Community Post Type: News

Liverpool ONE is truly the place to come together this summer, full of exciting reasons to visit. This year brings a family-friendly programme with fantastic and free events, with a variety of themes to suit everyone in the family. 

Get musical with Tickle the Ivories 

Visitors to Liverpool ONE can show off their musical skills and enjoy special performances with the return of Tickle the Ivories. 

Whether you’re a budding pianist or a grown up with musical flair, you can be a part of creating Liverpool ONE’s unbeatable summer atmosphere by filling the air with music.  

Find pianos at Sugar House Steps (by John Lewis & Partners), South John Street, Peter’s Square, College Lane and The Galleria (by the entrance of ODEON) from Friday 7 July.  

The pianos are available to play Monday to Friday 10am-8pm; Saturday 10am-7pm; and Sunday 11am-5pm. 

For a full schedule of performances, visit https://www.liverpool-one.com/event/tickle/  

Be wowed by public art from Liverpool Biennial  
The 12^th annual Liverpool Biennial is back for 2023 with ‘uMoya: The sacred Return of Lost Things’ from 10 June – 17 September. 

Artworks from more than 30 international artists and collectives can be seen in unexpected places across the city, including Liverpool ONE, which hosts a large-scale vibrant artwork by Rudy Loewe on Thomas Steers Way as part of the city-wide festival. 

The biennial also brings dynamic programme of free exhibitions, performances, screenings, community events, learning activities and fringe events over the 14-week arts and culture festival. 

For more information, visit https://www.biennial.com/events/

Learn some local history with The Heritage Trail 
Visitors to Liverpool ONE can pick up a Heritage Trail booklet from the Information Centre or download the MyONE app and learn the secrets of more than 300 years of the place that became Liverpool ONE. 
The free self-guided tour is suitable for all ages and takes between 60 and 90 minutes to complete, promising surprises whether you’re a visitor to the city or born and bred in Liverpool.  

For more information, visit https://www.liverpool-one.com/whatson/the-heritage-trail/  

Explore with The Nature Trail 

Visitors to Liverpool ONE can pick up a Nature Trail booklet from the Information Centre or download the MyONE app and get close to nature in the heart of the city. 

The free self-guided tour offers kids aged 4-11 a chance to interact with Chavasse Park’s natural environment and learn about the flora and fauna that call the park home. 

Perfect for a sunny summer’s day! 

For more information, visit https://www.liverpool-one.com/whatson/nature-trail/

Tuck into a family meal or grab a snack to go 
With plenty of food options at Liverpool ONE, there’s something for everyone, and the best ideas for family meals can be found on the Terrace.  
Visitors can tuck into the likes of Slim Chicken’s, TGI Friday’s or Zizzi for a guaranteed winner. 

Grab-and-go options adorn the streets of Liverpool ONE too, with Mooboo or Starbucks always a favourite with the kids, and fresh sweet treats provided by Jane’s Bakes are a must to take home! 

Keep the whole family entertained at Gravity Max 

Liverpool ONE welcomes its biggest arrival yet as Gravity Max opens on 9 August.  

Visitors can enjoy every activity imaginable, from E-carting and bowling to VR games perfect to get lost in for hours.  

With entertainment the whole family can enjoy, Gravity Max is sure to be a summer staple at Liverpool ONE. 

Keep an eye on Liverpool ONE’s social media channels for more news, and be one of the first to book here: https://www.liverpool-one.com/leisure/gravity-max/ 

 Get creative with Sketching Day 

Join in dozens of members of Liver Sketching Club and be inspired by Liverpool ONE’s architectural surroundings and green spaces with Sketching Day later in August. 

Be sure to tag @liverpool_oneofficial in your creations!  

Check out all the Summer plans at Liverpool ONE by visiting https://www.liverpool-one.com/whatson/summer-liverpool-one/ or by downloading the Liverpool ONE MyONE App. 

ETT (English Touring Theatre) has announced full casting for their new production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a co-production with Northern Stage, Shakespeare North Playhouse and Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg.

In ETT’s first international tour since the pandemic, Macbeth will open at Shakespeare North Playhouse on 6 September 2023, with previews from 1 September, running until 23 September, in a design unique to the Playhouse’s space.

