Community Post Type: News

Liverpool John Moores University is planning to mark the bicentenary of its foundation next year with a series of city-wide celebrations throughout 2023.

The university traces its roots back to 1823 when the Liverpool Mechanics’ and Apprentices’ Library opened, marking the start of an evolving mission to educate the working people of the city.

Now, in preparation for its 200^th year, the famous Liverpool-based institution is developing a programme to involve partners, students, graduates and friends in a rolling celebration of the LJMU community.

‘The University for Liverpool’

“That theme of transforming lives through education which our founding fathers held so dear remains at the heart of our ethos today,” said Vice-Chancellor Mark Power.

“Ever since the Apprentices’ Library first opened its doors to the city’s working men and women, this institution has striven to be to be socially-engaged, entrepreneurial and inclusive for all – to be at the heart of our communities, the University for Liverpool.

“We can start to look forward to a fabulous year in 2023 when we shall salute those past and present who have made this such a proud and transformational institution.”

The university is welcoming ideas on how to celebrate the year from the community, its students, staff and alumni and, in the coming months, will create a Bicentennial Programme to include:

• Bicentenary Cultural Programme – a year-long artistic and cultural celebration of LJMU’s 200-year record of transforming the lives of students, communities and business across the Liverpool City Region.
• The Bicentenary Design Challenge – inviting past and present students to develop a creative interpretation of LJMU’s identity across the last 200 years, including branding, fashion and film.
• Humans of LJMU – in partnership with the popular Humans of Liverpool, we will give a voice to the real faces behind our inclusive LJMU community.
• A new Roscoe Series – giving a unique insight from some of the world’s most influential figures in politics, business and science.
• Recognising Bicentenary Alumni Fellows – celebrating LJMU students who have changed the face of Liverpool City Region and are helping new and existing students forge their own paths to success.

Current LJMU staff and students with ideas and suggestions for bicentenary activity should email press@ljmu.ac.uk with their ideas, heading them LJMU Bicentenary.

National Museums Liverpool has announced an exciting new opportunity to dedicate the name of someone special among the stars of World Museum’s much-loved planetarium.

Whether you want to celebrate a passion for science, or fond memories of past visits, a seat dedication ensures the name holds a special place within the extraordinary shows that carry thousands of people on journeys around the wonders of the universe every year.

As the oldest working planetarium in England, World Museum’s planetarium has a proud history of education and innovation. Since it opened to the public in 1970, the planetarium has welcomed over half a million school children, inspiring generations of children from the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

National Museums Liverpool is delighted to announce an honorary seat has been accepted on behalf of Professor Stephen Hawking, who opened the museum’s Space and Time gallery via video link in 1993. Astronaut, Tim Peak, who hosted an unforgettable live event at World Museum from the International Space Station in 2016, and Dr Maggie Aderin Pocock, Space scientist, author and presenter of BBC’s The Sky at Night, who recently contributed her unique perspective to the museum’s Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder exhibition, have also accepted honorary seats.

National Museums Liverpool is also proud to dedicate seats to members of the World Museum team who have been so instrumental in the planetarium’s history: Dr Patrick Sudbury, Phil Philips MBE and Mike Graham.

A seat dedication will not only place the name among the stars and this illustrious list of experts but also supports the museum’s work to continue sharing the wonders of space for years to come.

A seat can be named with a minimum donation of £200. An engraved plaque will be attached to a planetarium seat for a minimum of five years and is accompanied by a downloadable certificate to print and display as a reminder of this special gift.

Sponsor a seat now online at www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/amongthestars

Electronic pop quartet Ladytron announce their highly anticipated seventh studio album Time’s Arrow, with the brand new single City Of Angels online now. The album, set for release via Cooking Vinyl on 20th January 2023, will be followed by UK tour dates in March.

City of Angels is their first new music released since 2019. Over Ladytron’s insistent analogue backing, the song inverts sensuous imagery into a vision of a near future with a collapse of cultural memory. “It’s about forgetting,” says Daniel Hunt “…how fragile it is,” “…not about one particular place or other, but a merging of them.”

Beauty, disposability and fragility of the culture that surrounds us, and the exhilaration of freeing yourself from those structures… these are themes Ladytron return to on Time’s Arrow. Crystalline melodies enveloped in icy textures and rippling arpeggios, shoegaze, disco, and industrial sounds that combine in their signature electro pop style.

The mood of Time’s Arrow is strangely optimistic, freeing – utopian, even. Have they left dystopia behind? “We’re already there,” Helen Marnie points out.

Fittingly, Time’s Arrow arrives as another moment from Ladytron’s past recently returned, as the tides of the digital ocean moved in mysterious ways. Last month Ladytron celebrated the 20th anniversary of their formative 2002 LP Light&Magic.

