Community Post Type: News

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.

 

Seeking free and fun activities for the summer holidays? Look no further! Introducing FACT’s exciting How to… workshops, designed specifically for young people with a passion for video games and technology.

Each workshop is packed with engaging activities like design, 3D modeling, drawing, and lively discussions about our favourite games. Don’t worry if you’re not a tech expert – these workshops are open to all, as long as you bring your gaming enthusiasm and a sprinkle of imagination! Book a spot in their two-day workshop programme below.

8-11 year olds
Thu 3 Aug & Fri 4 Aug / 12:00 – 15:00
→ Book here

12-15 year olds
Th 27 Jul & Fri 28 Jul / 12:00 – 15:00
→ Book here

Chester’s Disability Pride Parade is launching this year’s Kaleidoscope Week – everyone is welcome!

The parade is your chance to dance, parade, move, sing and raise awareness of the 14.1 million disabled people living in the UK.

Arrive from around 10.30am on 10 July to say hello to friends, before the parade starst to move at 11am from outside Chester Town Hall.

The parade will move down Watergate Street, underneath the Eastgate Clock and start parading towards Grosvenor Park.

Bring your banners, flags, whistles, drums to help make some noise!

See here for more details

The creative team bringing Helen Forrester play By The Waters Of Liverpool to stages across the UK this Autumn have revealed its full cast – along with a change to the Liverpool venue opening the tour. 

The highly anticipated By The Waters Of Liverpool Autumn 2023 UK Tour has been a long time coming since its inaugural 12-week 17-venue tour in Spring 2020 was abandoned after visiting only three theatres due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 2023 eight-week tour will now open at The Auditorium at M&S Bank Arena Liverpool on Monday 4 September, and visit a further 11 venues across the country.

 The tour was scheduled to open with 15 performances at the historic Grade II Listed Epstein Theatre in Liverpool city centre. However, the venue’s management team last week announced it would close at the end of June due to cuts in council funding, making the venue untenable.

The three remaining roles have now been announced. Tom Roberts will play John Forrester, Helen’s father. Joe Gill will play Harry O’Dwyer (Helen’s love interest). Newcomer Emma Mulligan will take the lead role of Helen Forrester.

The trio complete the nine-strong cast playing over 50 characters, and also features Lynn Francis, Daniel Taylor, Lynne Fitzgerald, Joe Owens, Samantha Alton, and Roy Carruthers who were all announced in April.

The new stage production is based on the book of the same name by the acclaimed author Helen Forrester. Her enigmatic and touching portrayal of her life story continues to win her fans worldwide through four best-selling volumes of autobiography Twopence To Cross The Mersey, Liverpool Miss, By The Waters of Liverpool, and Lime Street At Two. 

By The Waters Of Liverpool Autumn 2023 UK Tour finally ventures out across the UK after its premiere run was cut short in March 2020. After some years in the planning, the production was just two weeks into a 17-venue tour spanning three months when the country went into a national lockdown.

By The Waters Of Liverpool Autumn 2023 UK Tour starts in Liverpool and finishes in New Brighton – both locations hugely important in Helen’s life story.

LIVERPOOL – THE AUDITORIUM AT M&S BANK ARENA 

Monday 4 September – Wednesday 6 September 2023 

www.mandsbankarena.com 

NEW BRIGHTON – FLORAL PAVILION 

Tuesday 24 October – Sunday 29 October 2023 

www.floralpavilion.com 

SOUTHPORT– THE ATKINSON 

Thursday 12 October – Saturday 14 October 2023 

www.theatkinson.co.uk 

The Reader is raising the curtain on a jam-packed programme of outdoor performances this summer in the Garden Theatre in Calderstones Park, South Liverpool.

Shakespeare, The Magic Flute and Peter Pan will all be popping up along with exciting new productions that combine classic storytelling with a sprinkle of magic.

The summer season will run from 16 July to 3 September and has been designed to offer visitors of all ages a chance to come together, enjoy new experiences and have fun.

The programme kicks off on Sunday 16 July with a performance of The Magic Flute by Opera Anywhere. The family-friendly production brings the music of Mozart to life with a witty script celebrating teen culture.

