Community Post Type: News

Liverpool’s iconic Jacaranda announces new record store and 400 capacity performance space in the Baltic Triangle.

65 years after opening on Slater Street, Liverpool’s iconic Jacaranda is opening another premises in the Baltic Triangle – Jacaranda Baltic.

The new Jacaranda Baltic site is made up of a record shop and a 400 capacity performance area, located inside Cain’s Brewery. The record store, the latest iteration of the Jacaranda brand, will stock a curated mix of local and international artist’s new releases, along with all the classic albums you expect to find.

The performance area, Jacaranda’s largest and most ambitious to date, already has a range of huge artists set to play there. Tom Odell, Dizzee Rascal, Shed Seven, Cast and Red Rum Club are all set to perform live on-stage and launch their new albums from Jacaranda Baltic over the next few months.

The launch of the project in the Baltic Triangle also marks the start of a new era for the original Jacaranda. The first floor of the world famous bar has had a full refurbishment to transform it into the city centre home of the award-winning Jacaranda Records.

The shop at The Jacaranda will be open seven days a week from 10AM until 6PM, while the Baltic shop will be open Thursday to Sunday from 10AM until 6PM, making them the go-to places for vinyl in Liverpool.

The Jacaranda has been a staple in Liverpool’s music scene since the 1950s with many local bands still playing their first gig there. In 1960 John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best played their first show together at the venue, which was the band’s first under the name The Beatles.

Jacaranda Baltic is the latest addition to the Baltic Triangle’s ever-growing music scene with music venue Content and record shop Matsuri Records both being launched in the past 12-months.

The Jacaranda Baltic record store is set to open its doors for the first time on Friday 12th January at 10AM with a special gift for the first few customers. The first album launch show is on Tuesday 23rd January, which will be Tom Odell launching his sixth album Black Friday.

See their website here

Leading independent music retailer Rough Trade has announced plans to increase its UK footprint with the opening of a large new store in Liverpool.

The news comes after a period of growth for the independent, which has tripled its UK vinyl market share in the past five years.

Scheduled to open in Q1 2024, the 6500 square foot store, which will open on Liverpool’s Hanover Street, will become Rough Trade’s largest location in the UK and boast its largest venue space.

Upon opening, Liverpool locals will be able to shop their extensive catalogue of music and merchandise in-store and enjoy a vibrant event schedule showcasing national and local acts.

The new store is set to become Rough Trade’s sixth UK location, joining stores in East, West, and Central London, Bristol, and Nottingham.

This announcement follows Rough Trade’s expansion into the European market earlier this year and news of a flagship store set to open in Berlin in Q2 2024.

Lawrence Montgomery, Managing Director at Rough Trade, commented: “We are excited to grow our UK presence with a store in Liverpool. The city has such a rich musical heritage as well as a vibrant scene right now which we hope to honour and represent in the best way we can. The scale (both size and ambition) of the store shows our commitment and investment to the city. We can’t wait to delight customers in the record store and venue in due course.”

Upon opening, Liverpool locals will be able to shop their extensive catalogue of music and merchandise in-store and enjoy a vibrant event schedule showcasing national and local acts, with ticketing by DICE.

In partnership with Signature Brew and Dark Arts, the new store will also feature a fully stocked bar and cafe, inclusive of a range of draught beers supplied exclusively by the London-based brewer and fresh coffee by the London roasters.

Rough Trade Liverpool will be recruiting a series of key roles, including General Manager, Assistant Manager, Bar and Events Manager, Bar and Events Supervisor, Retail Supervisor, as well as Sales and Bar and Events Assistants. The retailer is seeking hard-working and passionate music lovers who enjoy sharing their knowledge and recommendations with others and are committed to fostering a vibrant local music community.

To become a member of the Rough Trade Liverpool family, applications are open now via the careers page.

To stay up to date with Rough Trade announcements in the lead-up to the store opening, fans can sign up for the newsletter here, and fans can follow Rough Trade Liverpool’s new store Instagram page.

