News - Uncover Liverpool

Devavision Song Contest gives voice to local artists for 2023 Cheshire festival

The Cheshire based festival, Deva Fest, recently held its annual Devavision Song Contest, aimed at celebrating talent from across the UK and providing a select number of artists the opportunity to play at this year’s festival, alongside a stellar three day line up which includes Will Young, Fleur East, Feeder and Morcheeba.

Set to return for the third year at a new venue, Cholmondeley Castle, Deva Fest’s founder is expecting the festival to be ‘bigger and better than ever’ – and this includes the talent it has to offer. Over the last few months, the festival has received over 180 applications from aspiring artists across the nation, all with a range of musical backgrounds including, pop, indie and rock.

The artist submission numbers have risen by four times since last year. This opened up a larger number of slots available for those lucky enough to be chosen, providing more opportunities for up-and-coming artists to share their talent at a festival expected to welcome more than 20,000 ticket holders.

Deva Fest has opened up its final two spots to public vote, allowing social followers and fans of the festival to select the artists they would love to see perform this August.

There will be five performers to choose from and all voting will take place on Deva Fest’s Facebook and Instagram channels from Friday 31^st March to Monday 3^rd April. Votes will then be counted, and the two winners will be announced to take the last spots on 7^th April.

Deva Fest will run from 11th to 13th August, day tickets are on sale with the option to purchase weekend camping and glamping tickets.

Cast your votes here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DevaFestUK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/devafestuk/

For further information and to view the full line up, visit https://devafest.co.uk

Our Dance Democracy Conference Returns As Artists And Academics Meet Live And Online

Karen Gallagher MBE, Karen Gallagher and Associates (KGA) and Dr. Sarah Black-Frizell (Liverpool Hope University) present Our Dance Democracy 3 Courageous Conversations Positively Democratising Narratives:- 29th March at Liverpool Hope University and 30th March at Edge Hill University.

The role of dance, performance and heritage practices that explore expansive understanding of human experiences, that speak to an equity of belonging, and champion diversity and identity politics. In this event, we would like to encourage the power of Courageous Conversations and at the same time advocate a safe and transformative space.

Building on the success of Our Dance Democracy (ODD) in 2021, which due to the pandemic was an online experience, this conference will further the debate, extending the dialogue of how artists and academics interrogate the function of dance, culture and heritage in the 21st Century.

Our Dance Democracy 3 will explore Dance and performance practices under the auspice of globalisation that have increased global and intersectional discourse in art making practices, and as such has powerfully contextualised the systemic and institutionalised effects of Global majorities, Gender, Disability, Racial injustices, Maternal in the art making sectors.

“With the impact of Covid-19 what we learned in creating the event online is that some artists have been marginalised and made invisible through a lack of opportunity to be seen at live events. Dr. Sarah Black- Frizell and myself have made the decision to produce our conference, Our Dance Democracy 3 (ODD3), as a hybrid event for March 2023 to encourage environmental access and international contribution.” Karen Gallagher, Creative Director, KGA

Keynote speakers included:

Khanyisile Mbongwa (SA) Curator, Artist and PhD candidate at the Institute for Create Arts, University of Cape Town
Hanna Cormick (AUS) Physical artist and performer
Professor Christopher Bannerman with Dr. Funmi Adewole Elliot (UK) British academics, dance researchers at Middlesex University
Professor Thomas F Defrantz (USA) directs SLIPPAGE: Performance|Culture|Technology, a research lab that explores emerging technology in live performance applications

Check this link for the full programme: https://www.karengallagherandassociates.co.uk/odd3/

Closing Acts
Raconteur for both days:
Wendy Houstoun

Performances

Evening Performance: The Rest of Our Lives

Evening Performance: Fatherhood

To find out more about the conference and book a place, visit: https://www.karengallagherandassociates.co.uk/odd3/

Artists take up creative residencies at Chester care village

Five acclaimed artists, from disciplines including sculpture and storytelling to sound art and dance, have taken up their ‘arts residencies’ at Chester’s newest specialist dementia care village in the latest stage of a collaboration exploring the embedding of arts into care environments.

Older people residing at Belong Chester are benefitting from the guidance of the artists commissioned by the Bluecoat, Liverpool’s contemporary arts centre, leading them in a series of workshops as part of their ongoing research project, entitled ‘Where the Arts Belong’.

