Community Post Type: News

From myths to mermaids and photography to fairies, National Museums Liverpool (NML) has such an action-packed summer of exhibitions, events, workshops and activities for all ages – they’ve had to open an extra day each week!

Explore ancient Greek and Roman myths in special exhibition Return of the Gods, try your hand at seaside circus skills and marvel at aerial acrobatics in a mesmerising mermaid parade at World Museum; take a joyous journey to the heart of Liverpool through Tom Wood’s photography at Walker Art Gallery or enjoy ethereal illustrations of Flower Fairies at Lady Lever Art Gallery.

Don’t forget your teddy bear for a picnic at Sudley House, get up close with archaeology at Museum of Liverpool (recently shortlisted for a Kids in Museums Family Friendly award), and meet detector dogs at the Maritime Museum.

Summer isn’t just about the kids – NML has plenty of activities for adult visitors to enjoy too, including Beyond the Label talks with curators who reveal more about the incredible collections they take care of, and creative workshops and tours inspired by new exhibitions.

From Monday 24 July to Monday 28 August, National Museums Liverpool venues will also be open on Mondays each week throughout the summer holidays to give visitors even more chance to explore new exhibitions, get involved in art workshops, get creative in craft sessions, hear from the experts in talks and go behind the scenes in tours.

A day out isn’t complete without a souvenir and in NML’s gift shops you can find everything from art-themed gifts, to pocket money purchases inspired by the collections.

If you’re planning on visiting lots over the summer and beyond, NML offers a range of membership options for individuals and families which include unlimited access to paid exhibitions across all seven venues, Planetarium shows at World Museum and the Old Dock tours.

Memberships also include access to special events, previews and talks and 15% in museum and gallery cafés, gift shops and NML’s online shop.

Taking place at the iconic BAFTA HQ in the heart of London, the ESI Film Festival will offer a £10,000 cash prize pool provided by non-profit partner ESG Gaming.

Leading global B2B esports and media company Esports Insider (ESI) has announced the first esports & gaming short film festival, taking place as part of their flagship event ESI London on Friday 20th October. The historic venue, BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, has been confirmed as the destination for the inaugural film festival, which aims to showcase the positive difference video games and esports can make to people’s lives via the medium of film, and offers a cash prize pool of £10,000 provided by non-profit partner ESG Gaming.

Submissions are open for the ESI Film Festival which calls for filmmakers to shine a spotlight on the talent behind the screens, and illustrate the meaningful difference video games and esports have had in people’s lives. Gaming and esports offers a new form of entertainment, creativity and a platform for expression. The festival’s themes this year are digital inequality, diversity, and mental health. The deadline for entry is Friday 1st September 2023, with the winners announced at the film festival on the evening of Friday 20th October, where the top three placed films will be showcased for the first time.

The advisory board will include Gina Jackson OBE, who has extensive experience helping to solve the talent crisis in the games industry. ESG Gaming are a confirmed non-profit partner for the event. ESG Gaming are committed to working alongside the digital entertainment sectors to ensure the experience is open, inclusive and positive for all consumers and stakeholders. They champion lived-experience, working with people from a variety of backgrounds across the entertainment sectors in order to gain insight for research, product development, and evaluation. A full list of judges, advisory board members and partners will be confirmed at a later date.

The £10,000 prize pool, courtesy of non-profit partner ESG Gaming, is split as follows:

• 1st Place – £5,000

• 2nd Place – £3,000

• 3rd Place – £2,000

Submissions can be made via the ESI entry form here. 

All submissions must have a maximum run time of 20 minutes, and can be any style or film type (e.g. documentary, animation, comedy, action). Submissions can be from individuals, groups (e.g university societies, friends, colleagues), or companies, and all lead participants must be aged 18 or over.

Films will be judged on originality, creativity, plot, pacing, structure, characters, cinematography and entertainment value as well as on effectiveness of the message and the ability of the film maker to reach an audience.

Further submission information and criteria, including submission specs, can be found here.

All those interested in applying for judge, advisory board or partner positions, please fill out this form.