Liverpool Theatre School’s Norah Button is enjoying a double celebration after being awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King’s New Year Honours list, just days away from her 85^th birthday. ‘Miss Norah’, as she is affectionately known at Liverpool Theatre School, was recognised for her lifetime contribution to dance as well as her commitment to improving opportunities for young people in the city.

The legendary teacher has dedicated her life to turning talented young performers into stars through her beloved Liverpool Theatre School, which was started by her grandmother in 1939, the same year Norah was born. The centre of excellence has turned out generations of professional performers with graduates starring in countless smash-hit shows from SIX, Blood Brothers and Les Misérables to Wicked, The Book of Mormon and the West End adaptation of Frozen.

A talented performer in her own right, Norah spent over five decades as Principal of Liverpool Theatre School after taking the helm when her grandmother became ill. In the early 1990s, she was joined by former student, Maxine Ellis, who co-ran the performing arts school with Norah before becoming sole Principal in 2011. Despite her tender years, Norah continues to teach and inspire students, with no plans to slow down any time soon.

Speaking on appearing in the New Year Honours List, Norah, who lives in Mossley Hill with her husband Jim, said: “It was such a lovely surprise to find out I was being awarded the BEM. Nurturing young talent is my passion and it’s very nice to be recognised for doing one of the things I love most. I’m just about to turn 85 so it’s almost like an early birthday present, we’ll definitely be having a double celebration.

“I’ll never tire of watching Liverpool Theatre School students and graduates performing, seeing them light up the stage fills me with so much pride. Theatre is my life and I feel very lucky to have been part of this wonderful industry for so long, both as a teacher and a performer. My family always ask when I plan to retire but I’ll never give up teaching, it’s what keeps me young.”

Proving that learning is a lifelong journey, Norah recently became one of the oldest students in Britain to receive a Masters Degree in Musical Theatre and Drama after graduating from Liverpool John Moores University at the age of 83. The unstoppable octogenarian managed to complete her final dissertation whilst recovering from a quadruple heart by-pass. She even kept the other patients entertained by performing a ballet on the ward before surgery.

The former beauty queen, who won 19 pageants in the 1960s, is also credited with choreographing Sir Ken Dodd’s Diddymen at all of his shows. She was awarded Freedom of the City of Liverpool in 2010 for her contribution to dance, singing and drama through Liverpool Theatre School.

Maxine Ellis, Principal at Liverpool Theatre School, said: “It’s fantastic to see Miss Norah recognised in the King’s New Year Honours. She’s dedicated a lifetime to teaching young people at Liverpool Theatre School and we’re all incredibly proud to see her receive such a special award.”

Throughout her career, Norah has been committed to making professional training more accessible to all talented young performers, particularly those from working class backgrounds. Bringing the government funded Dance and Drama Awards (DaDA) to Liverpool Theatre School is one of her key achievements. The centre of excellence is one of just 15 stage schools in the country, and the only one in Merseyside, to offer DaDA funding, which is designed to support talented students who may otherwise struggle to afford the cost of professional training.

Liverpool Theatre School also became the first stage school in the country to scrap audition fees in 2018, which led to many more following suit. The Ofsted ‘outstanding’ school offers a number of fully-funded places and bursaries every year for elite Trinity and BTEC training programmes in dance, musical theatre and performing arts.

Find out more about Liverpool Theatre School at liverpooltheatreschool.co.uk.

 

Bluecoat will bring new work by the four artists to its Liverpool galleries as part of an ambitious series of exhibitions and events.

In February the art centre will open its first season of the year, The Lives of Artists. Comprising of exhibitions, commissions, residencies, events and workshops. The Lives of Artists asks audiences what might be uncovered about ourselves when we listen to the testimony, histories, and stories of artists reflecting on their lives.

At the centre of The Lives of Artists are two exhibitions; Thanks for Having Me by Babak Ganjei and and it feels like I just got home by Joshua Clague.

