Community Post Type: News

A lot has unfolded in the city region and the entire country since Monday 29 July. Our thoughts are with the grieving families and everyone affected by the tragic event that took place.

The Culture Network LCR who power Uncover Liverpool have released the following statement:

The Culture Network LCR stands in solidarity with all communities affected by the recent riots. We condemn the violence. Racism and hatred have no place in our society, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable cultural environment where everyone feels valued and respected.

 The tragic events in Southport should not be used to incite hate and racism, our hearts and thoughts are still very much with the grieving families in our region.

We credit the below information with thanks to Liverpool Irish Festival, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Pagoda Arts Liverpool, and Heart of Glass.

What do we know?

Three children were killed in an attack at a Southport dance school on Monday 29 July 2024. They were: Alice Dasilva Aguiar (9), Bebe King (6) and Elsie Dot Stancombe (7). In total, a further eight people were injured including Leanne Lucas and John Haynes, both employees of the school. The attacker was a British-born teenager.

There was no connection with Southport Mosque, but racial hatred from far-right extremists took over a vigil intended for those harmed in Monday’s attacks. This involved police injuries, 27 hospitalisations and considerable damage to the mosque. Such bigoted violence is intolerable and deeply disrespectful to those grieving.

A six-day wave of violent unrest followed, fuelled by anti-immigrant fury and misinformation peaking over the weekend, and threatens to continue. Nearly 20 towns or city’s, saw rallies descend into riots with dozens of police officers injured and more than 100 people arrested.

These actions steal from communities, via the cost of defence, the clean up and the instability and distrust it causes.

On Wednesday 8 August there was a huge show of unity as thousands of anti-racism protesters took to the streets, with reports of over 25,000 peaceful counter protestors across the country coming together to protect immigration service centres.

Merseyside Police stakeholder briefing

The Merseyside Police issued a stakeholder briefing letter by email to colleagues at 8.30pm, Tue 6 Aug 2024. You can download it as a PDF, here. An additional press release details 13 arrests is viewable here. With thanks to Pagoda Arts for circulating the news.

Support Services

• For anyone needing support, there is 24/7 assistance available from Victim Support.
• The Anthony Walker Foundation runs additional services.
• Asylum services are available from Migrant Helpand you can call 0808 8010 503.
• If you need advice on talking to a child about witnessing a violent crime, or explaining what has happened, there is a guide here: LINK.
• Emotional and Physical Safety Resources – A catalogue of and platform for black-owned businesses in Liverpool by @blk.ownd.lpl.
• Migration Exchange have shared a blog with advice for organisations in the migration sector, and funders on what actions to take to protect communities from far-right violence.
• Hope not Hate have a list of community resources, and info on what you can do about anti-migrant protests, and have developed guides to online safety and security for temporary asylum accommodation, drawing on their work with organisations working in the refugee and migration sector – register to download on this link to Hope not Hate.
• NEON have comprehensive advice on messaging and framing communications at this time Far right violence, a messaging guide.
• Mental health & wellbeing support.
• Toxteth El8te – offer weekly Friday evening basketball sessions and summer camps, emphasising their commitment to nurturing a vibrant community spirit in Toxteth.

Fundraising

If you would like to support Spellow Lane Library, a target of the County Road atrocities, you can do so here. Additionally, here’s an update about the donations Spellow Library has received.

The Community Foundation for Merseyside, in partnership with Sefton Council and Sefton CVS, has activated an urgent fundraising appeal for all those affected by the recent knife attack in Southport. The Southport Strong Together Appeal, which has already received its first donation of £50,000 from the Liverpool ONE Foundation, will help to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of those affected.

Safe Spaces

Kitty’s Laundrette released this post post via Instagram to share that their laundrette is a safe space and a place for everyone.

Please get in touch with us at clare@culture.org.uk if you would like us to list your organisation/venue as a safe space in the Liverpool city region.

A Poetic Response To The Tragedy from Francisco Carrasco (LUMA Creations)

The Everyman’s 60th birthday celebrations continue with a special event, An Evening with David Morrissey on Thursday 24 October. A Liverpool native and alumnus of the Everyman Youth Theatre, David returns to the stage where his career began.