The aim is to identify the conditions that best support resonant and meaningful creative engagements of older people in a care context, in particular those living with dementia. It also serves to inform Belong’s strategy to introduce staff trained in arts provision at its forthcoming Birkdale village, due to open in Southport, next year.

Charlotte Parton, experience coordinator at Belong Chester, commented: “The response from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive. To see them engage with the artists, express their ideas and have the opportunity to learn new things has been wonderful – the Bluecoat and the artists have done a fantastic job in providing our bespoke arts programme.”

During Covid-19 lockdowns, participation widened to include Belong’s community care customers, bringing artists into their homes via video call, in a bid to tackle isolation by using art as a vehicle to promote wellbeing and social interaction. Trained virtually by the artists, the Belong at Home team of community support workers carried out one-to-one creative activities in addition to routine care visits.

More recently, the artists hosted Meet and Make Art workshops at Grosvenor Museum, offering a support network to those with dementia in the local community, and their loved ones, ahead of Belong Chester opening on City Road, last summer.

Tabitha Moses, project facilitator at the Bluecoat, added: “The artists, and their work at Belong Chester, are showing a positive impact on the health and vitality of the whole village community.

“As we know, creativity, self-expression and access to the arts are all fundamental to wellbeing and we can see the positive influence on customers, staff members and families alike. Long may the partnership, and these outcomes, continue!”

Renaissance Rediscovered opens at the Walker Art Gallery

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

Renaissance Rediscovered presents the Walker’s renowned collection of Western European art from the 13th to the 18th century. Masterpieces such as Simone Martini’s Christ Discovered in the Temple, Holbein’s Portrait of Henry VIII, and Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait as a Young Man feature in the elegant new spaces.

New acquisitions join this spectacular collection for the first time, including Allegory of Painting and Music, the first painting by Giovanni Andrea Sirani to enter a UK public collection, and Flowers in a Glass Vase on a Marble Ledge by 17th-century Dutch artist, Willem Van Aelst.

Other iconic artists represented include Titian, Lavinia Fontana, Peter Paul Rubens and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.

Kate O’Donoghue, Curator of International Fine Art, said: “The opening of Renaissance Rediscovered marks an exciting chapter in the history of the Walker, creating beautiful spaces for some of the Gallery’s most magnificent treasures.

“Through remarkable paintings, prints, drawings, decorative art and sculpture, the galleries explore centuries of human creativity and expression. With fresh interpretation and thoughtful design, they will also explore stories that have been historically excluded in these spaces.

“We hope this transformation will allow visitors not only to marvel at the considerable skill and artistry on display but also to appreciate that however many centuries separate us, art will always find ways for us to connect with our past.”

Visitors can support this new chapter for the Walker Art Gallery with an exciting new fundraiser. A limited-edition tote bag features the new acquisition Flowers in a Glass Vase on a Marble Ledge by Willem van Aelst. A striking gift for the first 100 donors to donate £50, the painting is typical of the vanitas style, giving an initial impression of beauty and opulence but on closer inspection things are not quite as they seem.

Africa Oyé announce first wave of acts ahead of 2023 festival in Liverpool

The first three acts heading to Liverpool’s Sefton Park for this summer’s Africa Oyé Festival have been revealed.

FRA! to perform at Africa Oye 2023 — FRA!

Artists from Ghana, Guinea-Bissau and Cameroon make up the first wave of performers to be announced by organisers with plenty more still to come.

Following an incredible 30th anniversary year in 2022, one of Merseyside’s most picturesque green spaces will once again be filled with the music and culture of Africa, the Caribbean and the Diaspora, for two free days of live music, workshops, DJ stages, food stalls and a range of traders in the Oyé Village.

Kicking off the first wave of acts are Ghanian highlife stars, FRA!

FRA!’s energetic performance and infectious grooves are sure to get Liverpool audiences dancing this June with their hypnotising and catchy choruses and incredible showmanship.

This ensemble from Accra take their name from the Akan word for “mix” and is a reference to the elements of the fusion which is found in their music. The band is set to be have a break-out year in 2023 with performances at festivals and venues across the world.

Joining them on the line-up will be Cameroonian soloist, Veeby.

A highly respected voice in the burgeoning afrosoul community, Veeby says that it is through her musicality that she transmits her pride and tells the story of her African roots. Her aim is to “connect the points” of music and history for her fellow Afro-descendants.

With hip-hop and RnB influences, Veeby’s soft yet powerful voice is set to soar through Sefton Park this summer.

Rounding off this first announcement is gifted guitarist, percussionist and balafón player, Kimi Djabaté.