Ganjei reflects on vignettes from his life and career as an artist. He has re-staged the market stalls that he began selling his work from; a means of sharing his work that Ganjei has outgrown, and yet can’t let go of. The deferential title of his exhibition, Thanks for Having Me, reflects back on a life of operating on the margins and never quite being sure where he belongs.

In and it feels like I just got home Clague is interested in enduring memories of the female voice in his life. The exhibition often riffs on the pop-icons and divas that he once emulated as a form of emotional resonance. Clague has produced his new work over the course of a year in which he returned home to the Wirral, having spent years away in London. His work lays out how his sense of self changes at different times, in different places.

Both artists have a longstanding connection to the Bluecoat, with Ganjei having designed a commission for the building’s revamped Hub space back in 2021. Clague has had a studio space at Bluecoat since March 2023 as part of the New Contemporaries Studio Bursary and has also used the gallery over the last few months as a space for making new work.

The Lives of Artists will also see the launch of two new billboard commissions by Tess Gilmartin and Ottman Said. Both artists use abstraction as a way to create beautifully complex landscapes.

Said draws Liverpool’s familiar waterfront as abstracted blocks that seem to jostle for space amongst layers of interwoven line. Gilmartin’s expressive work features brightly coloured animals and plants, drawing upon her experience of spending time outdoors.

Both artists feel rooted to the landscape, and reflect this sense of belonging in their work. Said and Gilmartin are part of the Bluecoat’s creative community as members of Blue Room and have been developing their practice in our supported studio project Studio Me.

Michelle Williams Gamaker and Dahong Hongxuan Wang will continue the season The Lives of Artists with their exhibitions Our Mountains Are Painted on Glass and Role Model. 

Through her practice British-Sri Lankan artist Michelle Williams Gamaker explores race, identity, her love of cinema and the power of storytelling.

Known for her inventive filmmaking and screenwriting, Williams Gamaker draws on and celebrates the classic movies she watched growing up, and takes inspiration from early Hollywood and British cinema. The exhibition at Bluecoat will screen Thieves, a fantasy adventure retelling of The Thief of Bagdad. The Thief of Bagdad, a silent, black and white film from 1924, was remade in colour in 1940.

Williams Gamaker reimagines the marginalised characters as claiming leading roles in her film, played in the originals by Chinese-American actor Anna May Wong and Indian-born American actor Sabu. Now, both characters reclaim the story as their own, challenging the racial discrimination of the film industry. Told as a movie within a movie, in Thieves Anna May Wong is found on set by Sabu, but there is something wrong: she is in black-and-white while everything else is in Technicolor, and both find themselves trapped in their screen-images. Both must navigate the structural violence on set (in this case, the casting of white actors to replace actors of colour) by joining forces to overthrow the set and those in charge.

Thieves is a vivid retelling, blending classic analogue methods with contemporary practices. The artist celebrates the best of past and present filmmaking and shares her love of cinema through the stories she unpicks.

Our Mountains Are Painted on Glass was co-commissioned by South London Gallery and DCA.

Dahong Hongxuan Wang, an artist who has played the role of Anna May Wong in several of Williams Gamaker’s works, will exhibit her new film Role Models. Hongxuan Wang’s new film follows the path of Anna May Wong who travelled to her ancestral hometown of Taishan, Guangdong. Having been rejected by Hollywood in favour of actors in the racist make-up technique of yellowface, Wong set off on a tour of China. Reflecting back on her time in China and America, Wong said “It’s a pretty sad situation to be rejected by the Chinese because I’m ‘too American’ and by American producers because they want other races to act Chinese parts.” Through her vocal and symbolic acts of resistance and critique, Hongxuan Wang finds a role model in Anna May Wong, “a modern, Chinese, young female performer has finally found her lifetime role model”. Role Models will feature a director-like Anna (played by Hongxuan Wang), who ultimately succeeds in dominating the whole documentary process.

