Event type: Other

Chinese New Year in Liverpool

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè! 新年快乐 Happy Chinese New Year!

Join Liverpool’s Chinese New Year celebrations as we welcome the Year of the Rabbit.

Nestled on the south side of Liverpool city centre is the iconic Chinese Ceremonial Archway. Standing tall and visible from afar, it provides an impressive entrance to Chinatown, home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe.

A popular tourist attraction, it is a beacon of fortune and the focal point for people to gather to celebrate the annual Chinese New Year Festival. The streets adorned with Chinese lanterns, the dragon and unicorn displaying their strength and sharing good luck through traditional dance and of course the noisy firecrackers to ward off bad luck and delight the crowds.

This year, Culture Liverpool are thrilled to be able to celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year Celebrations in person once again. The symbolic Chinese lanterns will decorate the heart of Chinatown, buildings will be lit up red in honour of this age-old tradition, the dragon and unicorn will parade the streets and the stage returns to Great George Square to host a programme of live performances throughout the day.

There will also be plenty of Chinese food to sample from the many food stalls, art workshops with make and do activities as well as storytelling and the popular funfair.

Don’t worry if you can’t make it, there is plenty to enjoy online from the comfort of your own home with a selection of activities and archive footage available before and after the main event.

The main event takes place on Sunday 22 January from 11:00am until 5:00pm, with a grand finale courtesy of Bring The Fire and their stunning fire show. Following this you can head over to the Bombed Out Church for a spectacular projection show.

Chinese New Year Celebrations Schedule (12pm – 5pm: Great George Square)

12pm – 12:45pm: Pagoda Arts – Flower Drums, Fan Tai Chi, Dance and Happy Dance!
12:50pm – 12:55pm: Friendship Dancers Moon Night Waltz
1:pm – 1:40pm: Firecracker Display – Lucky Man, Dragon and Unicorn Parades
1:40pm – 1:55pm: Liverpool Hung Gar Kung Fu Friendship Association – Martial Arts Demonstration
1:55pm – 2:15pm: Wah Sing Chinese Community Centre Dancers – Traditional Chinese Dance & Song, Bless You – Chinese Dance Performance, Draw You – Chinese Dance Performance, Beautiful Taihu – Chinese Dance Performance & Happy Every Year song – Singing Performance.
2:20pm – 2:45pm: Tian & LIMF Academy (in association with Pagoda Arts)
2:50pm – 2:55pm: Wirral Chinese Cultural Association: Classical Dance – Dream in Flowers
2:55pm – 3:pm: North East Wales Chinese Women’s Association – Traditional Chinese Dance
3:pm – 3:10pm: Movema Dance – Silk
3:15pm – 3:20pm: UK Phoenix Qipao Chinese Cultural & Art Association – The Big Fan Dance ‘WanJiang’ and The Silk Scarf QiPao show ‘The Picture Scroll of Love’
3:25pm – 3:30pm: Friendship Dancers – Beautiful River (Chinese Line Dance)
3:45pm – 4:10pm: Tian & LIMF Academy (in association with Pagoda Arts)
4:15pm – 4:25pm: Movema Dance – Silk
4:30pm – 4:55pm: Bring the Fire Project – Fire Finale
5:pm: STAGE CLOSE

** All times are subject to change. Please check the Culture Liverpool website and social media for any changes.

Tasting Menu

In celebration of Lunar New Year, FACT are teaming up with the Liverpool East and South East Asian Network (LESEAN) to bring you a special programme of events and workshops.

LESEAN invites you to a special tasting menu and discussion around Lunar New Year and how East and South East Asian (ESEA) communities exist both on and offline. Sample a range of delicious, vegan-friendly food as members of the network guide relaxed discussion.

To enquire about all allergens and ingredients, please contact online@fact.co.uk.

Bird Rave

Created by Live Art Artist Miss High Leg Kick, Bird Rave is a celebration of classic rave music, the ‘freedom to dance’ days of early UK rave culture, extraordinary Birds and the choreography of nature.

This is a project that families can take part in by downloading the digital activity pack. The pack contains activities that will take you all outdoors, help you to create costume pieces, have you learning some classic dance moves and most importantly making some incredible memories, making this a rave experience that the whole family will absolutely love.

Produced and Supported by Wonder Arts (Formerly Citadel Arts) and Heart of Glass.

Get Outdoors

Did you know that early rave tracks used bird songs as part of the music? This is the perfect time of year to venture outside and hear all of the different birds. They’re tweeting their hearts out!

What can you hear?

Maybe you’ll hear a Robin, who has a song like trickling water. Or a Great Tit and their cheerful little song. Or perhaps you’ll hear the “koooo koooo ker kooo” of the Wood Pigeon. In your ‘at home’ activity pack you’ll find a sheet to help you identify all of the different birds and the special songs they sing. All you have to do is stand still and listen.

Listen to the Bird Rave!

Get Creative

Use the ‘how to’ guide in your activity pack to create your very own costume head pieces. Using just a cap, some tissue paper, pom poms and pipe cleaners, you could be raving in your very own own bird plumage that’s fit for any Bird Rave.

Get Dancing

Watch and learn from the masters of the Bird Rave. Watch the short Bird Rave dance videos and use the dance move chart in your activity pack to learn some classic dance moves like ‘The Running Man’, ‘Screwing in the Lightbulb’ and ‘Big Fish, Little Fish, Cardboard Box’.

