Community Post Type: News

Christmas crafting, classic films, cocktails, and a winter market from local artists: plans for Christmas at Metquarter have snowballed into a festive extravaganza with something for everyone taking place throughout late November and December.

 A hive of learning, art, fashion, street food and entertainment, Metquarter is a one-stop destination for every item on the seasonal to do list, from making memories to choosing gifts and festive feasting.

 Open Culture Festive Workshops

Open Culture, a social enterprise which champions the arts in Liverpool, will present a series of festive workshops delivered by local makers. Bask in the festive atmosphere of the Christmas classes alongside friends or likeminded aspiring makers and take home a handmade decoration or gift and there’s still some tickets available for the below!

Fairy Lights Workshop, Saturday 17 Dec, 11-1pm & 2.30-4.30pm

Create a twinkling decoration for your home at this Fabric Fairy Lights Workshop by Liverpool’s own Bluebird Upholstery.

Handprinted Christmas Table Decoration, Sunday 18 Dec, 11-1pm & 2.30-4.30pm

Learn the art of letterpress printmaking with Red Button Press and leave the workshop with your own hand printed Christmas table decoration.

Art Quarter presents ‘Artisans in the City’ Winter Market

Art Quarter Liverpool will present the Artisans in the City Winter Market 11am – 5pm, on Saturday 3 December. This brand-new event taking place on Metquarter’s upper level will showcase the work of a raft of local artists. An unmissable opportunity to pick up one-of-a-kind gifts, cards, decorations and artworks, the Winter Market is a must-visit event for Christmas shoppers and anybody intending to spend their money with local, independent businesses and artists this year.

Christmas Classics at Everyman

The only way to watch your favourite Christmas film this year, screenings at Everyman will see you swap soft drinks for red wine and popcorn for freshly made pizza delivered to your seat. This year’s Christmas schedule is jam packed with all the classics and includes Elf, Home Alone, The Polar Express, Die Hard, Love Actually, The Holiday and It’s a Wonderful Life – don’t miss out on an indulgent and atmospheric cinema experience this festive season.

Festive feasting at GPO

Gather your friends and family for the best festive food and drinks session in town. With seasonal specials from each of our 11 independent kitchens, this has got to be the among widest choice of festive fare in town. Fussy eaters rejoice, with more than 400 dishes available throughout the food hall. Gather in this supremely central

For more information and opening times please visit www.metquarter.com 

MerseyMade is bringing a touch of creative magic to this year’s Christmas celebrations with a jam-packed schedule of workshops including a festive wreath-making masterclass with talented upcycler and star of Channel 4’s Find It, Fix It, Flog It, Gemma Longworth.

The seasonal events programme at MerseyMade, which also includes Christmas crochet, decoration making and baby penguin needle felting, promises hours of festive fun as guests are encouraged to unleash their inner creativity, picking up handy hints and tips along the way.

There is also a special wine and weave workshop for crafters who enjoy a tipple, whilst those who simply prefer to soak up the festive atmosphere can indulge in an evening of wine tasting with sharing platters from the kitchen at MerseyMade’s recently launched eatery, Scribble.

 Spanning across both floors of the creative venue, Scribble is the perfect setting for a cosy catch up with friends, a lazy brunch or a lunchtime treat. The menu is bursting with classic and signature dishes, as well as seasonal additions such as the ‘Scribble Christmas Dinner Sandwich’ and ‘Festive Bubble and Squeak’, along with specials from much-loved local bakery, Artisane, including the ‘Brie and Cranberry Panini’ and ‘Christmas Sausage Roll’. There are plenty of vegan, vegetarian and gluten or dairy free options on the menu too.

Guests can also enjoy a tempting selection of cakes, bakes and pastries with locally roasted speciality coffees, fruit teas and indulgent Belgian hot chocolates, providing a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Those who prefer something a little stronger can choose from a wide selection of spirits, wines and Prosecco, as well as locally brewed real ales.