Writer Jennifer Lee Tsai will perform in response to our The Lives of Artists season as our featured writer. Her work often looks to the second generation immigrant experience, and explores themes of ancestral trauma, loss and belonging. Tsai draws on her own life, the lives of her family and the lives of others around her to create beautiful and powerful work that helps us understand each other and resonate with our own sense of self.

The exhibitions form the basis for a new approach which will see the Bluecoat split its programming into three seasons.

Adam Lewis-Smythe, Senior Curator at the Bluecoat, said “Our new approach to our artistic offer splits the year into three seasons. Whilst in the UK we tend to think of four seasons based around the weather, elsewhere there can be more or fewer seasons; a wet season and a dry season, for instance. Seasons create rhythms, and cultures throughout a year and at Bluecoat we have imagined a seasonal pattern that brings a variety of experiences for audiences. Our first season, The Lives of Artists, is a bustling season full of activity and change that gives multiple perspectives on the very personal subject matter of ‘the self’.

“We are thrilled to be starting 2024 with such a strong series of exhibitions and commissions. Many of the artists involved have had long-standing relationships with the Bluecoat, whether through previous commissions or as part of our artist development programmes. We are delighted to host their work in our galleries and look forward to sharing it with our visitors.”

A full list of exhibitions and timings can be found below:

Season Launch: The Lives of Artists

Thursday 8th February, 6-9pm

Join us for the launch of The Lives of Artists, our new season of exhibitions, commissions, residencies, events and workshops. The Lives of Artists asks audiences what might be uncovered about ourselves when we listen to the testimony, histories, and stories of artists reflecting on their lives.

The evening will give visitors a first look at new exhibitions including Joshua Clague: and it feels like I just got home and Babak Ganjei: Thanks for Having Me.

Joshua Clague: and it feels like I just got home

Friday 9th February – Monday 1st April

Babak Ganjei: Thanks for Having Me

Friday 9th February – Sunday 14th April

Billboard Commissions by Tess Gilmartin and Ottman Said

Ottman Said: Thursday 8th February

Tess Gilmartin: Saturday 16th March

Exhibition preview: Michelle Williams Gamaker: Our Mountains are Painted on Glass and Dahong Hongxuan Wang: Role Model

Thursday 2nd May, 6-9pm

Michelle Williams Gamaker: Our Mountains are Painted on Glass

Friday 3rd May – Sunday 30th June

Dahong Hongxuan Wang: Role Model

Friday 3rd May – Sunday 30th June

Start the new year off by unlocking your creativity! Join a Creative Course and explore new mediums, techniques and styles. Discover the joy of creating alongside fellow art enthusiasts in a fun and supportive environment. Gift tickets to encourage loved ones to unleash their inner artist!

Course feedback is something we value, and that is why we have introduced NEW Taster Sessions of our 10 week courses at dot-art Gallery. You can try out a session before you commit to perfecting your skills over the long-term evening courses.

Pick from our selection of courses with the expert help of our Artist Tutors. We offer our courses across Liverpool including spaces like The Bluecoat, dot-art Gallery, Baltic Creative, The Plaza, St. George’s Hall, BOLD Place and the dot-art Darkroom.

All our courses are suitable for beginners, as well as those looking to develop or brush up on creative skills! Plus they all take place at evenings and weekends, to work around your schedule.

As well as our regular venues the Bluecoat, Baltic Creative and Bold Place, we are delighted to be teaming up with St Georges Hall to run Sketching in St Georges, a fantastic opportunity to hone your drawing skills in the stunning surrounding of the Great Hall, with all it architectural features, sculptures and design elements to inspire you!

New courses for this term include Botanical Painting, where you can explore botanical beauty through watercolour painting, Oil and Cold Wax, where over 3 Sunday, Amanda Oliphant shares her painting techniques with you and how to master the medium of oil and wax, and Fine Art in Colour Pencil, which sees participants discover the vibrant world of colour pencil art in this 10 week course led by artist Laleh Kamalian.