In mid-2021 the album’s single “Seventeen” went viral on TikTok, sending the track into top 10s around the world. A new disaffected generation was introduced to Ladytron’s music, with some 200,000 clips created, many of them with millions of views each. A twenty-year-old song by a group whose very existence predated social media itself: electronic pop quartet Ladytron.

As the strange rebirth of “Seventeen” shows, great work creates its own space. It never dies.
Time’s Arrow glides through your heart – from the past to the future.

Time’s Arrow is available to pre-order now.  Fans who pre-order the album here will receive immediate access to a pre-sale for UK shows. General on-sale from 10am on Tuesday 18th October.

Katumba’s Halloween Festival will see two weeks of free family-friendly cultural, arts and wellbeing activities & events across Liverpool, created to celebrate Black History Month and will include the iconic Katumba Halloween Carnival.

Every October, Katumba holds events across L8 and L1 that culminate with their spectacular carnival in Liverpool City Centre.

This year, with funding from Culture Liverpool, Katumba will explore a crucial narrative: the perils we and our planet face.

Drawing on traditions of Druidic Samhaim, Dia de los Muertos, Dia de Finados in Latin America, and Axexê in African Yorubá, the event promises to ‘open a portal between dimensions’. Katumba and partners will bring to life our future planet and its few remaining habitants nearing extinction, ‘as a tale of warning and a glimpse of hope’

The event is open to all and everyone is invited to take part in this immersive spectacle combining drums, fire, lights, illuminated bicycles, dance, theatre and costume.

LEARN, PERFORM, VOLUNTEER

Starting this weekend, Katumba are holding two weeks of community cultural workshops in the run up to the Carnival, for all ages.

From drumming and dancing, to lantern making and bike workshops, the workshops offer a chance to learn about positive environmental change, and connect with the heritage, culture and wellbeing practices of people of the African Diaspora:

Saturday 15th October – Katumba Drumming & Movement Taster – Katumba Culture Hub, 10:30am & 1pm 
One of the more fun performance arts of the diaspora – carnival drumming! Expect to feel uplifted, inspired, full of energy and wanting more!

16th – 28th October – Community Workshops in L8 
Choose from diaspora dance, family & kids drumming, lantern-making and bike decoration (to be part of the illuminated cycling mass as part of the Halloween Carnival).

29^th October – Katumba Halloween Carnival, Bold Street, 7pm
Transforming the Liverpool City Centre into a playground of imagination, with big, bold, visual and spectacular parade! Expect a horde of drummers, dancers, fire artists, and illuminated props making its way down Bold St, with a grand finale at Liverpool One!

Pre-booking is essential for all workshops. For more information, please visit www.katumba.co.uk/halloween

A giant rainbow installation has appeared overnight in Williamson Square ahead of the start of Recycle Week (17^th – 23^rd October).

The four by seven metre structure is made from more than 2,500 recycled cans and was placed there by not-for-profit Every Can Counts in partnership with Liverpool BID Company. The installation aims to raise awareness around the importance of recycling and inspire more people to recycle their empty drink cans.

According to Every Can Counts’ research of Liverpool residents, 72% say they are becoming more conscious of the environment and their impact on it.

What’s more, nearly eight in 10 (79%) already think that recycling their household waste is ‘very important’.

Amongst Liverpudlians, the biggest barriers to recycling are the lack of recycling bins in public places (cited by 43% of respondents) and confusion about what packaging is and isn’t recyclable (25%).

More than one in 10 (11%) say they simply don’t have the space for separate recycling bins at home.

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts, said: “Our rainbow installation has toured a number of cities across the UK, and we’re thrilled to now bring it to Liverpool to mark Recycle Week.

“The message is that we can all make a difference by recycling our empty drink cans. Our research shows that a quarter of Liverpudlians are unsure what packaging is and isn’t recyclable. The good news is that when it comes to drink cans, it’s really straightforward!

“Aluminium is infinitely recyclable, and every recycled can could be back on a shop shelf as a brand new can in just 60 days – but only when we play our part in the process, which is why we’re here to encourage people in Liverpool to recycle every single one of their empty cans, so that this valuable material stays in circulation.

“The archway will be on display in Williamson Square all week and we’re looking forward to seeing all the photos people take with it.”

Bill Addy, CEO of Liverpool BID Company, said: “Liverpool BID Company is committed to ensuring our city is always improving and we believe that sustainability, including recycling, is a big part of that and a habit we should all be making an effort to embrace.