The ESI Film Festival is part of ESI London, the biggest B2B esports event globally that takes place at Wembley’s BOXPARK on October 19th and 20th and will offer two days of deep discussion around esports.

Follow Esports Insider on Twitter for the latest updates or visit https://esportsinsider.com/events/esi-london-2023 to discover the full agenda.

Tickets for the ESI Film Festival are through invitation only. Tickets for ESI London can be purchased here.

After a hugely successful launch event on Thursday evening, Liverpool Art Fair 2023 at the Royal Liver Building is now open to the public!

The event, which is free to attend, is open from 30th June to 20th August, Tuesday to Sunday, 12-6pm. Visitors will be able to view an amazing array of paintings, sculptures and prints on display in this iconic space, by a record 175 local artists, starting at just £20.

Liverpool Art Fair is an annual event, aiming to showcase a wide range of affordable original art by a plethora of local artists; providing a unique insight into the region’s creative talent and the opportunity for everyone, from seasoned collector to first time art buyer, to own their own piece of the Liverpool art world.

The events programme starts this Saturday (1st July) with the first of seven weekly free creative workshops led by our partners Cass Art; this week we have “A Beginners Guide to Portraits”. These sessions are suitable for ages 12 and over and free tickets can be booked via our website.

On Saturday 15th July at 3pm we have our first event for art lovers, people new to buying art or just those wanting to find out a bit more about the art on display. A Beginners Guide to Abstract Art is an informal guided tour by one of our friendly staff, around the non-representational artwork that can be found in Liverpool Art Fair. Free tickets can be booked via our website.

Then on Tuesday 18th July we have the first of our programme of events for artists in partnership with the BIPC (Business and Intellectual Property Centre); Price, Promotion, Protection. This event is designed to give visual artists the tools they need to start or build their professional careers. Hear what support is available across the Liverpool City Region from a range of speakers and gain practical advice and tips on protecting your creative work and intellectual property from specialist solicitor Frances McEntegart. This event has limited availabilty, but free tickets will again be available via our website.

More events will be announced over the summer so keep an eye on the Liverpool Art Fair socials!

Thanks to our media partnership with Open Media, you’ll be able to see Liverpool Art Fair posters featuring artists work popping up on advertising screens across the city; please do share your photos on socials!

Liverpool Art Fair is also sponsored by CBRE, who manage the Royal Liver Building, and Evelyn Partners; we are incredibly grateful for their generous support.

For more information, please visit: liverpoolartfair.com/

 

Following a successful partnership with the curators Max Gorbatskyi and Viktoria Bavykina developing the HOME programme during Eurovision in Liverpool, Open Eye Gallery is delighted to announce they will be supporting the development of artistic projects for the national pavilion for Ukraine at the 60th Venice Biennale.

Ukraine will be represented by Katya Buchatska, whose project, co-authored with neurodiverse people, addresses the subject of greetings and scrutinises the communication structures; Andrii Dostliev and Lia Dostlieva, who together with Ukrainian displaced people will reflect on the image and perception of refugees; and by Daniil Revkovskiy and Andriy Rachinskiy, whose video-work features numerous amateur videos that recorded the experiences of people in Ukraine before and during the full-scale russian invasion. The pavilion architect is Oleksandr Burlaka, project coordinator is Olena Kasperovych, and designer is Misha Buksha.

Andriy Rachinskiy, Oleksandr Burlaka, Andrii Dostliev and Lia Dostlieva were all exhibited in Open Eye Gallery and other venues across the Liverpool City Region during the HOME programme.

The 60th Venice Biennale is set to run from 20 April – 24 November 2024 and will be curated by Adriano Pedrosa. The title of the Biennale is ‘Foreigners Everywhere’, and it will spotlight artists from diverse backgrounds, especially those who belong to groups that have historically been marginalised. The countries are now announcing the curators and the artists for the national pavilions.

Museum of Liverpool has been shortlisted for the Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award.

The popular attraction is vying for a win against two London-based museums, Horniman Museum and Gardens and National Maritime Museum in the Best Large Museum category.