We also have some new short courses based at the dot-art Gallery. Sip and Sketch, a partnership with our neighbours R&H Fine Wine, is a wonderful opportunity to spend a few hours on a Saturday afternoon, tasting three delicious wines and drawing from a still life, under the expert eye of Kathy Dereli.

We also have some new Sketching the City sessions, where once a month you will explore a different area of the city centre, learning observational sketching tips while taking in the surrounding architecture on a 2 hour walk. Pick the areas that interest you, or book all three!

Of course, we also have all your favourite classes including Drawing Techniques, Landscape Painting and Abstract Painting.

Don’t forget the dot-art Darkroom, where you can learn from scratch how to take, develop and print analogue photographs! For experienced photographers and those who have completed one of these courses, we have also offer Darkroom Membership. Members have unlimited access to the space via our online booking system for just £195 per year or £25 per month.

And if you really can’t decide or would like to give a loved one a choice of courses, we also have art class gift vouchers available, online and through the dot-art Gallery.

Full details, prices and booking information can be found here: dot-art.co.uk/art-classes.

These courses often sell out, so don’t delay!

 

England’s first interactive art studio has opened in Liverpool, offering visitors the chance to create their own masterpieces by splashing, squirting, splattering and shooting paint at a blank canvas.

Splash Art, located in a former theatre in the Ropewalks district, offers a variety of artistic experiences, from pendulum art to dart and spin. You can even blast each other in the dark with neon paint-filled guns.

The venture is the brainchild of Jasmin Ungar, who is also the Director of Midnight Delivery and Co-founder of Bam Boo Brunch and Cocktails.

Jasmin, aged 28, originally from Stuttgart in Germany, first started creating art as a form of meditation, providing a release from the pressures of running her own successful hospitality businesses.

She said: “Splash Art gives visitors permission to leave the day-to-day behind, and the freedom to express themselves. Guests are encouraged to create, get messy, release their frustrations and celebrate their joy.”

Inspired by world travels and a meeting with Salvatore Garu, who famously auctioned off an ‘Invisible Sculpture’ for $18,300, Jasmin became immersed in a world of contemporary art, hosting her first art show in London’s Holy Art Gallery in July 2022. She has since completed several commercial and private commissions in the UK.

Whilst many artists prefer to work alone, Jasmin loves to include her family and friends in her creative processes, encouraging them to be part of her creative journey. Now, she wants others to discover the joy of creating, and to experience the same joy and satisfaction through their own expression.

Having quickly outgrown her home space, Jasmin began seeking a dedicated art space for herself, somewhere she could get creative on a larger scale, start experimenting with new techniques and get messy along the way. Having found her new home in an old theatre, the concept of Splash Art was born as Liverpool’s first dedicated interactive & immersive art space.

“Splash Art was created with the belief that art should be accessible to anyone, whether your little one is just starting to hold a paintbrush or you’re a seasoned pro looking for a new creative outlet.

“We want to give people an unforgettable art experience. We are made to create, so let’s create together!”

The studio has capacity for up to 60 people and visitors can either paint alongside other customers, creating a vibrant and energetic atmosphere, or book a private party for a more intimate gathering tailored to your needs, making it perfect for everything from corporate team-building days to hen or stag parties.

Gift vouchers are also available, making it the perfect present for Christmas, whether you’re trying to impress that special someone or shopping for that one friend who already has everything and doesn’t need more meaningless stuff. Not only can you create memorable experiences together but everybody will leave with their very own pieces of art.

Experiences start from £30 and are available to book via www.splash-art.co.uk

Tate Liverpool has announced plans to present two new installations at the start of 2024. RESOLVE Collective are working with community-focused spaces across Liverpool to redistribute and re-use material from Tate Liverpool and will share this work through their new installation, You Get a Car [Everybody Gets a Car]: RESOLVE Collective at the RIBA North gallery from 9 February.