Showcasing the work of over 100 independent local creatives, MerseyMade is brimming with gift ideas to impress even the most difficult to buy for person. The charming shop boasts a treasure trove of delights from handmade jewellery, homeware and organic skincare to craft beers, gins and chocolates. There is also an impressive collection of original art, created by some of the region’s finest talent, as well as prints inspired by everything from football and music to popular TV shows such as Stranger Things and Absolutely Fabulous.

Those looking for a truly personal Christmas gift can commission a bespoke piece from the artists who work from the open-plan studios at MerseyMade. Whether it’s a painting of the grandchildren, an illustration of a special place or a pet ‘pawtrait’, the artists in residence can to turn gift ideas into reality. There is also an accomplished nail artist on site, whose work is guaranteed to bring a little extra sparkle to any Christmas party outfit.

Speaking on the festivities at MerseyMade, Founder Vicky Gawith, said: “We’re looking forward to pulling out all the stops for a magical MerseyMade Christmas and I would encourage anyone who is keen to get creative this year to join us for one of our wonderful workshops. The sessions are suitable for all abilities and any materials required will be provided, so those taking part can leave with a special decoration they can be proud to display during the festive season.

“MerseyMade also has gifts for just about everyone from teenagers to grandparents and by choosing to shop local, you’ll be supporting independent businesses too, which helps make it a merrier Christmas for the region’s creative talent. We’re now open later on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays so there’s even more time to discover the work of our local artists and makers and to join us for a tasty treat at our Scribble café.”

MerseyMade is located in the historic Chancery Building on the corner of Paradise Street, just a short walk from Liverpool ONE.

To reserve a place at one of MerseyMade’s festive workshops or to find out more about the exciting creative events planned for 2023, please visit merseymade.uk.

Vicky Entwistle, Jenny Powell and Louise Minchin will come together in December to host the Prostate Cancer UK Carol Concert in St George’s Hall, Liverpool.

The three women have become supporters for the charity after husbands, fathers and friends were affected by the most common cancer in men, and are calling on men from Liverpool and across the UK to know their risk this Christmas.  

Prostate Cancer is the most common cancer in men, and affects 1 in 8 men in the UK, rising to 1 in 4 for black men. In Liverpool alone, there are over 6,100 men living with and after prostate cancer, 716 men are diagnosed each year and over 200 men die from the disease each year.

In the North West, this rises to over 40,000 men living with prostate cancer, over 5,300 men diagnosed each year and over 1,200 men dying from the disease. Prostate Cancer UK are working to give more men hope this Christmas, with ticket sales and donations helping to fund lifesaving research into better tests and treatments and giving men access to vital support services.    

One of Prostate Cancer UK’s star readers for the Liverpool concert is Vicky Entwistle. Vicky shot to fame when she was cast in the iconic role of Janice Battersby on Coronation Street.  Vicky left the cobbles in 2011, and since then has gone on to star in Ackley Bridge, Holby City and Father Brown, alongside a stint of stage performances including Les Misérables and The Importance of Being Earnest. But in her personal life, Vicky and her husband Andy have faced their biggest challenge in recent years, as Andy has been treated for prostate cancer. 

Vicky has been a support to Andy throughout his diagnosis and treatment, and has been tirelessly using her platform on social media to raise awareness of the disease to help men across the UK. 

The Prostate Cancer UK Carol Concert will take place on Thursday 8th December 2022 at St George’s Hall in Liverpool. Vicky, Jenny and Louise will be readers at the evening, with carols courtesy of The Bunker Boys and Liverpool Voice. The charity has so far raised over £360,000 through a series of carol concerts in previous years and is looking forward raising even more money for lifesaving research this year. Tickets start from £15 per head, with all money raised helping give the greatest gift this Christmas – a world where lives are not limited by prostate cancer. 

