Community Post Type: News

Prepare to be dazzled as the much-anticipated River of Light returns to Liverpool this October, igniting the city’s night skies with an enchanting display of illuminated artistry. The event, which has become a beloved tradition, promises to be more captivating than ever before, with four stunning new artworks joining the mesmerising light trail.

Once again, Liverpool will play host to the imaginative creations of the world’s most innovative light artists, continuing the tradition of illuminating the city’s soul. Following the resounding success of the 2022 event, which attracted a quarter of a million visitors and injected a staggering £6 million into the local economy, this year’s River of Light will grace us from Friday, October 27th, to Sunday, November 5th.

The theme for this year’s spectacle is “United By Light,” drawing inspiration from Liverpool’s history as the host city of one of the most memorable Eurovision Song Contests, where music united the world. As the event unfolds, the city itself will be united by the mesmerizing glow of these radiant installations.

While many of the details about the 2km-long light trail remain shrouded in secrecy, we can unveil a sneak peek of the artistic wonders that await:

Emergence

Prepare to be transported into a world of meditative wonder as you explore a three-by-ten-meter pavilion adorned with over 10,000 LED lights and mirrors. Crafted by the globally acclaimed artists, This is Loop, this installation harnesses the transformative power of light and sound to create a mesmerizing experience. A choreographed light show accompanied by an enthralling soundtrack will leave you spellbound.

Lampshades Bouquet

French artistic studio TILT adds a touch of whimsy and poetry to everyday objects with this creation. Expect to encounter gigantic outdoor versions of household lamps, illuminated in a stunning array of colors. Each lampshade bouquet is curated in a uniquely captivating way and features benches at its base, inviting you to pause and bask in its radiant glow.

Elysian and Elysian Arcs

Atelier Sisu, a Sydney-based design studio, presents these never-before-seen commissions that celebrate the beauty of the everyday. A colossal inflatable creation beckons you to walk around and through it as it dances with changing colours in response to light and form. Adding an auditory dimension, Liverpool-based award-winning composer John McHugh has crafted a brand-new soundscape to accompany both Elysian artworks.

The full lineup of installations and their locations will remain a mystery until early October, heightening the anticipation for this luminous extravaganza.

To stay updated on the latest River of Light developments, be sure to visit www.visitliverpool.com/riveroflight or follow @visitliverpool_ on Instagram. 

FACT Together is their annual commissioning scheme set up to support early-career artists in the North of England to create new digital art!

FACT Together 2022 artist cohort is made up of Dongni Liang (Liverpool), Nicole Prior (Manchester), Charlotte Southall (Liverpool) and Ellie Towers (Liverpool). Working across film, alternative reality, performance, games, textiles and sculpture, the artist’s consider the different ways technology affects our collective existence.

Responding to experiences of togetherness across physical and digital formats, the artists have created four new digital artworks that can be explored in the gallery and online.

Discover more about each artist and their online artworks here, plus check out their Liverpool Echo feature here.

A ghostly figure has visited the signalman twice already, each time preceding a terrible disaster. When the apparition appears for the third time, it’s up to the signalman to decode its meaning and prevent another catastrophe.

A gripping slice of gothic horror from Charles Dickens, regarded as the greatest horror story ever written.

In the tradition of classic oral storytelling, a lantern and two players is all that is needed to tell the spine tingling tale of the Signalman.

The tour starts at the atmospheric Engine Room at Metal, Edge Hill Station and will visit various locations during November.

Including, the idyllic Mansion House, The Reader at Calderstones, the popular pub theatre in Salford, The Kings Arms, the reputed establishment Liverpool Athenaeum and a new performance space for Artsgroupie, The Storey in Lancaster

After the success of last years Ghost Stories for Xmas, which will be returning in December, Artsgroupie is delighted to be working again with esteemed local writer and director David Griffiths

“The Signalman is a powerful and haunting story about survivor’s guilt and isolation – something we believe will be of striking relevance to our audience following the pandemic. Our inability to control events around us can be more frightening than any ghost, as Dickens knew well. He wrote from experience, a survivor of the Staplehurst railway disaster – events that both inspired and haunted the author.” 

David Griffiths, Writer and Director 

“Last year, I worked with David on a critically acclaimed production of Orwell’s 1984 and Artsgroupie produced the successful Ghost Stories For Xmas. 

We are delighted to be once again collaborating on a much loved classic, playing some new locations and re-visiting some of our favourite local venues.”

John Maguire, Creative Director ArtsGroupie

See here for tickets

 

As Tate Liverpool prepares to close its doors temporarily to undergo a major reimagining, the gallery will hold a celebratory weekend on 14 and 15 October. Tate Liverpool: Past, Present and Future will be filled with making activities for all ages, talks, music and a chance to leave your own mark on the walls through a graffiti workshop.