The project extends beyond the walls of the gallery, with activations and collaborations that will platform community organisations across the city. The Greenhouse Project are a group of young people from Lodge Lane, L8, who have created an audio-visual artwork that envisions how the impact of the climate crisis might look and sound for future generations and runs from 15 January.

Led by Seth Scafe-Smith, Akil Scafe-Smith and Melissa Haniff, RESOLVE Collective are an interdisciplinary design collective that combines architecture, engineering, technology and art to address current societal urgencies. Using furniture, appliances and building materials resulting from the temporary closure of Tate Liverpool, You Get a Car [Everybody Gets a Car]: RESOLVE Collective attempts to generate a sustainable legacy of redistribution in Liverpool which has a positive, long-term impact for the climate and creative aims of community organisations across the city.

While Tate Liverpool has been reaching out to their existing networks to redistribute resources from its closed building, RESOLVE Collective’s project aims to do this by building a redistributive network based on knowledge exchanges between Tate Liverpool and the partner organisations, organising material distribution across the city, and creating a new interactive exhibition in RIBA North that invites visitors to understand and participate in these processes.

The heart of the project will see RESOLVE Collective working in different areas of the city to support the vital work done by creative community organisations and their networks. This will include designing and constructing fit outs in some community spaces, donating specific material depending on organisational needs, and organising giveaway events at partner organisations and libraries to distribute useful items from Tate Liverpool across their communities.

You Get a Car [Everybody Gets a Car]: RESOLVE Collective exhibition will open on 9 February and run to mid-July in two phases. The first will see a new installation in the main gallery at RIBA North built from waste materials from Tate Gallery and documenting the work made with community organisations in the city. A second tactile and interactive installation will be built in the Winter Garden at Mann Island. For both parts the de-installation is an essential part of the design, reflecting on how the deconstruction of exhibitions can provide opportunities to sustainably help others as well as the planet.

Before that, from January, Tate Liverpool will present Future Forecast, an installation by The Greenhouse Project Young Events Producers. It is set in an imagined vision of the future, where extreme weather conditions have changed the landscape of Toxteth, and the rest of the world. The work is deeply personal to the group and includes their voices reciting a script they created in workshops with artist and LJMU lecturer Roy Claire Potter.

The group worked with artists including Turner Prize winner Mark Leckey to create a newly commissioned audio-visual artwork which was shown at the Late at Tate Liverpool event in September. Due to its popularity, the gallery is bringing it back for an extended run at the RIBA North gallery.

Tate Liverpool has been working with the Greenhouse Project for 18 months, enabling young people to learn from gallery professionals. The scheme is intended to give children and young people in communities local to the gallery the opportunity to increase their creative potential and grow their life chances.

Liverpool’s St George’s Hall and Liverpool Town Hall will light up in recognition of United Nations International Day for People with Disabilities on Sunday 3 December. The buildings will shine in turquoise and yellow during the evening.

On the same day, award winning and pioneering disability and Deaf arts organisation DaDa, based in Liverpool, present their annual Edward Rushton Social Justice Lecture named after the local poet, activist, abolitionist, and disabled man., which takes place at Museum of Liverpool on Sunday, 3 December from 1-3pm as part of their winter programme.

When disabled people were campaigning for anti-discrimination legislation in the mid 1990’s the colours of the campaign were turquoise and yellow. The campaign resulted in the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act which has been superseded by the 2010 Equality Act.  The observance of the day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and support the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

The free lecture tickets can be booked via the website on www.dadafest.co.uk

MerseyMade is bringing a little extra sparkle to the festive season with a series of Christmas events, which get under way this weekend. The charming shop, café and events space, which showcases the work of local artists and makers, is also introducing a special three course Christmas menu and extending its opening hours until 10.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays (starting on 1^st December).