Mike Woodward, Co-Founder, Opera Anywhere, said: “We’re excited to make our Calderstones debut with the Magic Flute, bringing this magical world to The Reader’s community. 

“We’ve developed the production to be totally accessible from age 4 upwards – sung in English, edited to maintain momentum with a few puppets too! It starts at 4pm so all the family can enjoy!”

Also making their first appearance in the Garden Theatre will be The Fabularium Astronomers who will be giving two performances of The Hare and The Moon on Thursday 20 July. The show combines song, storytelling and energetic performances that promise to leave audiences enchanted and delighted in equal measure.

On Sunday 23 July local touring company, ArtsGroupie CIC, will make a welcome return to Calderstones following their sell-out performance of ‘Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse’. They will be giving two performances of their interactive family show, The Liver Bird, which features the park’s very own Allerton Oak.

On Sunday 30 July, The Handlebards will also be wheeling into the Garden Theatre once again with a hilarious and high-octane production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Fast, funny and fearless, The Handlebards’ uniquely irreverent brand of Shakespeare never fails to leave audiences at Calderstones laughing out loud.

There will be special performances inside the Mansion House on Monday 28 August as The Reader marks Liverpool’s ‘birthday’ with ArtsGroupie’s A Portrait of William Roscoe. The show celebrates the life and times of this ‘true son of Liverpool’ who was a banker, poet, writer, collector and one of England’s first abolitionists.

On Wednesday 30 August, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men will be performing Romeo and Juliet as the Bard himself would have seen it – outdoors, with an all-male cast and Elizabethan costumes, music and dance.

The final performance of the season will be Slapstick Picnic’s Peter Pan on Sunday 3 September. This three-actor production of J.M. Barrie’s classic play will be told with an untraditional twist and a pinch of naughtiness.

The Mansion House’s Garden Theatre was added to the Grade II listed Mansion House in 1947 after Calderstones Park became a popular open air theatre venue during the Second World War. The theatre was brought back to life in 2019 as part of an extensive refurbishment of the Mansion House which was overseen by The Reader.

Katie Clark, Director of Literature at The Reader said:

“Last year was about welcoming audiences back after the pandemic. This year we want to build on that by offering a wide range of performances that are accessible, relevant and recognisable.

“We’re especially excited to offer children and families an opportunity to see amazing theatre performances here for the first time. 

“Calderstones has a long history of entertaining audiences from in and around the local community and we hope to see this tradition continue for many years to come!”

Thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, residents of L15 (Wavertree), L19 (Garston) and L24 (Speke) who are likely to experience barriers to accessing arts and culture can receive free tickets to all performances by joining The Reader’s Front Door Key scheme. Tickets will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

For all ticket bookings, visit The Reader website at www.thereader.org.uk/events

Following the record-breaking success of Eurovision 2023 by host city Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine, the buzz and enthusiasm ripples on.

Continuing this success and as part of the official Eurovision Song Contest activity, ‘Modern Music Cities: A Eurovision Legacy Conference’ will bring together local, national and international thought-leaders, alongside music creatives, policy makers and shakers, and industry and cultural leaders to discuss the power and purpose of music cities.

Speakers include Seth Godin (Award-winning author and thought-leader), Shain Shapiro (Sound Diplomacy), Carolyn Cooper (Jamaican author, essayist and literary scholar), Nelson George (American music and culture critic, journalist and filmmaker), Ammo Talwar (UK Music Diversity Task Force Group Chair), Sandra Wall (Trade and Industry Developer for the Creative Sector in Norrköping Kommun), Ben Homewood (Features Editor at Music Week), Bryan Johnson (Head of Artist & Industry Partnerships, International at Spotify), Kevin McManus (Head of Unesco City of Music- Liverpool), Dr Matt Brennan (Reader in Popular Music, Glasgow University), Nur Ozdamar (Lead, Artist & Label Development EMEA, YouTube & Google) and many more.

This seminal event will ask what contemporary music cities look like presently and need to look like in the future in this ever-evolving industry. The conference takes place in Liverpool on Friday 14 July at the iconic Spaces At The Spine, hosted by BBC Radio’s Dave Monks.

Modern Music Cities is being made possible through generous funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Liverpool City Council, with support from the Liverpool City Region Music Board.

Find out more: https://bit.ly/ModMusCities