“We’re pleased to be working with Every Can Counts on its wonderful rainbow can sculpture and have no doubt it will add a bit of colour to the city centre, while highlighting an important message.”

Passers-by have all week, until next Friday evening, to come and snap a picture with the impressive structure and enter a social media photo competition for the chance to win a £150 Flannels gift card. To enter, take a snap of the rainbow and upload it to social media using #EveryCanCounts and tagging @EveryCanCountsUK (Instagram/Facebook) or @EveryCanCounts (Twitter).

Every Can Counts is a unique partnership formed between drink can manufacturers, drink can fillers and the wider recycling industry, all with the goal of reaching a 100% recycling rate for drink cans.

To find out more information about Every Can Counts, visit www.everycancounts.co.uk.

National Museums Liverpool has announced a bustling programme across its venues for Spring/Summer. Real-life stories of close-knit communities feature alongside mythical creatures, comedy legends and fantastical fairies in a busy Spring/Summer 2023 across its museums and galleries.

Laura Pye, director of National Museums Liverpool, said: “Our spring 2023 programme brings together fantastical creatures and ancient gods alongside the real stories of people from our city and beyond.

“We are honoured to present 50 years of Tom Wood’s iconic photography in Photie Man at the Walker Art Gallery, while at the same time showcasing the myth and wonder of Return of the Gods: Zeus, Athena and Hercules, just down the road at World Museum.

“As we head out of winter, Happiness!, our exhibition on one of Liverpool’s greatest sons Sir Ken Dodd, will put a spring in the step of visitors to the Museum of Liverpool. Then from Ken Dodd’s Diddymen to a fantastical feast of fairies, Cicely Mary Barker’s Flower Fairies fly into the Lady Lever Art Gallery.

“Opening in spring is the submission period for the prestigious John Moores Painting Prize on 13 February 2023. Our Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque permanent collection at the Walker Art Gallery also makes a welcome return as Renaissance Rediscovered, following a major redevelopment project.

“A season as varied as this is only possible with the support of our members, which also helps us provide projects like House of Memories, our dementia awareness programme that celebrates ten years of connecting and helping people across the globe.

“If you’re looking for a different way to support us, why not take a seat among the stars and dedicate a seat in our Planetarium at World Museum? Leave a lasting legacy in the oldest working planetarium in the UK, all while helping us produce exciting exhibitions and helping preserve our venues for the future.”

Spring 2023 listings

 Flower Fairies ™

Lady Lever Art Gallery

15 April 2023 – 5 November 2023

Flower Fairies will feature around 45 original illustrations from the Flower Fairies books by Cicely Mary Barker (1895 – 1973), owned by the Warne Archive. Marking the 100-year anniversary of her first book, Flower Fairies of the Spring, the show will immerse visitors into the enchanted worlds created by Barker.

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/flowerfairies

Return of the Gods: Zeus, Athena, Hercules

World Museum

28 April – 25 February 2024

Enter the world of myth and legend told through the stories of ancient Greek and Roman gods in an intriguing new exhibition at World Museum. Featuring a stunning collection of sculpture and antiquities, Return of the Gods: Zeus, Athena, Hercules will immerse you in the ancient world, told through the words of ancient poets and writers, the sounds of mystery cults, rituals and festivals and the public and private worship of gods.

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ReturnoftheGods

Photie Man: 50 years of Tom Wood

Walker Art Gallery

20 May 2023 – 7 January 2024

 A new major photographic exhibition from Tom Wood will open at the Walker Art Gallery, showcasing 50 years of the artist’s work. Photie Man celebrates the internationally-acclaimed Irish artist Tom Wood with a comprehensive survey of work spanning 50 years since the start of his career.

The exhibition will bring together work from across all decades, displayed chronologically and for the first time in Liverpool – where many of Wood’s iconic photographs were taken.

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/tomwood

Renaissance Rediscovered

Walker Art Gallery

Re-opens July 2023

Featuring some of the finest paintings and decorative arts in Europe, Renaissance Rediscovered marks the re-opening of the Walker Art Gallery’s Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque rooms.

The transformation and restoration of around 600 square metres of gallery, the first redevelopment of the space in more than 30 years, is supported by funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/renaissance

Happiness!

Museum of Liverpool

14 July 2023 – 3 March 2024

Happiness! is an exhibition filled with fun and humour. Celebrating one of Liverpool’s iconic comedians, the legendary Sir Ken Dodd, this exhibition charts the life and career of Ken, and his connection to today’s comedic stars.

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/happiness

John Moores Painting Prize 2023

Walker Art Gallery

16 September 2023 – 25 February 2024

Call for entries open 13 February to 24 March 2023.