David Morrissey has enjoyed a long association with the Everyman; from discovering the youth theatre in his early teens, to appearing on stage in the title role of Macbeth in the Everyman’s final production at the old building before its redevelopment in 2011, and as a trustee for the charity which runs the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse.

The Everyman Youth Theatre played a significant role in igniting David’s acting career. As soon as he stepped through those doors, David found a supportive space that provided a safe environment, fostering not only his passion for the stage but also valuable life skills and confidence. He also met the inspirational Roger Hill, the Everyman Youth Theatre organiser, a man with a punk spirit and unwavering belief in theatre’s power. Roger’s inclusive approach left a lasting impression on David and many of his peers.

The Actor, David Morrissey said:

“I am delighted to support the Everyman 60th Birthday Campaign. This theatre provided me and many others with the courage to follow our dreams and pursue a career in theatre and with our help can continue to do the same for many generations to come.”

As a director and actor, David has captivated audiences on both screen and stage, including The End Of History and Hangmen (Royal Court, London), Peer Gynt (National), Much Ado About Nothing (West End) and The Lover / The Collection (Theatre Royal Bath). His TV credits include Sherwood and The Deal, for which he won a Best Actor award from the Royal Television Society.

CEO for the Everyman & Playhouse Theatres, Mark Da Vanzo said:

“David Morrissey‘s highly-anticipated return to the Everyman stage for this very special event is a true homecoming. His phenomenal career began right here at the Everyman Youth Theatre and is a testament and encouragement to our theatre’s values – inspiring generations and championing new talent.”

To mark its 60th birthday, the Liverpool Everyman Theatre has partnered with Liverpool John Moores University to present the Ever Forward – Everyone Starts Somewhere exhibition. Running from Monday 19 August to Friday 13 December at Aldham Robarts Library, the exhibition delves into the Everyman’s rich history through fascinating archival materials, including items relating to renowned playwrights like Willy Russell, Alan Bleasdale and actor David Morrissey, himself an Honorary Fellow of the university.

An Evening with David Morrissey on Thursday 24 October, will be hosted by Helen Jones, the presenter of BBC Radio Merseyside. The evening will look back at David’s impressive career together with audiences and have a conversation with him in person. Tickets are £30, with all proceeds going towards the Everyman 60 Appeal to raise £60,000 for talent development.

Tickets are available at www.everymanplayhouse.com/whats-on/an-evening-with-david-morrissey.

On August 3rd 2024, Comics Youth CIC will be hosting Talking Shelves, a day focused on reading and recommending comics, graphic novels and manga by marginalised creators.

Talking Shelves is organised by the Marginal Changemakers programme. The event will be hosted through two Merseyside indie bookshops; Bear Hunt Books in the Wirral and Dead Ink Books in Liverpool.

Customers visiting Bear Hunt Books and Dead Ink Books on August 3^rd will be able to explore the shops’ comics, read recommendations for comics by marginalised creators and share recommendations of their own. The event was created as many young people feel that comics are poorly marketed and distributed and to give marginalised creators more attention.

This event is about giving comics a time to shine, and in particular celebrating and supporting marginalised creators. The hope is that people will leave this event feeling inspired and encouraging other bookshops in Merseyside to adopt this new approach to highlighting comics.

The Marginal Changemakers is an activist cohort focused on changing the publishing industry and creating a better environment for comics to thrive. The community will be at the centre of this change by bringing together different perspectives and shifting the mindset on how the industry treats comics. Talking Shelves is part of the Changemakers’ second campaign, Shelftalkers. In the Changemakers’ previous campaign, they created an Inclusion Charter, which publishers can sign as part of their commitment to making publishing more accessible.

To find out more about Comics Youth please visit www.comicsyouth.co.uk

A new survey by Visit England announced earlier this week that World Museum took number 1 spot for the 20 Most Visited Free Attractions in the Northwest in Visit England’s Annual 2023 Trends Report Survey.

Established in 1851, World Museum boasts an impressive and diverse array of collections and objects from around the world which includes an Ancient Egypt gallery, Aquarium, Bug House, Planetarium and World Cultures Gallery. World Museum’s researchers and curators are experts on a range of areas, from Egyptology to Botany to Geology.

