Fri 11 Sep – Sun 8 Nov
To celebrate the centenary of the popular Liverpool artist Julia Carter Preston (1926- 2012), five Liverpool venues (The Bluecoat, Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool Hope University, The Walker Art Gallery, and Victoria Gallery and Musuem) are staging exhibitions on her life and work, which is explored in an accompanying symposium.
Julia Carter Preston had a studio overlooking the Bluecoat garden for many years. This archive display charts her long association with the arts centre, which her father Edward Carter Preston was involved in founding. It comprises photographs, documents and plaques commissioned to mark anniversaries of the Bluecoat Society of Arts.
Known for her distinctive ceramics, Julia was recognised for reviving the technique of sgraffito in the twentieth century. This involves scratching through a coating of clay slip on a surface to reveal an underlying layer, creating contrasting decoration.
Free entry
Get snowed in, in our learning space this winter, as we are inspired by the endangered habitats of the arctic and polar regions. This activity highlights the rich diversity of animals and plant life that are fighting to survive in these disappearing landscapes.
You’ll use different art rubbing techniques to create different textures.
Take inspiration from artworks in Tate’s collection, including Anya Gallaccio’s White Ice, L.S. Lowry’s Winter in Broughton, Briton Riviere’s Beyond Man’s Footsteps, Ed Ruscha’s Pay Nothing Until April and John Brett’s Glacier of Rosenlaui.
Our Learning Space is open every day for visiting families- a space to relax and create with art games, colouring-in, books, toys and more!
Share your experience with us on social media using @tateliverpool and #TLfamilies.
Accessibility
Tate Liverpool is temporarily located at RIBA North, Mann Island, a short distance (425m) along Liverpool’s iconic waterfront. There is step free access to the main entrance. There is a lift to the first floor gallery, or alternatively you can take the stairs.
- Toilets are located on the first floor
- The nearest Changing Places toilet is located at the Museum of Liverpool
- Ear defenders are available to borrow. Please ask a Visitor Engagement Assistant
Additional seating is also available. Please ask a member of staff if you require assistance.To help plan your visit to Tate Liverpool + RIBA North, have a look at our visual story. It includes photographs and information of what you can expect from a visit to the gallery.For more information before your visit:Email visiting.liverpool@tate.org.uk
The RefugeLiverpool Arab Arts Festival 2026 – Photography exhibition(In collaboration with the Exhibition Research Lab Gallery at John Moores University)
Through the eclectic perspectives of contemporary photography artists, the group exhibition The Refuge reflects on the notion of ‘home’ in the context of today’s Arabness. Each work explores nuanced stories of displacement and longing, whiler evealing home as a paradox in transition – whether rooted in place and territory, carried through family and sociocultural heritage, or shaped by memory, movement, and lived geographies.
ARTISTS: Abdulrahman Hassona, Farah Maktari, Houari Bouchenak, Lydia Saidi, Maya-Ines Touam, Shareef Sarhan
July 16th – July 24th
Mondays & Wednesdays 11am – 5pmTuesdays & Thursdays 12pm – 5pm
VENUE: The Exhibition Research Lab Gallery, John Moores University
LAUNCHThursday 16th JulyStart – 6.00pmFinish – 8.00pm – CLICK HERE
ARTIST TALKWednesday 22 JulyThe Exhibition Research Lab Gallery, John Moores UniversityStart: 2pmEstimated finish time: 4pmPrice: FREE – Register to attend
Take to the Greenwood – to escape into the forest. As stated in the 20th Century novel Maurice by E.M Forster, ‘such…can vanish’ into the woodlands.
Those such, the LGBTQIA+ community, can escape from the world with its prejudices, judgements and threat; a retreat to nature for ecological, political and romantic stances. Forster also created the woodland Piney Copse, a safe space for him, his friends and lovers. Furthermore, literature like A Shropshire Lad, the tale of Robin Hood as well as texts about the Arcadian utopias of Ancient Greece and Rome, queer the pastoral.
The display is held at Liverpool Art Space at CASS Art from Monday, 3rd August to Saturday, 15th August for a group exhibition. The private view is held 5 – 7pm on the 3rd with drinks and a DJ set from Queer This Liverpool.Liverpool Art Space is a central community space within CASS Art, located next to the historic Bluecoat, which supports and encourages local creativity and beyond.
Liverpool Biennial’s Think of Us
The monumental outdoor work, an ‘action’ presented as part of the Inside Out Project (a global participatory art initiative founded by French artist JR), will be presented at Royal Albert Dock from 30 July.
Titled ‘Think of Us’, the piece will be composed of hundreds of black and white portraits of Year 6 children from across Merseyside, printed as posters and pasted around the perimeter of the dock at water level. An audio accompaniment and online learning resource, which invites every Year 6 pupil in Merseyside to participate from home or in school, will also be presented alongside the work.