Most importantly, the weekend will give visitors a last chance to see work from the Tate collection, and the building in its current form, ahead of its transformation.

Throughout both days there will be three different making activities for visitors to enjoy and have something to take away from the event. There will be a free mini placard making workshop inspired by artist Bob and Roberta Smith, who is renowned for his “slogan” art and the formation of the Art Party in 2013, and his works such as Make Art Not War (1997) and All Schools Should be Art Schools 2016 which is currently on display on the 1^st Floor at Tate Liverpool. Tate Collective Producers, the gallery’s programme for young people aged 16-25, will be hosting t-shirt customising workshops. While local artist Louise Waller is encouraging visitors to create teapot lids for topless Tate café teapots in an air-dry clay workshop that helps visitors repurpose and reuse.

As the gallery will be redeveloped, the final weekend before the transformation brings a unique opportunity for visitors to leave their own mark on the building’s walls. People will be invited to join local graffiti artists to tag, paint and write the personal comments on the 4^th floor of the gallery in a collaborative, communal mural that evokes the memory of past pop and street art exhibitions at Tate Liverpool such as 2019’s Keith Haring and Transmitting Andy Warhol in 2015.

By joining festivities visitors will be able to take away a specially commissioned, limited edition Tate Liverpool party bag with artist made prints and postcards. Among the artists contributing designs will be 2006 Turner Prize nominee Mark Titchner who is celebrated for his exploration of words and language. The commemorative gifts continue with a seed giveaway as artist Andrea Ku, who the gallery worked with on the recent Radical Landscapes exhibition, gives visitors seeds to grow along with Tate Liverpool during its closure period. The party atmosphere will be provided by a series of artist DJ’s and live performances by local musicians and choirs.

Tate Liverpool’s long-established Visitor Experience Assistants are renowned for their amazing rapport with visitors and their unparalleled knowledge and throughout the weekend there will be special, personal reflections and tours of the collection by the team members and special guest artists. The talks continue on 14 October as Tate Liverpool Director Helen Legg is joined by author Lauren Elkin for an In Conversation event on the first floor to discuss Elkin’s new book Art Monsters reflecting feminist practice.

During the weekend visitors will be able to enjoy four free displays as they get a final chance to take in the art. On the Ground Floor, Torkwase Dyson’s monumental work Liquid a Place 2021 directly converses with the brutal histories of the water and docks which surround the gallery. On level 1, Democracies features artists from around the world who have responded in various ways to the theme of democracy, including Jenny Holzer’s Inflammatory Essays 1979–82 and Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s, If There is No Struggle, There is No Progress – Uprisings 1981. On level 2 of the gallery, The Port and Migrations and Global Encounters feature more than 80 works exploring themes of movement, migration and international exchange, including Hew Locke’s spectacular sculptural installation Armada 2019.

Although the building at the Royal Albert Dock will be closed for the transformation work from 16 October, Tate Liverpool will move into the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) North, Mann Island from 27 October 2023. This is approximately 425m or a 5-minute walk from the gallery.

 

Have you heard about Irish Ceili dancing? Sounds like fun, doesn’t it!

All too often confused with display dancing, such as from Michael Flatley, or as young girls in costumes
dancing, it is nothing like this; it is social dancing for the general public, and does not need years of training.

Just turn up at a Ceili and ask someone to dance with you, and admit you are a beginner; you will very soon get the hang of it. The crowd at these dances are always a mix of experienced people and raw beginners,

Where and when?

Liverpool has its own Irish Centre, in Boundary Lane, L6. THE LAST WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH there is a genuine Irish Ceili, with live music, and someone to take you through the actions before you do the dance

Large plate supper is included in the price; Wait for it! All this costs only THREE POUNDS !!

The first dance starts approximately 8.30pm and continues until 11pm.

What have you got to lose?

The life story of acclaimed writer Helen Forrester hits the stage for the very last time next week when By The Waters Of Liverpool opens at The Auditorium at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool. The eight-week tour visiting 13 venues across the country is the final chance to see her life story portrayed on stage. 

During the final days of rehearsals, the cast and creative team welcomed a special guest behind the scenes ahead of the tour opening next week – performer and broadcaster Leanne Campbell, who played the very first Helen on stage back in 1994 in the premiere of Twopence To Cross The Mersey.

By The Waters Of Liverpool is the long-awaited sequel to the much-loved Twopence To Cross The Mersey which tells the heart-wrenching story of Helen’s early life in 1930s Liverpool.