Get Your Family Bird Rave Started

Complete the short form here to access the digital activity pack.

The Portrait as Artistic Manifesto

This short course looks at the portrait as artistic manifesto, addressing a selection of works which reflect the artistic aims of their creators.

Representing a visual equivalent for the written manifestos that characterize Modernism, such works help to shape creative style and identity, define movements, and promote avant-garde ideals and practices.

They will consider a number of artists and works, paying particular attention to periods and movements that made especial use of this form of portrait, such as late nineteenth-century Modernism and 1970s Feminism.

Full fee £26

Christmas in the Park

Located in the heart of Knowsley, Bowring Park & Golf Course in collaboration with Good Market will transform into a winter wonderland on December 17, with food, drink, arts & crafts and even a festive market on offer for all of the family to enjoy.

Hosting Liverpool-based The Good Market for a ‘twilight market’, a host of local independents including wreath and bouquet specialists Petal and Press, Candle Collective, Shake, Rattle and Roll (punk kids clothing), Zest Limoncello, Neon Moon Pet Boutique (dog accessories) and many, many more will be bringing their specially curated goods to Bowring Park & Golf Course from 3pm – 8pm on the 17th.

The twilight market will also include live music, circus acts, face painting, festive foraging and wreath making in the parks gardens with the Friends of Bowring Park and even a visit from the big man himself and his elves, with Father Christmas sure to tell everyone whether they’ve made it onto his good list this year!

With Root Catering also putting together a special festive menu in the newly refurbished and opened The Coach House Cafe, Bowring Park & Golf Course and their managing agent Oneday will also be producing a programme of fun for families and children alike on the day, with wreath making and various other arts and craft sessions available.

There’s never been a better opportunity to bring all your friends and family down for a pre-Christmas day out in Knowsley!

BlackFest Christmas Bash

Join BlackFest for a jam down in the Baltic Triangle.

The party will feature DJ Shenice with R&B Hip Hop classics and renowned DJ Papu Raf, producer, event manager of CoolitLiverpool and Co-Founder of House Of Zuzu bringing energy through music, Raf plays Afrohouse, Afrobeats, Disco, House Music, R’n’B, Hip Hop, Amapiano and more.

Food will be provided by Ray Rays Caribbean, who are passionate about providing delicious and high-quality authentic Caribbean food, prepared with the freshest and finest ingredients, Ray Rayz will be providing a vegetarian and meat option.

The night will feature an open mic where you can sign up to preform, please contact Jennifer@blackfest.co.uk if you would like to sign up prior to the event.

Stay tuned on @blackfestcreatives for updates

Relaxed Screenings

On Relaxed Days World Museum’s first two shows of the day are Relaxed – tailored to visitors with sensory sensitivities, along with their friends and families.

They will have reduced capacity, lighting and volume will be lower, you will be free to move around and chat and we will have sensory toys and objects available for visitors to use.

Please note that some lighting may be kept on and sensory toys must be returned at the end of the show. The door will also be closed, but how to leave will be communicated on the day.

Audio Universe: Tour of the Solar Syst...

Join World Museum for planetarium screenings for audiences with vision loss.

This is an extra show on the schedule from 12.30pm – 1pm on the following days:

Sat 26 Nov 2022 – Access Day, Visual Impairment
Sat 17 Dec 2022 – Access Day, Hard of Hearing
Sat 28 Jan 2023 – Access Day, Mobility

This event is free but ticketed, buy tickets on the link above.

You can also see their full Planetarium Schedule here.

Photo Credit: Pete Carr.

Megalopolis – New Year Party

The creative team at IWF have joined forces with three of Liverpool’s forerunners in event promotion; Keep It Cryptic, Social Hours and Sisu, to curate an eclectic and diverse line up for the launch of their latest event Megalopolis.

Inspired by the idea of large and exciting, densely populated cities and urban regions, Megalopolis is an expansive place of music and culture, sprawling across rooms and stages and taking the audience on a journey of both familiarity and new discovery.

The first wave of artists are MADMADMAD, Galaxians and Bop Kaballa as well as stage takeovers from Keep It Cryptic, Sisu and Social Hours residents and special guests. This is but the first round of exciting artists to be revealed with many more still to be announced.

IWF Programmer Joel Murray says “The concept of a megalopolis for us suggests chaos,diversity and the unexpected within a colourful, multifaceted setting. This aligns perfectly withwhat we wanted to see out 2022 with a bang, so here you have it!”

With secret worlds (what?!), games, a host of artists and performers and even the option to arrive early (limited availability) for some food and complimentary drinks within an intimate warm-up jazz gig, Megalopolis is where it is at for this new year’s celebrations.

Hell Bus at Hamilton Square

The Hell Bus is in town for one night only! Join Make. for a look inside the bus, followed by a talk from creator Darren Cullen.

Darren Cullen is a satirical artist, illustrator and writer, born in Leeds to Irish immigrant parents and currently based in London.

Cullen initially thought he wanted to go into advertising as a career, studying it at Leeds College of Art where he learned the language and techniques of the medium but became steadily horrified at the ethical implications involved.

Cullen abandoned advertising to study Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art. He now uses the language of advertising to make work about the empty promises of consumerism and the lies of military recruiters.