Kate Johnson, Head of Museum of Liverpool said: ‘Welcoming families and making their visit as fun as possible is so important to us that it was built into the original design of the museum, which opened in 2011. From a dedicated children’s gallery and displays at child’s eye level, to changing rooms and space for buggies, being a welcoming, accommodating and enjoyable place for all our visitors is crucial to us.

“A Kids in Museums’ Family Friendly Award is a particularly special recognition because families are such an important voice on the jury, so we’re proud to even make the shortlist. It’s also exciting to make this announcement so close to the summer holidays, when we have lots planned for visitors. We’ll be exploring our archaeology collection with fascinating family activities, learning more about a Liverpool icon, Kitty Wilkinson with interactive performances, and our popular Little Liverpool gallery has some brand-new sessions for our youngest visitors, making it the perfect time to visit and discover why we were shortlisted.”

The Museum of Liverpool’s appeal to families has been recognised previously, shortlisted in both 2016 and 2019, going on to win its category 2019.

Lucy Bowyer, family blogger (@pinaforesandpeonies): “Our visit to the Museum of Liverpool’s dedicated children’s gallery, Little Liverpool, was my eldest son’s first museum experience, at only five months old. There was so much to look at and he was enthralled throughout! It was lovely to watch his eyes widen at every new experience. The gallery makes a brilliant stepping-stone for families to explore the rest of the museum. I know as my boys grow up we will continue to cherish our trips to Museum of Liverpool.”

Jenny Mullin, family blogger (@mummyandsonwholovetoexplore) said: “My son, Jacob, and I always love visiting the Museum of Liverpool. It’s a full day out for all the family, with so much to explore in a fun way. Most importantly it’s free which means everyone can enjoy it.

“The staff are always friendly and happy to answer any questions. Recently we attended the Kitty Wilkinson performance after Jacob had learnt about her over Covid. There was a mixture of ages, and everyone got involved. Jacob also loves the Wondrous Place gallery, and we can spend hours in there!”

Jacob (aged 9) added: “I love watching the programme about match days. I also like to play the horse game with my mum in the Wondrous Place gallery.”

Charity, Kids in Museums has run a prestigious annual award since 2004, recognising the most family friendly heritage sites in the UK. It is the only museum award to be judged by families.

From late March to early June, families across the UK voted for their favourite heritage attraction on the Kids in Museums website. A panel of museum experts then whittled down hundreds of nominations to a shortlist of 18 heritage attractions.

Over the summer holidays, the museum will be visited by undercover family judges who will assess the shortlisted museums against the Kids in Museums Manifesto, a set of guidelines on what makes a great museum visit for all ages. Their experiences will decide a winner for each award category and an overall winner of the Family Friendly Museum Award 2023. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.

From July Museum of Liverpool will be launching its summer holiday programme with activities inspired by the Festival of Archaeology. Embracing their inner Indiana Jones families can get up close and hold objects from the museum’s archaeology collection or learn the skills required to be an expert archaeologist in fun activities. More info about the Festival of Archaeology here.

Little Liverpool Specials are new sessions with many of the same elements that have made the children’s gallery such a hit, but with an extra focus for the museum’s youngest visitors with a passion for art, transport or the River Mersey. Find out more here.

 

Set in Liverpool and inspired by true events, US Civil War Thriller to be published in July 2023

Inspired by true events and Liverpool’s involvement in the US Civil War, “Water Street” is the debut historical thriller from author JP Maxwell.

Set in Liverpool in 1863, as the Confederacy races to secure gunboats and change the course of the War, it follows the daring exploits of a married couple on different sides of the conflict.

Testimonials

A brilliant story – David Morrissey (Actor, Director, Producer – The Walking Dead, Britannia, State of Play)

A gripping adventure, beautifully written – Jeff Young (Costa Award nominee)

A strapping ride through history – Caroline Smailes (Bestselling author – The Drowning of Arthur Braxton)

About the author

JP Maxwell teaches Screenwriting and Digital Writing at Liverpool John Moores University. Although fictional, his writing directly links to an Irish and African family history in the port city and specifically Toxteth since the early 1800s.