Launch: 12 July / 2pm – 4pm / Open Eye Gallery / RSVP
Manchester Gardens is our new Digital Window Gallery exhibition in collaboration with Manchester Photography Collective.
In June, Manchester Photography Collective invited its members to submit thoughtful and visually engaging photo-stories exploring people’s relationships with gardens. From local parks, flowers and wildlife to the people and communities shaping urban gardens, each photo series highlights the diverse perspectives of MPC and how they interact with green spaces around Manchester, the North-West and beyond.
Featuring works by: Adam Tellouche, AJ Mayne, Alex Bennett, Alishah Iqbal, Andrew Ashley, Arron McCabe, Beth Louise Halstead, Dana Wang, Darya Dickinson, Eleanor Woodley, Eli Clack, Harmeet Singh, Harry Flaherty, Heidi Reece, James Skipwith, James Walton, Lee Cooper, Natalie Persoglio, Noble Siby, Raoul-Ross D’souza, Rodrigo Moctezuma Araoz, Sein, Sepideh Shahgholi, and Vijay Budarkatti.
The 2026 Summer Show at the LAKE Gallery brings together a colourful collection of contemporary work from artists working with paint, printmaking and porcelain. This mixed exhibition showcases paintings and original prints by local artists Karl Hughes and Gill Curry. And the gallery is delighted to introduce visitors to Cumbrian artist Sam Harrison’s bold, abstract paintings and a selection of stunning sculptural porcelain pieces by Yorkshire artist Kate Buckley.
The exhibition opens on Thursday 2nd July and runs until Saturday 8th August
Opening times: Thurs – Sat, 11am – 4pm
Exhibiting artist Rachel Maclean is joined by researcher and art critic Maria Walsh to discuss her latest film work, They’ve Got Your Eyes.
Together, they’ll explore Maclean’s surreal worlds, discussing her creative process and the development of the work.
The Other Refuge is an exhibition as part of Liverpool Arab Arts Festival 2026. It reflects on the notion of belonging through the eclectic perspectives of UK-based artists of Arab origin (from Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) who have experienced displacement. Their work serves as both a celebration of culture and a tribute to their respective communities. The exhibition is an open invitation to explore what ‘home’ means: whether rooted in place and territory, carried through family and cultural heritage, or shaped by memory, movement, and lived geographies. Featuring artists Fuad Al-Gaadi, Nasma Aljizawi, and Omer Al Tijani.
Fuad Al-Gaadi is a Yemeni refugee, photographer, and storyteller. His journey brought him from Yemen to the United Kingdom in search of safety and a new beginning. Through his lens, Fuad captures not only images but human stories of resilience, hope, and survival.
Nasma Aljizawi is a Syrian-British photographer whose work brings together storytelling, culture, and contemporary visual practice. Through her focus on horses as narrative partners, she reflects human emotion and brings to light often overlooked stories.
Omer Al Tijani is a British-Sudanese food archivist, activist, writer and chef whose work documents and promotes Sudanese culinary tradition, Working from a personal and archival approach, he has spent years collecting recipes, oral histories and photographs to preserve and share the diverse foodways of Sudan with English-speaking audiences.
Founded in 1998, Liverpool Arab Arts Festival is the UK’s longest-running annual Arab arts and culture festival, platforming the best UK and international Arab artists. The festival creates a dynamic between traditional and contemporary Arab artforms, exploring and increasing appreciation of Arab people and their rich cultures. Every July, the festival brings a thrilling celebration of Arab culture to venues across the city with a curated programme of visual art, music, dance, film, theatre, literature and digital events.
Just Come in: 30 years of Maggie’s Centres is a free display curated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
See a selection of commissioned photographs by Liverpool-based artist Tabitha Jussa, which captures the experience of people arriving at Maggie’s centres.
Maggie’s centres are places which offer practical, emotional, and social support to people affected by cancer in calm, non-institutional settings. It explores how architecture can embody care and empathy, and how crossing a threshold can be the first step towards support.
About Maggie’s
Maggie’s offers free support to people with cancer and their families. They have centres alongside NHS hospitals and provide support online.
Visit their website for more information: https://www.maggies.org/
Accessibility
Tate Liverpool is temporarily located at RIBA North, Mann Island, a short distance (425m) along Liverpool’s iconic waterfront. There is step free access to the main entrance. There is a lift to the first floor gallery, or alternatively you can take the stairs.
- Toilets are located on the first floor
- The nearest Changing Places toilet is located at the Museum of Liverpool
- Ear defenders are available to borrow.
Please ask a Visitor Engagement Assistant Additional seating is also available. Please ask a member of staff if you require assistance.
To help plan your visit to Tate Liverpool + RIBA North, have a look at our visual story. It includes photographs and information of what you can expect from a visit to the gallery.
For more information before your visit: Email visiting.liverpool@tate.org.uk