On Djabaté’s new album Dindin, the multitalented musician from Guinea-Bissau carries on the customs of his griot heritage, singing entrancingly about the complexity of life in modern Africa for a broad, international audience.

Blending traditional Afro-Portuguese rhythms with Afrobeat grooves, electric desert blues and hints of Afro-Latin swing, Djabaté weaves a unique tapestry of smooth and intricate sounds, featuring intimate songs dedicated to family and friends, and undeniably universal in its themes of love, communication and human connection.

Oyé’s Artistic Director, Paul Duhaney, said following the reveal: “As we enter our fourth decade of celebrating the music and culture of Africa and the Diaspora, we’re delighted to announce this first wave of artists for the 2023 festival.

As part of our 30th anniversary last year we were lucky enough to be invited to music conferences across the world. Our first announcement for Oye ’23 features three of the artists we discovered during showcases at industry events such as WOMEX and Mundial Montreal, where we were able to promote Oyé and Liverpool as a destination for international creatives. We can’t wait for our Oyé crowds to experience their live sets and be blown away just as we were.”

Beginning over three decades ago in 1992 as a series of shows in the city centre, the Africa Oyé Festival has evolved into one of Liverpool’s most beloved annual events, attracting artists and attendees from across the world.

One of the most popular areas of festival, The Oyé Active Zone – which hosts free multi-arts workshops across the whole weekend – will return this summer, alongside a brand new Toddler Zone, catering for the youngest festival goers, and the acclaimed DJ stages Trenchtown and Freetown.

More main stage artists are set to be revealed soon, along with news on the festival’s Oyé Introduces programme which sees up-and-coming local talent showcased on the line-up alongside the international heavyweights.

The festival’s commitment to being ‘free and open to all’ also means that the Access Tent, British Sign Language on-stage translators and Access Viewing Platform will also all return for this year’s extravaganza. Those wanting to support the festival and help keep the event free and open to all and can do so by donating via africaoye.com.

This year’s Africa Oyé festival will take place on June 17 and 18 2023, in Liverpool’s Sefton Park from 12:30pm til 9:30pm both days and entrance is FREE.

Two-week Eurovision cultural festival – EuroFest – announced

The first details of a two-week cultural festival – EuroFest – which will take over Liverpool in the lead up to The Eurovision Song Contest have been unveiled.

Running from Monday 1 to Sunday 14 May, the festival will present 24 brand new commissions – 19 of which are collaborations between UK and Ukrainian artists – that will transform the city as fans from across the world descend on Liverpool.

Although full details of all of the commissions will not be announced until late March, organisers have revealed headline plans for four of the projects, along with the names of all of the organisations taking part.

The majority of the work being produced has been inspired by the Eurovision 2023 slogan ‘United by Music’, none more so than The Blue and Yellow Submarine Parade by The Kazimier – a huge outdoor underwater sea disco which will make its way through the city to kickstart the Eurovision Party. Working with UK and Ukrainian designers, musicians and community groups, expect hundreds of performers, incredible music and a huge glitterball jellyfish. This is a mass participation event and more details on how to get involved will be announced in the coming weeks.

The English National Opera does Eurovision is being created by the English National Opera and will be a unique show bringing together two very different musical worlds into one epic outdoor performance with live chorus and orchestra. Joyful, moving and loud, this project promises to perfectly capture the spirit of Eurovision.

On a more poignant note, Izyum to Liverpool by Ukrainian artist Katya Buchatska, will transform the iconic Liverpool Cathedral into a train carriage replicating the journey from Izyum to the border with Poland. Filmed in real time, this piece offers an extraordinary window into the landscape of Ukraine as it is today and also serves as a reminder of the spirit and resilience of the Ukrainian people.

Finally, Rave Ukraine is a collaboration between producer Jez Collins, UAME I Music Saves UA and Open Culture to deliver a simultaneous rave in Liverpool and Kyiv which will be streamed across the world. This commission is a celebration of the uniting power of music and the resilience of Ukrainians throughout the last year to keep making music, dancing and celebrating culture.