The UK’s most well-known painting competition returns to Walker Art Gallery in 2023. Bringing together the best of contemporary painting from across the UK to Liverpool, the painting prize is over 60 years old.

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/jmpp

Take a seat among the stars

Get your name on a seat at the UK’s oldest working planetarium with a brand new dedication opportunity at World Museum. Whether you want to celebrate someone’s passion for science or mark fond memories of past visits to World Museum’s planetarium, you can now recognise the occasion by naming a seat in our world-famous planetarium for all to see.

You can name your seat with a minimum donation of £200.

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/amongthestars

The Be Free Campaign has seen the impact that change-makers and innovators can have on the community. There is a need to recognise people who are making an impact – regardless of their background or area of interest. There is no better place to start than at the heart of Liverpool.

Whilst the charity started in Birmingham, the Be Free Campaign saw its real growth in the rich culture of Liverpool. The inaugural awards will take place in Liverpool and are designed to ensure that people are recognised for their impact on their community.

The Community Impact Awards recognise inspiring people, organisations and groups. They want to recognise all fields and causes as well as a special award for mental health. Nominations are open now to the general public and will be interviewed and examined by a member of their awards team.

Following this, a judging panel will assess all nominations against certain criteria for each field. The awards ceremony will take place in the heart of Liverpool and organisations or individuals must have a postcode within the Merseyside region.

Get in touch at awards@befreecampaign.org if you have any questions or ideas for the awards! These awards are for the community, by the community, so if there’s any way you’d like to get involved, they’d love to have you. Click here to make nominations and sign up for their mailing list.

This October, St Bride’s Church in Liverpool is celebrating the contribution of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT+) communities past and present to this city as part of National Coming Out Day.

Celebrations kick off with a special communion service on Sunday 16^th October at 6.30pm led by the Revd Dr Ash Barker.  Ash, originally from Melbourne, Australia is a pioneering urban activist, leadership developer, writer and minister in Birmingham

Ash is staying on to deliver a lecture as part of St Bride’s extremely popular and long running Public Theology lecture series at 6.30pm on Monday 17^th October entitled ‘Creating Inclusive Spaces:

a Theology of Place’. In this talk, Ash will explore how we make our neighbourhoods safe, inclusive and empowering so that everyone can thrive.

National Coming Out Day is an annual celebration, marked on October 11^th every year.  The date remembers the 1987 National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Washington, USA.  It’s a day to honour the bravery of LGBT+ people who have decided to come out and be themselves, and the date is now marked across the globe. Since 1987 we’ve seen great strides in equality and yet we continue to see LGBT+ people suffer violent attacks and hate here on Merseyside, around the UK and abroad.

Revd Dr Ash Barker says: “To celebrate with gratitude the unique contributions of our LGBT+ friends is so important right now. There is momentum for change and growth, but we have a long way to go to see all gifts honoured, valued and released into fullness of life. I look forward to this special communion service, welcoming all and connecting together as only Jesus can.”

Warren Hartley, LGBT+ Ministry Facilitator at St Bride’s Church, said; “Open Table aims to create a safe sacred space for you to explore your faith and what it means for you.  Every year we mark National Coming Out Day to remember the bravery of those who have come before us and celebrate the beauty of the lives within our community. We also recommit ourselves to continue to work for a world free from all forms of violence and oppression”.

St Bride’s hosts many social justice projects including Open Table Liverpool, a twice-monthly service open to all people, but particularly for the LGBT+ community of Merseyside and anyone who wants to belong in an accepting, loving community. The Liverpool community is part of the Open Table Network of communities across England and Wales whose vision is of a world where LGBT+ people are fully included within our church traditions and communities.

Visit www.stbridesliverpool.org.uk/lgbtqia for more details about these events.

Liverpool based youth organisation Comics Youth have published a Mental Health Comic Book Anthology, developed by lived experienced Young Adults.

Comics Youth seeks to give marginalised young adults with lived experience of mental ill-health a voice through sequential storytelling in their upcoming book, Mind Over Margins, a graphic medicine comic book publication.

This anthology comic is set to release on World Mental Health Day, October 10th, 2022, and includes the creative comic contributions of 17 marginalised young comic creators.  

Funded by the Baring Foundation, the project aimed to not only shine a light on realistic mental health discourse from the eyes of marginalised youth, but to also provide equitable commissioning opportunities for young talent in a sector that is difficult to break into. 

Marginalised groups such as LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, ethnically diverse and chronically ill young adults are more likely to face mental health problems than the wider population, with trans young adults, in particular, facing increased rates of depression and anxiety. 

Mind Over Margins is available for via their website

Booksellers can purchase through contacting hi@comicsyouth.co.uk