With Mike Noble in the title role and Laura Elsworthy as Lady Macbeth, the cast includes Lola Aluko (Lennox), Jasmine Elcock (Malcolm), Brian Lonsdale (Banquo), Guy Rhys (Macduff), Coral Sinclair (Lady Macduff), Ross Waiton (Duncan) and Leo Wan (Ross).

Richard Twyman, Artistic Director and CEO and Sophie Scull, Executive Producer of ETT said,

“We are delighted to announce the cast for our upcoming production of Macbeth. They are an exceptional ensemble of actors, and we are so looking forward to the creative collaboration with them as we dig into the heart of this seminal play. Macbeth is a story that has seeped into our national consciousness – it’s clearly having a moment – and this production will tour extensively in the UK and internationally, so it felt vital to us that we built a cast and creative team that represented not only the hometowns of our co-producing partners Liverpool and Newcastle but also the country more widely. We hope that audiences the length and breadth of the country will find something both familiar and provocative in the story and society that unfolds on stage. We can’t wait to get into the rehearsal room with this brilliant company and share what we create together with audiences across the country and the globe.”

Laura Collier, Creative Director of Shakespeare North Playhouse said,

“It is such a joy to be co-producing Macbeth with our friends from English Touring Theatre, Northern Stage and Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg. ETT’s version of Macbeth is intense and intoxicating, and its complexity and nuance seeks to resonate deeply with modern audiences. We’re so excited to welcome audiences to see this production set against the incredible backdrop of our newly installed Frons Scenae.”

Natalie Ibu, Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive of Northern Stage added,

“Our production of Macbeth will be touring extensively across the UK and internationally and I can’t wait to see this extraordinary, and almost entirely Northern and Scottish ensemble, breathe new life into Shakespeare’s timeless tale of obsession and corruption. We know that for many of our audiences this may be their first experience of a live Shakespeare performance and so I’m especially pleased that performers will reflect the diversity of our audiences here in Newcastle.”

A struggling and divided nation, tearing itself apart. So, when the Macbeths see their chance at the crown, why shouldn’t they take it?

But things don’t go according to plan. Dreams quickly turn to nightmares, humanity erodes, nature stirs. As society strives to make sense of the darkness that sits inside it, how long will it take for people to fight back against the endless cycle of violence and corruption?

A visceral and contemporary new production that speaks to a world we find ourselves living in now, asking why has Macbeth haunted our fears and nightmares for centuries, and what lesson this cautionary tale is still urgently trying to communicate to us?

Macbeth runs at the Shakespeare North Playhouse from 1 – 23 September 2023. Get your tickets here.

These two day-long events will take place on the 6th and 13th of August and will celebrate everything these two streets have to offer.

There’ll be: music, with a competition to find the best Scouse busker, performances from giant puppet giraffes, lions, and even some cheeky waiters, fun for the whole family with face-painting and craft workshops, yoga classes, Ukuele workshops, chef demos from some of the best chefs and cocktail makers on Castle Street, Batala Mersey, and so much more! Make sure to be in town on these days and experience celebrating Bold and Castle Streets!

Are you a business in or around these areas? Let them know how you will be celebrating with offers, activity or performances here.

A new sculpture serving as a meditation on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is to be unveiled on The Liverpool Plinth. Boy with knife carnation by Wirral based artist Brigitte Jurack is the sixth sculpture to be installed onto the Plinth.

The work will be in situ on The Liverpool Plinth for the next 12 months.

Boy with knife carnation is a piece originally conceived as a meditation on fear and uncertainty and the lingering potential of violence. The knife in the original sculpture is replaced with a carnation, which will be replaced to change colour throughout the year.

In Ukrainian culture, different coloured carnations are used to symbolise different feelings and emotions. Red carnations, for example, are given on 8 May to veterans, white are given as a sign of pure love and pink to mothers to celebrate undying love.

Liverpool BID company have partnered with Liverpool Bicycle Co-operative for a free ”Bike Doctor” session at the heart of Liverpool business district: St Paul’s Square.

Pop by to get your free bike check-up, maintenance plus expert tips and tricks. To reserve a free spot, see here

Organized in partnership with the BID.

A brand new world-class family friendly music festival celebrating the very best of Britain has been officially unveiled and will take place in Cheshire during Summer 2024. 

