Liverpool is famous for the birds on the magnificent Liver Building (the first ever skyscraper in the UK), but there are over 100 Liver Birds in the City.
Join ArtsGroupie for a lively, fun two-hour walking tour ‘safari’ around the City Centre. The walk starts at Bluecoat, talking participants on a Liver Bird-spotting mission, learning about the history of Liverpool along the way. The tour finishes near the waterfront.
Bookers are asked to wear comfortable shoes, ensuring you visited restrooms before the tour commences. You are also advised to bring an umbrella or a waterproof, if rain is forecast (sun cream in the unlikely event of glorious weather in Oct!). Binoculars are a bonus (to see the birds up close and in intricate detail)!
This tour is suitable for any one with a good enough attention span -and mobility (or mobility support) to stay on the move for 2 hours.
Meet at the School Lane entrance of Bluecoat, in the courtyard.
Image © Suzi Dorey.
This tour contributes to the Festival’s Family, Nook and Cranny Spaces and Heritage work strands. ❤️??
“The bands didn’t feel safe, the fans didn’t feel safe. No one felt safe”, Father Brian D’Arcy.
The history in brief
In 1975, the killing of The Miami Showband bandmates -Fran O’Toole, Tony Geraghty and Brian McCoy- sent shock waves across the island of Ireland and devastated live music in the north. When a bomb -secreted on the band’s tour bus at a fake army patrol stop- unexpectedly exploded, Ulster Defence Regiment and Ulster Volunteer Force members (dressed in British Army uniforms) took matters in to their own hands, causing five fatalities.
In 2019, Stephen Travers featured in a critically acclaimed documentary that followed him -a survivor of this event- doggedly pursuing justice; leading him in to the deep politics of the Troubles and High Court action against the British establishment. It is a story of collusion and misdirection, popularity and politics.
Our event
The event consists of an educational screening of the Emmy nominated Netflix-accessible documentary (The Miami Showband Massacre, 71mins), which sets the context for an open Q&A between Stephen and broadcaster and journalist Liam Fogarty. During the Q&A we will explore what’s happened since the film’s release; the 2021 court settlement and Stephen’s work with Truth and Reconciliation Platform (TaRP), taking questions from the audience.
“Even in our darkest hour, music was the magic that brought us together. And the magicians were called Showbands”, Stephen Travers.
This event is delivered with assistance from Gerry Molumby of Triskellion Irish Productions and in partnership with Sefton Park Palm House. This educational screening is supported by FACT Liverpool and their mobile cinema equipment.
This event contributes to the Festival’s Family, Nook and Cranny Spaces and Heritage work strands. ❤️??
Continuing IndieCork’s The Power of the Song programme, The Laughing Boy (Dir. Alan Gilsenan, Ireland, 2022, 91mins) is a piece of cultural archaeology.
Tracing the path of the Brendan Behan ballad of the same name – written in memory of Michael Collins – the film follows its extraordinary afterlife as ‘To Yelasto Paidi’, a powerful 1960s Greek left-wing resistance anthem composed by Mikis Theodorakis.
The film takes poet Theo Dorgan on an odyssey of his own, as he uncovers the truth of the story behind the song. It’s a narrative that interweaves the tragic and bloody birth-pangs of both modern Ireland and modern Greece, binding these histories together by something even more profound and transcendent: the power of a song.
This event contributes to the Festival’s Family, Nook and Cranny Spaces and Heritage work strands. ❤️??
The bodhrán is the heartbeat of Irish music.
In this interactive workshop you’ll learn the fundamentals of playing this awesome instrument, with plenty of emphasis on fun!
Led by award winning internationally-renowned Irish percussionist -Ruairi Glasheen- participants will explore the history of how this dynamic instrument is played, teamed with a range of technical and musical skills, including how to play along to both jigs and reels. No musical experience necessary and bodhráns are provided!
Obsessed by drums and rhythm from an early age, Ruairi made his musical debut on the Irish bodhrán aged 4. Graduating with first-class honours from The Royal College of Music (2013) he was also recipient of the President’s Award. Ruairi leads a diverse career in music, performing with numerous artists and ensembles, collaborating with arts organisations to create high impact and inclusive education projects as well as being in demand as a presenter, workshop leader and facilitator.
Find out more about Ruairi at RuairiGlasheen.net
There are two workshops on this day, one at 10am and one at 12.30pm; both last between 90mins and 2hours. The earlier session will be better for younger learners; the afternoon session for adults. Both are bookable using the ‘Book Now’ button; please be sure to select the session that most suits the particpant.
Please note: The Liverpool Philharmonic are also selling tickets for this event. Due to the nature of the event, spaces are limited, so please book early to avoid disappointment.
This event contributes to the Festival’s Family, Nook and Cranny Spaces and Heritage work strands. ❤️??
Travel in time with poet Carmen Cullen as she explores her childhood through her beautiful video poems.