For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit: https://bit.ly/3exhPH8 

The Luna Cinema is returning to St George’s  Hall in Liverpool with its iconic winter cinema experience, in partnership with heycar, this December for two weeks of feel-good festive film!

There’s nothing quite like a Christmas movie to get us into the festive mood, and film fans will delight in the news that this winter, The Luna Winter Cinema is bringing two whole weeks of magical Christmas movies on the big screen to the beautiful St George’s Hall from the 10^th – 23^rd of December 2022.

The stunning neo-classical architecture of the main hall at St George’s will once again be transformed into a magical winter setting, complete with giant Christmas trees, beautiful twinkly lights, and of course a sprinkling of snow!  After two years away, the warm, cosy surroundings of St George’s, right in the heart of Liverpool’s Christmas market, will make the perfect setting for Luna’s big screen to play host to a programme of every great festive film you can think of!

With sleigh-fulls of fairy lights, festive food and drink and a giant high-definition cinema screen, The Luna Winter Cinema, makes for a truly unique cinematic experience.

The season features a line-up of every classic Christmas movie you can think of – perfect for that festive date night or family break from Christmas shopping, including, Love Actually, The Holiday, and It’s A Wonderful Life, as well as family favourites such as Home Alone, Elf and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. 

For a comprehensive list of films playing in Liverpool and to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.thelunacinema.com/venue/st-georges-hall/

Throw in mulled wine, minced pies, and of course popcorn, and you’ve got yourself a merry little Christmas… The Luna Winter Cinema has everything you can wish for to ditch the ‘bah humbugs’ and get into the Christmas spirit.

George Wood, founder of The Luna Cinema, says: “There’s quite simply nothing like watching your favourite festive film to bring on that Christmas feeling.  Everyone has their favourite title – each year I always say I don’t feel like it’s Christmas until I’ve watched Home Alone!

We couldn’t be more excited to announce this year’s Luna winter season, and to be returning to St George’s Hall after two years away thanks to the pandemic, will make it even more special.  There’s simply nothing like watching your favourite Christmas film in that unique setting in the heart of Liverpool.”

 

 

A pioneering relationship between a dementia care specialist and a contemporary arts centre has been recognised with a national award.

Belong and Liverpool’s Bluecoat have been working together over the past three years, with the latter’s acclaimed artists taking up residency in Belong’s Newcastle-under-Lyme care village in Staffordshire.

We Belong Together (WBT) was devised through Belong’s partnership with Liverpool’s contemporary arts centre, the Bluecoat to support customers residing at Belong care villages when government intervention placed them in lockdown, limiting social interaction. Critically acclaimed artists ran weekly virtual sessions with tenants, using a range of art forms, including ceramics, sound and storytelling.

The collaboration has recently taken home the Year of Creativity Award at the NAPA awards. There are eight Belong villages in Atherton, Chester, Crewe, Didsbury, Macclesfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Wigan and Warrington, with two more under construction in Birkdale and Wirral.

For more information, see www.belong.org.uk

Pictured: Belong Newcastle-under-Lyme residents celebrate their award win.

This festive period, Royal Albert Dock Liverpool is pulling out all the stops with an exciting programme of free, family-friendly events offering a series of magical workshops, plus the return of Liverpool’s brightest light trail with two new installations.

December will see the dock’s Grand Hall transform into a bustling hub of festive fun, with a series of free workshops for both children and adults taking place across the first three weekends. Little ones can even write their own letter to Santa and send them straight to the North Pole by posting them in a giant ice post box on the 17th December.

Those putting the finishing touches to their Christmas decorations can enjoy crafting their own tree and table decorations hosted by local artist Olga Snell, while budding florists can create their own festive door swag with local florist Pretty Pricks, offering a modern take on the traditional wreath.

The Grand Hall itself will be given a magical makeover complete with a present drop off point for Radio City’s Cash for Kids charity in ‘Santa’s Workshop’. Dock visitors can leave presents between 5th-9th December from 10-4pm to help Radio City’s ‘Mission Christmas’, which is an annual gift appeal seeking to provide presents for children in need across Liverpool and the North West.