The list of collaborators taking part in EuroFest which can be revealed are:

Amigo & Amigo, Svitlana Reinish, Anton Dehtiarov, M3 Industries, Black_Box
Artists on the Frontline and Parade-Fest
BBC Storyville Live
Black Gold Arts, First Take, Homotopia, Hackney Showroom and RubyLemon
Bluecoat and The Jam Factory, Lviv
English National Opera
Go Fly Your Kite and the Junior Academy of Science Kyiv
Invisible Wind Factory
Jamala
Jez Collins, UAME I Music Saves UA and Open Culture
Liverpool Cathedral and Katya Buchatska
Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and Sheep Soup
Port and Katya Taylor
Natalie McCool, Stealing Sheep, Krapka;KOMA and Helleroid
National Museums Liverpool
Northern Town and Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates
Open Eye Gallery
The Reading Agency and BBC Arts
Slukh.Media, Sonia Chapman and Perfectionist.London
Tate Liverpool
Unity Theatre and Yurii Radionov
Whispered Tales and Denys Kashchei

The chosen commissions were selected through a process which included the BBC, British Council, Ukrainian Institute and Culture Liverpool. An initial call out in December attracted almost 700 responses of which 50 were shortlisted and supported in the development of their idea. The names announced today are the artists who have been selected for EuroFest from that shortlist.

EuroFest has been made possible thanks to support from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

More details around the schools and community programme, plans for the EuroVillage and other Eurovision specific events will be made public in the coming weeks.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne Anderson, said:

“For Liverpool, Eurovision is much more than the Grand Final on 13 May. This amazing collection of artists will ensure that everyone who wants to be part of the Eurovision journey can do so for a whole fortnight leading up to the big day.

“The planned projects are joyful, hopeful, ambitious and moving – as you would expect from the unique circumstances in which we are hosting this event. Once again, Liverpool is using its incredible creative credentials to tell a story, and in doing so, engage a wide audience in a narrative that impacts us all.

“I am particularly proud that we are able to provide a platform for so many brilliant Ukrainian artists and musicians and that our local cultural sector has welcomed them with such warmth and spirit.

“I can’t wait until we can reveal all of the details so that everyone can start planning their EuroFest trip!”

Eurovision Minister Stuart Andrew, said:

“The Eurovision Song Contest will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our shared love of music and the cultural programme in Liverpool is filled with brilliant entertainment.

“The commissions range from the wacky to the poignant and I am pleased that the programme has strong involvement from our Ukrainian friends. I look forward to seeing each commission come to life in May.”

Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko said;

“The EuroFest cultural festival is an excellent opportunity to showcase Ukrainian culture and creativity to the world. I am thrilled to see so many talented Ukrainian artists collaborating with their British counterparts to create unique and inspiring projects celebrating our shared love of music and culture.

“As we continue to build up closer ties between Ukraine and the UK, events like EuroFest will help to deepen our cultural connections and foster greater understanding and appreciation of each other’s traditions and heritage.”

Winners to be revealed in the 2023 Liverpool City Region Photo Awards

The winner of the inaugural Liverpool City Region Photo Awards will be revealed next week whittled down from nearly 2000 images which were entered into the competition.

Launch Night: 10 March, 6pm – 8pm (RSVP).

Place: Open Eye Gallery, 19 Mann Island, L3 1BP

Dates: 10 March – 23 April 2023

Open: 10am – 5pm, Tuesday – Sunday, free entry

Created by Open Eye Gallery with the support of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the awards celebrate the culture, creativity and vibrancy of photography enthusiasts from across Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.

The judges have chosen 11 category winners and 33 commended submissions, which will make up a special exhibition at the gallery, as well as the photographs that got a special mention (jurors’ choice). The overall winner will be announced at an event on 10 March 2023.

Prizes include:

· £1,600 in cash prizes

· Stay and breakfast at INNSiDE Liverpool

· Free memberships at dot-art Darkroom

· Darkroom materials from Harman Technology

FACT Reveals 2023-24 Programme

To celebrate their 20th anniversary, FACT has revealed its upcoming programme for 2023-2024.

This year, their line-up of immersive exhibitions and art experiences will be shaped by artists’ practices rooted in hope and joy. From ‘living on the internet’ to occupying space, artists share their reimaginings of a ‘better’ world where we hold a deeper understanding of each other. From a retro-futuristic arcade to an Acid House VR experience, enjoy something new, diverse and inspiring each time you visit.

2023-24 PROGRAMME

27 APRIL – 17 SEPTEMBER 2023: LUYANG

Explore new worlds inspired by anime, video games, neuroscience and Buddhism in an interactive arcade installation by digital artist LuYang.

20 APRIL – 15 MAY 2023: EUROVISION CELEBRATIONS

Join us as we celebrate Eurovision with a captivating VR experience. Created by artist Darren Emerson, In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats, is a euphoric VR rave adventure that will transport you back to the Acid House movement of the 1980s.

