this link and scroll down: https://bungeeworkout.co.uk/bungee-workout-classes-in-liverpool/

💪 Whether you’re looking to refocus, recharge, or just reconnect with your fitness goals, they’re there for you. Let’s make the most of this season together, one workout at a time!

https://bungeeworkout.co.uk
https://www.wiredaerialtheatre.com

Publishers Flame Tree are honouring the Liverpool writer, Ramsey Campbell and his 60th anniversary in the literary world.

Ramsey Campbell is an English horror fiction writer, editor and critic. He is the author of over 30 novels and hundreds of short stories, many of them winners of literary awards. Three of his novels have been adapted into films.

With the upcoming publications of The Incubations, Ramsey Campbell’s new novel, and limited “Ramsey Campbell Editions” of short story collections from M.R. James (The Damnations) and Lovecraft (The Invocations), they are offering special anniversary ‘swag’ to their customers.

The Incubations

Leo Parker’s stay in Alphafen seems idyllic, but after he leaves, the nightmares begin: an airport turns into a labyrinth, his own words become treacherous if not lethal, and what are those creatures in the photographs he
took? Perhaps he’s roused an ancient Alpine legend.

Even once he understands what he brought back, worse is to come…

Visit here for details.

From sold-out UK shows to performing for Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday, 2024 will see the highly anticipated album release of Late Night with Dr Orange on Juice Records (October 25th) with the lead single, I Found You, dropping a month earlier (September 27th).

Produced by longtime collaborator Jon Withnall (Coldplay, Rihanna, The Coral), Late Night with Dr Orange features an array of guest appearances, including The Sukis.

Following the success of his 2023 single 17 released on Jacaranda Records, the album blends the guitar and synth-driven space rock of his earlier work with modern pop melodies and irresistible choruses, creating a sound that perfectly marries old and new.

Dave McCabe of The Zutons has hailed the album as “Smiling on the outside, crying on the inside—lonely and frustrated man pop at its finest.” with Boff Whalley of Chumbawamba adding “Dr Orange can somehow recall decades of dirty rock ‘n’ roll and make it right here, right now, right good.”

Reflecting on recording the album, Dr Orange shares: “It wasn’t really planned. I had recorded five or six songs over the last year that were originally going to be part of a longer EP but when we added the last few tracks everything fell into place; it felt like all the songs needed to be together on an album”. He characterises his music as “Bubblegum choruses stuck to the sole of a worn-down Cuban heel”

Discussing the lead single I Found You Dr Orange says, “This was the last song I recorded for the album, but it’s the one I feel that ties it all together. It’s a realist’s love song that captures the emotions at the start of a romance”.

Dr Orange’s headline album launch will take place at The Cavern Club in Liverpool on 23rd October 2024 with his veritable supergroup of local stars, Blue Jean, Brandon Tew, Ed Haslam (Pixey), Ryan Lavery (Bobby West, Edgar Jones), and Jake Westwood.

There’s a spellbinding treat in store for young audiences in St Helens this autumn with the return of one of the most magical pantomimes of them all.

Sleeping Beauty comes to St Helens Theatre Royal from Saturday 26 October to Sunday 3 November.

Tickets, priced from £22 for children and £24 for adults, are on sale now.

Sleeping Beauty is enchanting October half term entertainment. Follow the story of Princess Aurora who is cursed by the evil fairy Carabosse, pricks her finger on a spinning wheel and is doomed to sleep for a hundred years – unless a handsome prince arrives to break the spell.

Regal Entertainments Ltd, which produces the hugely popular seasonal shows at the theatre, has assembled a cast of firm favourites to bring the fantastic tale to life on the Theatre Royal’s historic stage in lavish fashion.

Maddie Hope Coehlo stars in the leading role, with Rachael Wood as Carabose, Lewis Devine as Chester the Jester, Lewis Burrage as the Prince, Warren Donnelly as the King, Katy Mac as Fairy Sparkle and Mark Two as Dame Queenie.

Sleeping Beauty is written by Liam Mellor, directed by Chantelle Nolan and has choreography by Nazene Langfield. Callum Clarke is musical supervisor, and the show promises a fantastic soundtrack of songs along with opulent sets and costumes.

Telephone ticket booking line 01744 756000, lines open Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm.

Book online at www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com

We’re sharing this information because it might be helpful for the wider arts & culture sector to know about the services that the Windrush Help Team can provide. Many of us work with diverse communities in the city region, which may include individuals eligible for the schemes.

If you’ve had problems because you couldn’t prove your legal right to live in the UK, you could be eligible for compensation.

If you’ve suffered – whether in a big or small way – because you couldn’t prove your legal right to live in the UK you could be eligible for compensation.

Compensation is available to people of all ages and nationalities including those from African, Asian and Caribbean backgrounds. And it’s now easier to apply.

The Windrush Help Team promotes Windrush, whether in relation to documentation or compensation, working with different stakeholders in the community, to reach people from different backgrounds. Most people think about Windrush in terms of just the Caribbean but the schemes are open to many other people facing problems concerning how they arrived in the UK.

The Windrush Help Team can offer information presentations, Q&A sessions, information stands, consultation, and advocacy training.

Find out more about the Windrush Help Team.

View/Download the Windrush Eligibility Handout Flyer

View/Download the Windush Compensation Flyer