This wonderful combination of spoken and written word, images and music will transport you to Irish scenes of the 1960s. The lyrical poems of Carmen Cullen are enhanced by the original compositions of Gerry Anderson musician and images of Deirdre Ridgway.
In The Muse and Music Carmen performs her poems live, accompanied (live) by Gerry Anderson. You will also get a chance, through gentle hints, to create a collective poem. This is a unique opportunity to see a perfect combination of images, spoken word and music in a unique presentation by a much-praised writer.
Carmen is the niece of the beloved Delia Murphy (both shown below), a pioneer of the ballad tradition in Ireland, famed for such songs as The Spinning Wheel and Three Lovely Lassies.
People seeking to learn a little more about Carmen’s work can search “Carmen Cullen” on YouTube to see several of her collections.
This event contributes to the Festival’s In:Visible Women, Family and Heritage work strands. ♀️❤️?
This event is held in partnership with Slainte Le Chéile.
Robert Cain (1826-1907) began life in Cork and ended it in Liverpool; moving from manual labourer to wealthy establishment philanthropist.
The tour, new this year, takes you on a journey of Cain’s life, via a tour of some of his most prominent buildings, including The Philharmonic Dining Rooms and The Cains Brewery; showing the swagger of his wealth and the investment he made in the city.
This is a walking tour, guided by Trev Fleming, local actor and tour guide. Please dress according to your needs and the prevailing weather conditions. Ticket incudes 20% off food and drink at The Philharmonic Dining Rooms on day of tour and a free beverage at tour’s completion.
This event contributes to the Festival’s Family, Nook and Cranny Spaces and Heritage work programmes.
Robert Cain (1826-1907) began life in Cork and ended it in Liverpool; moving from manual labourer to wealthy establishment philanthropist.
The tour, new this year, takes you on a journey of Cain’s life, via a tour of some of his most prominent buildings, including The Philharmonic Dining Rooms and The Cains Brewery; showing the swagger of his wealth and the investment he made in the city.
This is a walking tour, guided by Trev Fleming, local actor and tour guide. Please dress according to your needs and the prevailing weather conditions. Ticket incudes 20% off food and drink at The Philharmonic Dining Rooms on day of tour and a free beverage at tour’s completion.
This event contributes to the Festival’s Family, Nook and Cranny Spaces and Heritage work programmes.
This year’s IndieCork offer is two documentaries highlighting the power of the Irish ballad, in a programme they’ve called The Power of the Song.
The first of the two-show programme (Sun 23 and Mon 24 Oct) is Dark Horse On The Wind (Dir. Myles O’Reilly, Ireland, 2022, 90 mins).
A documentary on the life and songs of the late traditional ballad singer Liam Weldon, the film comprises recently discovered archive footage; stories from family, friends and admirers and features interviews and performances from Radie Peat (Lankum), Damien Dempsey, Lisa O’Neill, Daoiri Farrell and others.
This event contributes to the Family, Nook and Cranny Spaces and Heritage strands of the Festival’s work. ❤️??
Open to all age groups, whether you’re a keen Gaelic Football player or have never heard of the game!
Come along to our ‘give it a go’ Festival session.
Our John Mitchel’s GAA coaches will be there to welcome everyone, providing a great opportunity to find out a bit more about the game and our club; with a chance to meet our members and play a bit of Gaelic Football. There’ll be ‘blitz’ sessions for young ones, from fully qualified and checked coaches (guardians to stay throughout).
For more details on the club follow Facebook @johnmitchelsliverpool and Twitter @JohnMitchelsGAA
*SOLD OUT*
Nwoko Arts presents Sweet Mother, a play that shares stories about a white woman who fell in love and married black men, especially in Liverpool’s L8.
Developed following interviews with women from the L8 area, the play considers how some woman gave up their white privilege, after facing abuse and discrimination from their own communities. It centres on shared experiences, lived across 1960-80s; featuring friendship, hunger for change and hope. Including a capella singing, film and music, the show sold out its premier (March 2020) at the Liverpool Royal Court Studio.
Nwoko’s aim is to convey the intimacy and truth of people’s thoughts and experiences of their personal feelings towards issues that affect them. Nwoko Arts is a not-for-profit community interest company, engaging diverse communities in the arts. ‘Nwoko’ was the name of Nwoko Arts’s founder’s late father. Having migrated to the UK from Nigeria, he was renamed ‘Paul’ by authorities who could not pronounce his name. In a reclamation of both terms, the founder of the CIC now goes by the name ‘Maria Paul’.
This event contirbutes ot the Festival’s In:Visible Women, Family, Nook and Cranny Spaces and Heritage work strands.
This event is copromoted with Black History Month.
Participate
Does this play resonate with you? Are you interested in contributing to the creative process and future renditions of Sweet Mother? Nwoko Arts are setting up meetings to further develop this work and they need you. Click here for more details.