Visitors can experience the wonders of life and the universe across the museum’s six floors, revealing millions of years’ worth of history, culture and science through immersive, thoughtful and dynamic collections. Also currently on display is the impressive exhibition Bees: A Story of Survival, running until May 2025.

The Annual Trends report by Visit England provides an overview of the visitor attraction sector using results from a mix of online and postal surveys.

Report highlights include attractions in England reporting an 11% increase in the volume of total visits from 2022 to 2023 (however this is still 28% below 2019 levels). And Museums/Art Galleries and Places of Worship receiving the highest increase in visits year on year (20%) and (19%) respectively.

This year, all three of the top attractions listed are operated by National Museums Liverpool (NML), with the Maritime Museum and Museum of Liverpool taking second and third place. In addition, NML’s International Slavery Museum, Walker Art Gallery and Lady Lever Art Gallery also placed in the top 20 attractions list.

Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool said: “We are immensely proud that World Museum has been recognised as the number one free attraction in the North West in Visit Britain’s Annual 2023 Trends Report. This, alongside the inclusion of several other National Museums Liverpool sites in the top 20, underscores the exceptional dedication of our team and the vibrant cultural offerings we provide. Our museums are committed to making culture accessible to all, and this recognition is a testament to the memorable experiences we strive to deliver to our visitors every day.”

Lord Hall, Chair of Liverpool City Region Visitor Economy said: “We are thrilled to see so many of National Museum Liverpool’s venues recognised in Visit Britain’s Annual 2023 Trends Report. This recognition is a testament to NML’s outstanding contribution to our cultural landscape and its pivotal role in attracting visitors to the Liverpool City Region. We are proud of this achievement and look forward to welcoming even more visitors to experience the rich heritage and dynamic offerings of our city”

National Museum’s Liverpool recently unveiled their new programme for Autumn/Winter 2024 which includes a celebration of LGBTQ+ icon and music legend Holly Johnson, a bedazzling 1920s garment exhibition and an incredible collection of work by Black British women and non-binary artists.

The full programme of activity for National Museums Liverpool can be seen on the website https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson

Holistic Harmonies use music, movement and song to promote positive wellbeing for the whole family. 

Based in Liverpool, Rachel Waite (Director) established Holistic Harmonies in 2018 and has created a vibrant community in the city region. Since March 2020 this work has relocated online ensuring a continued source of support and education. This has enabled us to reach a growing national and international community.

Rachel is also a director, choir leader trainer, and choir leader with national organisation Singing Mamas CIC and has been fundamental in spearheading Songline: an online lifeline of choir sessions delivered throughout lockdown.

‘Singing For Wellbeing’ out in nature and ‘Singing Mamas’ sessions have been announced for the summer and you can view all the dates and locations here.

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.

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.

Tickets, priced from £21, are on sale now.

They will be joined by panto royalty Leanne Campbell who is appearing digitally as the Magic Mirror, while the cast also includes St Helens’ favourite Lewis Devine as Muddles and Richard Aucott as Nurse Nelly.

And 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.

Meanwhile producers are still set to reveal who has won the title role of Snow White in the popular pantomime following hotly contested open auditions which were held at the theatre last week.

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.

And 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.

Regal Entertainments Ltd has been bringing top quality and star-studded productions to the North-West for more than 20 years. It is run by the theatrical powerhouse mother and daughter duo of Jane Joseph and Chantelle Nolan who produce top quality drama, comedy and panto productions which continue to break box office records.

It produces four pantomimes – at Easter, Christmas and in the February and October half term holidays, with tens of thousands of theatregoers enjoying the fantastic family-friendly fun each year.

Please note Leanne Campbell, Johnny Vegas, Joel Ross, Pete Price, Philip Regan, Craig Phillips, Louis Emerick and John May are not due to appear in person.

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

Book online at www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com 

It’s time to get ready to let your hair down and party, as although it may be July, plans are already underway for one of the biggest and brightest shows of the year, as the cast for the Everyman’s Rock ‘n’ Roll panto Rapunzel  is unveiled. 