In addition to “Water Street”, based upon Liverpool’s clandestine involvement in the American Civil War, he is writing a spy/crime novel “Camper Van Woman” based upon his adventures in Eastern Europe and 1980s Toxteth.

Publication Date: July 1^st 2023

URL: https://www.bennionkearny.com/book/water-street-jp-maxwell/

The historic and haunted Newsham Park Hospital in Liverpool becomes Newsham Scream Park this Halloween

• Three terrifying scare attractions will wind through the building’s creepy corridors and decaying dormitories, filled with horrifying thrills at every turn – Insanitorium and The Orphanage aged 14+ and strictly aged 18+ HELLuminati 
• Newsham Scream Park will be the UK’s scariest Halloween destination this autumn 

• Asylum Entertainment Limited have teamed up with one of the Europe’s biggest scare attraction companies to create the blood-curdling experiences 

• Open on selected dates between Friday 13th October to Sunday 5th November 

• Tickets go on sale Friday 7th July 10am

Imposingly stood on the fringes of Newsham Park, a derelict building stands tall. With bright afternoon sun falling upon the brickwork, it could easily be mistaken for an old hotel left to ruin – its windows boarded up, perimeters overgrown.

But this is no ordinary place. This is Newsham Park Hospital in Liverpool. 

Long ago, the Victorian Grade II listed building was the site of a Seamen’s orphanage, hospital, asylum and nursing home and now, by night, the walls echo with fragmented memories. Dark passages lead to shadowy basements and staircases descend into darkness, where claustrophobic spaces link to the past. Eddies of dust swirl across the courtyard when there’s no wind. A pervasive chill lingers in the main rooms and halls no matter the time of year. The site has wheelchairs and trolleys from decades ago, instruments of control and suppression. 

Long since abandoned to the elements, Newsham Park Hospital is a mecca for ghost hunters and spectral thrill seekers, with many claiming to have seen spirits, heard whispers or felt the touch of something cold on their spine. It is regularly cited as one of the UK’s most haunted buildings, stalked by those who used to govern it or be its unfortunate guests. Many believe its history has left an indelible presence lurking in the corners, emerging only at night. 

And this Halloween, something truly terrifying will stalk the cursed corridors and decayed dormitories – Newsham Scream Park. 

Asylum Entertainment Limited have teamed up with one of Europe’s biggest scare attraction companies to take over the derelict building and create a horrifying Halloween vision which will have no comparison. Three scare attractions will terrify guests – Insanitorium and The Orphanage aged 14+ and the strictly aged 18+ HELLuminati. Each experience will wind through the dark bowels of the building, filled with deepening dread and moments of sheer blood-curdling panic, as guests follow each nightmarish path through Newsham Scream Park. 

To sign-up for early ticket access, see here

More than three years since their galleries closed for refurbishment, the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque collections of the Walker Art Gallery return to public display on 29 July 2023.

Among more than 200 objects, which include renowned paintings by Titian, Rubens and Rembrandt, are a treasure trove of ivory carvings, enamel, silver, glass, ceramics, jewellery and textiles dating from 1200 to 1700.

Nicola Scott, Curator of Decorative Art, said: “From the glittering jewels of European courts to items of faith and devotion, the Walker Art Gallery’s decorative art collections from this period are rich and varied. The craftsmanship, beauty and significance of the objects explored in our newly refurbished galleries, give us a glimpse into the lives of those who made them and used them, as well as a sense of the journey that brought them to Liverpool and the Walker Art Gallery.

“Their compelling stories reveal a revolutionary period in art history when trade and travel led to the spread of new ideas and styles. We’re thrilled to have 60 items from the decorative art collection on display in these beautiful new spaces which, along with some exciting new digital interventions, will enrich visitors’ understanding and enjoyment of these fascinating objects.”