By The Waters Of Liverpool Autumn 2023 UK Tour opens on Monday 4 September 2023 at The Auditorium at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool with four performances only.

The tour includes five theatres across Liverpool City Region visiting Liverpool, Port Sunlight, St Helens, Southport, and New Brighton. 

Liverpool-born performer and broadcaster Leanne Campbell played the very first Helen Forrester when the acclaimed author’s book Twopence To Cross The Mersey was first adapted for stage. It was premiered at the Liverpool Empire Theatre in 1994.

LIVERPOOL – THE AUDITORIUM AT M&S BANK ARENA 

Monday 4 September – Wednesday 6 September 2023 

www.mandsbankarena.com 

PORT SUNLIGHT – GLADSTONE THEATRE 

Tuesday 12 September – Thursday 14 September 2023 

www.gladstonetheatre.org.uk 

ST HELENS – THEATRE ROYAL 

Monday 9 October – Wednesday 11 October 2023 

www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com 

SOUTHPORT– THE ATKINSON 

Thursday 12 October – Saturday 14 October 2023 

www.theatkinson.co.uk 

NEW BRIGHTON – FLORAL PAVILION 

Tuesday 24 October – Sunday 29 October 2023 

www.floralpavilion.com 

Make it Write offers three shows for the Liverpool Fringe Festival. Kicking off with a double-bill on Thursday October 5 at The Studio Below, 39 Rodney Street, Liverpool, L1 9EN.

In “Dancing at 3am” writer Fiona Leonard shows two very different women unfolding the poignant tales of their pasts when they are brought together in the rather surreal setting of dancing and cake making in the wee small hours. A moving and sensitive offering culled from the Fringe’s 24-hour play event. Directed by Julie Broadbent it stars Rachel Pennington and Kirsten E Hawkins.

It is partnered with “Down the Alley” by Brian Hutchinson and also directed by Julie Broadbent. Two homeless people, Ester and Charles, bed down at the back of The Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool. Charles is tipsy, battling his demons. Ester is displeased at him invading her private space. It stars Clare McGrath and Paul St German.

There are two performances on Thursday the 5th October one at 6.30pm and the second at 8.00pm.

Moving on to Thursday 12th October at The Studio below Make it Write has award-winning director and actor Abbey Fitzhenry who says she “loved casting and honoured to be directing “The Cat Box” – a very funny and clever piece by Karl Owens”.

It is a comic drama, set in South Manchester, focusing on members of the Northern Voices, Writers Group. These four socially disastrous, slightly damaged people, who without realising it, have only the writers’ group and each other to escape the horrors of the real world. It stars: Julie Frost, Alan McDonald, Tara J Mallinson and Rob Tovey.  

The show is being shown twice:  At 6.30pm and 8.30pm.

Make it Write’s third show on Friday October 13 at The Studio below is also a double bill.

Jamie Cunliffe’s “Uncle Toad” is a sinister, powerful drama. When the legendary evil uncle Nick (otherwise Uncle Toad) arrives unannounced, Chris learns some startling stuff about his past. But Nick’s nasty history is also entwined with Chris’s wife Maggie. What secrets will he disclose about her? It stars Dan Fieldsend, Clare McGrath and Andy Edwards. It is directed Sinead Renaye. 

Equally disturbing is the other half of the double bill. It is Ian Cragg’s “I Hate Charlie Pickles” directed by Kevin Foott. 

An ageing old style comic struggling to make a living yearns to shed his stage character and do something new. When opportunity knocks his agent is anxious about his abilities and hides the great chance. Fate takes a hand, but who has the last laugh? It stars Graham Padden, Sarah Howes-Dixon and Darren Jones.

It is also being shown twice on the same night at 6.30pm and 8.30pm.

The Studio Below is a bijou 30-seater venue available for hire through Make it Write.

Tickets for all the above shows are available through: Store.makeitwrite.org 

 

September the 4th sees the start of the excellent Fazakerley dance club, held in the Fazakerley Community Federation and Library.

The club is held 10.15am to 12.15pm, all welcome, and entry is just £3.

See their Facebook page here

Fazakerley Community Federation, Formosa Drive, Fazakerley L10 7LQ

Liverpool Independent Art School have their regular drawing classes starting again in the first and second weeks of September including their regular general sessions at Mossley Hill Church Hall and their life drawing sessions at 92 Degrees and Gallery 455.

They also have new classes starting in October at Indigo Cafe in Rockferry and some one off day courses, such as their return to Hilbre Island landscape drawing, a similar shorter event at Rockferry and their radical reworking of life drawing from the stand point of Yves Klein International Blue at the Bridewell.

See their social media here for the full and latest details.