An ensemble of exceptional performers, features familiar friends returning and welcomes new faces too, who will be singing, playing, dancing and sparkling their way through the festive season, with Rapunzel, written by Jude Christian, running at the Liverpool Everyman from 16 November to 18 January.

Panto favourite Adam Keast returns with his full fairy wings, as the Fairy Fixer-Upper, as well as Script Consultant. Zoe West once again plays the baddie as Danny Rough and Rebecca Levy takes the role of Laurie, as well as Choreographer for the show.

With celebrations continuing for the Everyman 60th Birthday, it’s great to welcome back Michael Starke as Dame, Debbie Updo, having played in many Everyman pantos back in the late 1980s. Emma Bispham, who has previously appeared at the Everyman in Paint Your Wagon and The Big I Am plays Goop and Hairy McFairy, and Tomi Ogbaro, last seen at the Playhouse in Alice in Wonderland, plays Trevor. Joining the ensemble are Ben Boskovic as Prince Timotei and Ai Kumar is Rapunzel. The cast also includes understudies Alice Merivale and the return of Adam Scott Pringle.

Rapunzel is written by Jude Christian, who as a writer has created pantomimes for Lyric Hammersmith and as a director, recently directed The Legend of Ned Ludd at the Everyman. Directing will be Francesca Goodridge, who has directed numerous pantos for Theatr Clwyd and has been Associate Director for Boys from the Blackstuff (Liverpool’s Royal Court) and Nye (National Theatre).

Jamie Noar returns as Arranger and Musical Supervisor, having won Best Musical Director at the UK Pantomime Awards 2022. Set and Costume Design is by Janet Bird, who previously designed Our Lady of Blundellsands at the Everyman, Gillian Tan is Lighting Designer and the theatres’ resident sound team sees Ian Davies as Sound Designer and Rob Newman as Associate Sound Designer. Playing MD is Dylan Townley, the Assistant Director is Dena Davies and casting has been by Olivia Barr.

Nathan Powell, incoming Creative Director for the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse said:

“The Rock ‘n’ Roll panto is iconic in this city and captures the essence of the Everyman, re-imagining brilliant stories for new generations, celebrating and nurturing talent, and ensuring everyone is invited to the party. The team have brought together the most incredible cast and company, I can’t wait for the building to be filled with joy and music, as we welcome our audiences for all the sparkle and silliness of the season.”

Rapunzel will have a number of access supported shows, including British Sign Language (21 November and 17 December at 7.00pm), a Relaxed performance (7 January at 5.30pm), Audio Description (16 January at 1.30pm) and a Captioned performance (18 Jan at 7.00pm). Tickets are priced from £16 to £46 and with some performances already sold out, so do book soon to be sure of your seats.

For full details of Rapunzel, visit https://www.everymanplayhouse.com/whats-on/the-rock-n-roll-panto-rapunzel

Following on from their success last year with “They All Came Tumbling Down” a play about the struggle to knock down the notorious Netherley Flats, Valley Theatre are continuing their tradition of staging entertaining plays with a social edge with their latest production: Lifestyle Choice? My A**e!

The play, written by Steve Bird and Tom Mclennan, is a humorous response to Suella Braverman’s controversial claim that rough sleepers actually prefer to sleep out on the streets. It follows the story of Jody, who goes looking for her ex- Soldier father in the streets of Liverpool with the help of a charity Outreach Worker.

But be prepared for a lot of laughter and song as well as some hard-hitting drama about this increasingly worrying trend in our cities and towns.

As Matt Downie of the charity Crisis says: “Right now we’re in a perfect storm: sky-high rents, a dire shortage of affordable housing, and increased living costs are pushing more people onto the streets. For thousands this means long nights of trying to stay safe, moving from night bus to night bus, or bedding down in a noisy doorway where sleep is all but impossible.”

“Lifestyle Choice? My A**e” is at Valley Community Theatre (Liverpool L27 3YA)  on Friday 26^th & Sunday 28^th July, 7.30pm. 

More details and tickets from info@valleytheatre.co.uk or http://www.valleytheatre.co.uk