The UK Government gave £4 million  towards this project and other works at National Museums Liverpool to support building refurbishment and the care of its collection. Renaissance Rediscovered is also funded by Art Fund, Tavolozza Foundation, Henry Moore Foundation and Art Friends Merseyside.

Highlights include:

• The Triumph of Fortitude, Brussels, Belgium, about 1525. 

A new digital interactive will bring to life the largest piece on display, The Triumph of Fortitude (Brussels, about 1525). This large tapestry, about 4 metres x 5.5 metres in size, is so overwhelming it’s easy to miss fascinating details. For the first time the brave and compelling female characters from mythology and the Old Testament featured within the tapestry will be under the spotlight in this dynamic new interactive.

• Reliquary Casket, oak with champlevé enamel on gilt copper, Limoges, France in about 1225 

One of the earliest objects in the collections. Limoges was renowned for specialist enamelling workshops and from there, luxury objects for use in church rituals were exported all over Europe. The brilliant jewel-like colours of the enamel are a permanent legacy of the skills of the medieval craftsmen. The casket pictures a dramatic scene. In 1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by the king’s men. All Europe was appalled, and Becket was made a saint. Canterbury soon became an important shrine and pilgrimage site. This box depicting Beckett’s shocking death was made to hold a sacred relic of him.

• Mirror Case-Carved Ivory, Paris, France, about 1320. 

The carved ivory mirror case was made in Paris, famous at the time for making luxury items and particularly renowned for its highly skilled ivory carving. The exquisite mirror case and the romantic scenes it depicts would have been treasured by its owner, probably a French noble woman.

• Diptych of the Virgin and Child, Crucifixion, Paris, France, about 1350-1375 

A small, personal altarpiece used for private prayer. On the left is the Virgin Mary and Child. On the right is Christ on the Cross with St John and the Virgin Mary. The juxtaposition of the Virgin on the left with the Crucifixion on the right gives the Virgin Mary virtually equal status with Christ.  This reflects her popularity at the time as a focus for prayer and devotion.

Such altarpieces were a speciality of workshops in Paris. The city was recognised as a centre of excellence for ivory carvings in the 14th-century. Some were painted and gilded in places, giving a jewel-like quality and on this diptych there are traces of paint on the figure of Christ.

• Warwick Ring – gold signet ring, England, about 1450. 

The bezel is cut with the Bear and Ragged Staff, the badge of the Earls of Warwick , with the words ‘soulement une’ (only one) above. On the shank are inscribed the words ‘be goddis faire foote’ (by God’s fair foot’), which was a popular fifteenth-century oath.

It is reputed to have belonged to the Earl of Warwick (1428-1471). Known as ‘the Kingmaker’, he was a very powerful nobleman during the ‘The Wars of the Roses’. It is said that the ring was taken from the finger of the Earl himself after his death on the battlefield of Barnet in 1471.

• Pietra Dura Table, Rome, Italy about 1600. 

This colourful table-top, decorated with intricate ‘pietra dura’ was an extremely luxurious item. Made by slicing marble and other semi-precious stones into thin slivers, cutting them to different shapes and slotting them into place, tables like this were popular with royalty.

• Pottery Dish, ‘Mankind Awaiting the Last Judgement’ made at the Pickleherring Pottery, Southwark, London in 1657. 

Dutch delftware potters set up several delftware potteries in London, including the Pickleherring Pottery. The dish has the initials REN, possibly for Richard Newnham and his wife Elizabeth. Richard owned the pottery from 1645 to 1676. dish depicts people feasting, unaware the world will soon end. The scene gives a warning against this decadent way of life. The dish belonged to puritan Richard Newnham, owner of the Pickleherring Pottery. Displayed on his sideboard, the dish declared his religious beliefs.

• Amber Cabinet, Gdansk, Poland, about 1700. 

This magnificent cabinet is made of oak and covered with panels of carved amber and ivory. At the time Gdansk was the centre of the trade in amber and elaborate pieces like this would have been made for the courts of European princes. It also has a local connection. It belonged to the Blundell family of Ince Blundell Hall, near Liverpool, for over two hundred years.