As part of MerseyMade’s schedule of events, ‘Find It, Fix It, Flog It’ star, Gemma Longworth, will be sharing some of her top festive decorating tips as she invites guests to unleash their inner creativity at her renowned wreath-making workshops on 3^rd and 10^th December. There are also sessions to inspire budding young creators with Lego stop motion and retro video game design masterclasses taking place on 2^nd  December.

As the Christmas spirit sweeps through the venue, guests will have the chance to create their own handmade gifts and decorations with workshops in candle making (3^rd and 9^th December) and needle felting (16^th December), while those looking towards the new year can take part in a craft your future event (14^th December).

MerseyMade is also teaming up with independent wine merchant, Bacchus, to host a festive wine battle with a blind tasting of wines from around the world (22^nd December), while Liverpool School of Wine will be introducing some of the best wines available locally (15^th December).

Topping the festive celebrations at MerseyMade is a perfectly prepared three course Christmas menu, featuring starters of Roasted Celeriac and Toasted Hazelnut Soup and Orange, Feta and Roasted Beetroot Salad with main courses of Salmon Wellington, Luxury Nut Roast and Traditional Roast Turkey, served with all the trimmings. To finish, guests can choose from Winter Roulade, Festive Sticky Toffee Pudding or a Cheeseboard with Rhubarb Chutney. MerseyMade’s Christmas menu is available for groups of six or more (£22.50pp for 2 courses / £27.50pp for 3 courses), with private dining optional for large bookings.

Spanning across both floors of the creative space, the café at MerseyMade serves breakfast, brunch and comforting classics throughout the day with a tempting menu, which includes Homemade Lasagne (£9.50), Parmigiana Chicken Burger and Stonebaked Pizza (£9.50), as well as a festive Turkey Croque Monsieur (£9.95) or vegetarian Butternut Squash and Portobello Mushroom version (£9.95). There is also an impressive selection of homebaked cakes, speciality coffees, teas, indulgent Belgian hot chocolates, spirits, wines and Prosecco, as well as locally crafted real ales and gins. The menu includes plenty of vegetarian, vegan, gluten and dairy free options too.

MerseyMade is jam-packed with locally made artwork, homeware, organic skincare, books by local authors and Christmas hampers. Shoppers can discover a treasure trove of delights from handmade pieces, created by Liverpool-based jewellery makers such as Andrea McShane and Factory Floor Jewels, to bespoke home accessories by Southport-based Isaac’s Bazaar and stained glass Christmas decorations, handmade in Ormskirk by Nuvue Glass Design.

MerseyMade also stocks Liverpool children’s clothing brand, Smaller Explorer, as well as cruelty free, vegan skincare by Burscough-based Skyn Bakery. There is also a wide range of original artworks available by local painters including Steph Aldwinckle and Lena and the sea artist, Beth Wigham.

Speaking on the festivities at MerseyMade, Founder Vicky Gawith, said: “This is our favourite time of the year and we’re pulling out all the stops to make sure there’s a little something special for everyone at MerseyMade, whether it’s an indulgent festive lunch with friends or colleagues or a creative workshop to get you into the Christmas spirit.

“Of course, MerseyMade is best known for showcasing the work of over 150 local independent artists, artisans and makers so if you’re looking for unique Christmas presents, our shelves in both our Liverpool and West Kirby shops are bursting with all sorts of wonderful gift ideas. And don’t forget, shopping at MerseyMade means you’re supporting small businesses, which helps bring some extra Christmas cheer to our local makers too!”

The events programme at MerseyMade continues into the new year with something for everyone, whether you’re a music lover, a culture vulture, a bookworm or a creative. The fascinating schedule of events ranges from an evening with Beatles author, Colin Hall, and the original drummer in John Lennon’s Quarrymen, Colin Hanton (18^th January) to wine tasting (12^th January), hand weaving (27^th January), and a Spanish talk and tapas evening with local author, David Ebsworth (19^th January).

MerseyMade is located in the historic Chancery Building on the corner of Paradise Street. Please visit merseymade.uk for café reservations, as well as workshop and event bookings.