The Brit Fest Cheshire boasts an incredible line-up of three days of live music from artists hailing from the shores of Great Britain.

In addition, the event will also showcase a real celebration of British culture, the arts, fashion, food and drink, and classic cars – making the festival stand-out as a unique event.

The event was formally announced at a red, white and blue themed showstopping launch in Cheshire last night (Thursday 13 July), wowing guests with plans for what promises to be the festival to attend in 2024. 

The launch event took place in Bowdon, Cheshire, just a few miles from the festival site.

The Brit Fest Cheshire will take place between Friday 5 July and Sunday 7 July 2024 in the grounds of Ashley Hall & Showground in Altrincham. 

Olivier nominated brothers Anthony and Edward Prophet are the organisers behind The Brit Fest. 

Anthony and Edward welcomed guests to the launch event alongside the evening’s hosts Jenny Powell and Mike Toolan from Greatest Hits Radio – who will also host the live acts on stage at the main event next year. 

The launch featured live performances by Chris Helme, well known as the frontman of 90’s superband The Seahorses. 

Headline acts for The Brit Fest Cheshire 2024 include Scouting For Girls, Kim Wilde, Heather Small, The Feeling, Fleur East,  Cast, Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins, Starsailor, Toploader, Reef, Dodgy, Lottery Winners, Hot Chocolate, Nik Kershaw, Paul Young, and Tunde Baiyewu from The Lighthouse Family. 

The programme also features sets from Cassidy Janson, Chris Helme from The Seahorses, Johnny Hates Jazz, Matt Ford’s Big Band, a DJ set from Mike Joyce from The Smiths, Neeve Zahra, Owen Paul, Sonia, String Infusion, The Bluetones, The Boo Radleys, The Christians, The South, The Real Thing, and T’Pau.

The full programme and running order will be announced in the Autumn when tickets go on sale. 

Festivalgoers are invited to register their interest now by signing up through the event website at www.thebritfest.co.uk to receive the latest updates, with opportunities to win tickets, upgrades, merchandise, meet and greets, and money can’t buy prizes.

Tickets will include day passes for children and adults, weekend passes, VIP tickets, and hospitality packages. Full details will be announced when tickets go on sale.

 

Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC), a charity that uses chess to enhance children’s educational and social development, is announcing the return of ChessFest, the one-day takeover of Chavasse Park at Liverpool ONE, and Trafalgar Square on Sunday 16 July – with a day of chess fun designed to encourage kids and adults to get ‘on board’ with the world’s oldest game.

The activities are free and open to all. Members of the public will be able to challenge grandmaster Stephen Gordon, the highest rated player in the North West. There will also be free tuition from professional chess teachers, with separate teaching zones for adults and children.

A giant screen will broadcast live chess matches played online between children from London and Liverpool, as well as a ‘Battle of the Prodigies’ between the USA and England. ChessFest is being staged in association with Liverpool Chess Club, established in 1837, it is one of the oldest active clubs in the UK, and was one of the main centres of world chess in the 19^th century.

ChessFest aims to build on the surge in popularity of chess after the success of Netflix show ‘Queen’s Gambit’ and showcase its universal appeal as we approach ‘International Chess Day on 20 July.

Sunday’s Chavasse public event: 

Free chess lessons for children and adults from professional chess teachers and top UK players

·        A giant chess set for people to play on

·        Chess tables for children and chess fans to play each other

·        Challenge a Grandmaster at speed chess

·        Blindfold Chess exhibition

·        Giant screens broadcasting online games between players in London, Liverpool, and New York

ChessFest hopes to leave a legacy for Liverpool as CSC will work with Liverpool City Council to encourage the installation of giant chess sets and concrete chess tables in more Liverpool parks to enable chess to be played all year round as in New York, Paris, Amsterdam, and other cities. The first chess tables in Liverpool were installed in Sefton Park earlier this month.

Donna Howitt, Place Strategy Director at Liverpool ONE, said: “We’re really excited about the return of ChessFest to Liverpool ONE, following the tremendous success of the previous editions. This year’s event is one of our main highlights of the summer, with Chavasse Park and Liverpool ONE playing hosts to a series of family-friendly events throughout the school holidays and beyond.”

For more information visit liverpool-one.com/event/chessfest