10 JUNE – 17 SEPTEMBER 2023: LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL

The UK’s largest festival of contemporary art, Liverpool Biennial, returns to FACT for its 12th edition! Don’t miss your chance to see exhibitions by international artists on display across the entire city.

AUTUMN 2023: STUDIO/LAB

This Autumn, we launch Studio/Lab, a new space for artists to make art and experiment with the latest technology.

19 – 22 OCTOBER 2023: FACT AT 20

Can you believe it’s been 20 years since FACT appeared on Wood Street in Liverpool? We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary in style with a bumper weekend of free performances, parties, talks and family activities.

19 OCTOBER 2023 – 28 JANUARY 2024: UMA BREAKDOWN

Inspired by horror film The Evil Dead II, artist Uma Breakdown takes us on a journey through the gothic genre and its relationship to horror, intimacy of care and technology in their exhibition, Earth A.D.

19 OCTOBER 2023 – 28 JANUARY 2024: CURATOR-IN-RESIDENCE

Curator-in-residence Elizabeth Brown will transform the galleries at FACT with a winter exhibition that imagines futures where we are forced to leave Earth and travel to distant planets.

1 MARCH 2024 – 10 JUNE 2024: RESOLUTION

Discover new works by multimedia artist Melanie Crean, radical sculptor Katrina Palmer, performance artist Pilvi Takala, and sound artist Ain Bailey in the culmination of a multi-year criminal justice art project, Resolution.

For more information about FACT and their exhibitions and events visit https://www.fact.co.uk/

Liverpool Print Studio to Reopen at the Bluecoat

One of Liverpool’s oldest print studios is reopening at the Bluecoat with a series of one day print workshops, 4 week print courses, and open hire access memberships.

Following a lengthy closure, the Bluecoat is delighted to announce that they are ready to welcome printmakers back into their two newly refurbished 60 year old print studios.

The contemporary arts centre is home to a fully equipped screenprinting studio as well as an intaglio studio proudly furnished with a 100 year old Hughes and Kimber press.

The studios will host a wide range of print workshops, from introductions to screenprinting, linocut and etching, to more advanced print methods, as well as workshops teaching bookbinding and experimental printing techniques.

The Bluecoat is welcoming artist members who will be able to rent the studios for half day bookable slots and will provide a warm atmosphere for honing printmaking skills and creative practices. Artist memberships cost £50 per year and offer a number of benefits including 10% off all print workshops, monthly curated newsletters, and opportunities to take part in Bluecoat Artist print fairs. Each studio can host 3 people working simultaneously, with 3 print beds in the screenprinting studio.

As well as seasoned printmakers, newcomers to printmaking practices will also be welcome to hire the studios. Novices will be directed to participate in a workshop of their chosen practice before becoming an artist member.

Ivy McIntyre, who was appointed as Bluecoat’s Print Manager in October 2022, says of the Print Studio relaunch:

“I’m thrilled to reopen our Print Studios and to welcome printmakers, new and old, back to the Bluecoat. Our aim for the studios is to cultivate an active, local printmaking community. Working towards this goal, we’ve launched an exciting programme of workshops and a new membership scheme that includes studio access, artist opportunities and events. The studios have also been lovingly refurbished during their closure and I hope the new design will serve as a functioning and welcoming space for artists.”

Ivy McIntyre is an artist and printmaker who specialises in zinc plate lithography and etching, previously leading acclaimed workshops at the Bluecoat. Working with established printmakers, she has developed a programme of workshops and courses that will be led by local artists. The sessions have proven popular, with the first three selling out shortly after being announced.

Upcoming workshops include:

Sat 25 February – Introduction to Screenprint *SOLD OUT*

Sat 11 March – Introduction to Screenprint *SOLD OUT*

Sat 18 March – Mother’s Day Keepsake Printmaking

Sat 25 March – Introduction to Etching

Sat 15 April – Introduction to Multi-colour Linocut

Sat 29 April – Screen Printing on fabric – Print your own tote bag

Tue 2/9/16/23 May – The Art of Screenprinting (4-week course)

Sat 27 May – Introduction to Etching

The Bluecoat Print Studios are committed to practising and pursuing safer, greener printmaking methods.

For more information please visit https://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/printstudio

To become a Bluecoat Artist member you can either visit the Bluecoat information desk or call Tickets and Information.