The dock’s much-loved light trail is back bigger and brighter than ever with two brand new nautical additions, representing the dock’s rich maritime history. Joining the illuminated characters of Triton, Neptune, Bella and Bertie is a giant yellow submarine located next to The Beatles Story and a twinkling jellyfish duo in-front of the Martin Luther King Jr. building, nodding to the marine life that frequents the dock’s waters.

Visitors can head to albertdock.com/christmas-22 to download a light trail map and embark on an enchanting waterfront wander with spots along the way to pick up a hot chocolate from one of the food trucks or cafés, such as Rubens and Peaberry. Post walk, warm up at one of the many restaurants and bars over a dinner of festive flavours with a diverse selection of cuisines from Gusto, Rosa’s Thai, Lunyalita, Madre and more. On weekends throughout December, there will be a variety of live music performances bringing the colonnades to life and providing the perfect festive soundtrack for the light trail.

The dock’s selection of independent retailers are perfect for those who want to get a head start on their Christmas shopping, with new striking Royal Albert Dock gift bags meaning any dock gifts purchased are ready to go straight under the Christmas tree.

From luxury sportswear at Red Run Activewear and Lost Soles, and beautiful handcrafted jewellery from The Nest, to scenic panoramic prints from Liverpool Pictures, sparkling crystals from Nature’s Treasure and even artisan Christmas pudding fudge from Roly’s Fudge, there’s a variety of special gifts to seek out.

For those looking to get their Christmas culture fix, the dock’s museums and galleries offer an array of exhibitions to explore. Head to Tate Liverpool to explore the shortlisted artists’ works for this year’s Turner Prize, with the winner announced on the 7th December, or visit Maritime Museum to learn more about the unseen world of smuggling with their ‘Seized!’ gallery.

Whether it’s to embark on the light trail, enjoy a free Christmas workshop with the family, or tuck into a festive feast with friends, it’s all here at Liverpool’s Brightest destination.

A varied group of artists and creatives will make up the jury for the John Moores Painting Prize 2023, National Museums Liverpool has announced.

Ahead of this year’s Call for Entries which is open from midday 13 February 2023 until midday 24 March 2023, the confirmed jurors are: Alexis Harding, Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE, Claudette Johnson MBE, The White Pube and Yu Hong.

The jury is responsible for selecting the First prize winner, who will receive £25,000 and a solo display at the Walker Art Gallery in 2025. A shortlist of four other paintings will also be awarded £2,500. The jurors also decide which paintings will be exhibited in the wider John Moores Painting Prize 2023 exhibition, which will take place at the Walker Art Gallery from 16 September 2023 to 25 February 2024.

Alongside the first prize and prizes for the shortlist, jurors will also award the Lady Grantchester Prize which offers £5,000, a residency and £2,500 worth of art materials. Any registering artists are eligible to enter for this prize, with applications from artists in their final year of study or within five years of graduation especially encouraged.

Past prize winners include David Hockney (1967), Mary Martin (1969), Lisa Milroy (1989), Peter Doig (1993), Keith Coventry (2010), Rose Wylie (2014), Michael Simpson (2016), Jacqui Hallum (2018) and most recently Kathryn Maple (2020). Sir Peter Blake, winner of the competition’s Junior Prize in 1961, is Patron of the Prize.

In addition to the £25,000 prize money, 2020 John Moores Painting Prize winner Kathryn Maple’s winning painting ‘The Common’ is now part of the permanent collection at the Walker Art Gallery. She will also open her first solo display at the Walker Art Gallery, Under a Hot Sun, on 11 February 2023.

The call for entries for the John Moores Painting Prize 2023 runs from midday on 13 February 2023 until midday on 24 March 2023. For further information, visit liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/jmpp.