Event type: Other

It’s nearly Valentine’s Day in the city and almost a year to the day since the theatre doors closed to audiences due to the ‘accident’.

Artistic Director and playwright Sidney Sparks and his wife, Hollywood legend Scarlet Moon have one last shot to entertain the crowd, save their beloved theatre and their reputation. And they have quite an Act!

So Roll up! Roll up! Meet the delightful cast and crew of misfits and egos – take your seats to this explosive opening night – but will anyone actually tread the boards? Or is someone so desperate to stop this show they will do anything, even… kill!

On a night where more then just legs get broken. A night of melodrama. A night of unrequited love. A night of love triangles. A night of… Murder!

Theme: Comedy, parody, zany, carry-on-style.

The event is held Downstairs at the Everyman, 11 February, 7.30pm.

Twenty-two people, representing Knowsley’s rich and diverse local community, have come together to officially mark the start of Knowsley’s year as the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture 2022.

From sportspeople to artists, business leaders, young people and community champions these 22 individuals have been chosen to bring to life a specially created poem about Knowsley – written by performance poet Curtis Watt.

With rapper, beatboxer, actor, presenter, musician and more listed on his CV, Curtis is a great example of a local creative success story. Born in Kirkby and raised in Liverpool, Curtis has forged a successful career spanning various performance genres and gives much of his time to charitable endeavours and community projects in the region. His most recent collaboration with Knowsley and local company Adlib is yet another demonstration of his many talents.

As part of Knowsley’s year as the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture, Curtis was commissioned to work with the local community and write a poem about the place – its people, passions and cultural credentials. The result is a warm and witty poem which has been brought to life by 22 real voices from Knowsley, reflecting the many diverse communities, experiences and talents within the borough.

Curtis said: “As a local lad myself, it has been a real privilege to work with the local community on this project. My conversations have really helped to shape my understanding of Knowsley and hopefully allowed me to capture some of that warmth, humour and pride that is so clearly evident when you talk to people.

“I was delighted to be asked to be part of Knowsley’s celebrations as the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture. I really hope that this year, and the many exciting things that are taking place, will encourage more people in Knowsley and further afield to experience culture and come together to celebrate this wonderful place. Maybe it will even spark some new creative passions too – which would be great.”

The poem – entitled Twenty Two Voices – has been launched to welcome people to Knowsley’s year as the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture. Aiming to give everyone a fun glimpse into the place, its history and its communities, it is hoped that the poem will help to encourage more people to engage with the events and special activities that will take place throughout the year.

Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities & Neighbourhoods commented:

“The theme for our year as the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture is storytelling so this poem is a great way for us to highlight the richness of all the individual and collective stories that make up Knowsley. It’s hard to capture everything about a place and its people that have such character and depth, but I think Curtis has done an amazing job.

“I found it quite emotional when I first heard the poem, and I am sure that our residents and people across the region will love it!”

Fourteen year old April Beadman from Whiston was one of the 22 people chosen to be part of this project. She is an active member of Knowsley’s Youth Parliament and is particularly focussed on work to raise awareness and understanding of climate change. In addition to her school studies and work for the Youth Parliament she also volunteers in Knowsley and will be part of the team working on the Flower Show in 2022. A major highlight of Knowsley’s year as Borough of Culture. She said:

“When I was asked to be part of this project, I couldn’t believe it. I was so pleased to have been chosen and so grateful to have been given the opportunity to be part of this. Filming was so much fun and I am certain this will be something I will smile about for the rest of my life!”

Watch Twenty Two Voices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43NixMJPPoc

Telling ghostly tales during the Christmas season has always been a tradition going back centuries… As the chill of these December days begins to bite and you settle in front of a roaring fire, safe and warm, it’s the perfect time for a chilling tale or two…

But instead of the roaring fire the folks at Shiverpool invite you to stretch your legs, take a deep breath of our River City’s salty sea air, wrap up in your finest woollen scarves and mittens and join us for a spooky stomp through time and place…

They dare you to journey through Liverpool’s most haunted heritage and share with them their sea soaked stories…

The Christmas tours are held December 16, 17, 18, 23, 28, 29, 30, 8.30pm and 2 January, 7pm. To book, see here.

Knowsley’s theme for its year as Borough of Culture is Storytelling and central to the whole idea is the opportunity to capture and bring to life the stories of the borough’s people and places.

The storytelling will include everything from local folk tales, traditions and heritage that are unique to Knowsley to exploring people’s hopes and dreams of what the borough may become in the future.

Through all of the events and activities, people will be encouraged to share their stories – if they wish – to help build up a picture of life in Knowsley and ensure that all aspects of culture are showcased, shared and celebrated.

A key part of the celebrations will be The Owl and the Pussy-Cat Trail. The poem, by Edward Lear, was actually written at Knowsley Hall. This fascinating fact and Lear’s connections to Knowsley are set to be celebrated throughout 2022 with a huge sculpture trail featuring 16 pairs of 2 metre-high owls and pussy-cats.

The Borough of Culture was introduced by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in 2018 to encourage and enable each Borough to deliver cultural programmes which create a lasting legacy across the whole region.

Here’s what to expect from Knowsley’s illuminating start to the year:

Tall Tales – 4 and 5 February 2022 – Stockbridge Village

Tall Tales is a brand-new large-scale community artwork that will see Merecliff – a residential 16 storey tower in Stockbridge Village (adjacent to the M57 motorway) – animated and illuminated in light. The dramatic projection which will be accompanied by a soundtrack, will tell the story of local people and communities who have shared their stories, memories, hopes and dreams about the place they call home.

These Tall Tales, captured, interpreted and exaggerated by artists Illuminos will be brought to life over two incredible evenings in January. This event is being delivered in partnership with Knowsley Council, ForHousing and the local community.

Aqualux – 14 to 28 January – Kirkby town centre 

Aqualux is a stunning 8 metre by 3-metre-wide light installation that will be situated in Kirkby town centre for two weeks.

The artwork consists of 48 containers which can hold up to 1,000 litres of water – the average consumption of a household over a year. Coming to life after dark. the illuminated artwork will also be accompanied by music to create a memorable and magical experience while raising awareness of the need to conserve and protect our fragile water supplies.

A switch on event will take place on 14 January which will include Spark illuminated drummers to welcome the installation to Kirkby. Aqualux is delivered in partnership with Blackpool Illuminations.

The Magic Wood – 21, 22 and 23 January 2022 – Halewood

Over three consecutive evenings Court Farm Woods in Halewood will be transformed into an enchanted spectacle of light, music and fiery woodland creatures. Hand crafted, intricate fire sculptures will transform the space into an outdoor gallery of wonder where visitors will be able to wander through the attractions or stand and watch the spectacle unfold.

The Magic Wood – A Fire Garden by Walk the Plank will be unique to Halewood and will feature performances from Bring The Fire Project, harpist Rebecca Mills and a special family performance set in giant golden birdcage.

Numbers are limited so tickets need to be booked in advance from Wednesday 8 December. See www.cultureknowsley.co.uk for details.

Gaia – 28 January to 17 February – St. Chad’s Church Kirkby

Luke Jerram’s ‘Gaia’ is an astonishing 6-metre-wide replica of the earth based on imagery and data from NASA. Suspended in the air and slowly revolving, the artwork – which will be housed in St. Chad’s Church in Kirkby – gives people a chance to see the planet, floating in three dimensions.

A specially made surround sound composition by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winning composer Dan Jones is played alongside the sculpture.

As a touring artwork, Gaia is famous across the globe and an exciting programme of events and activities is being devised for its visit to Kirkby.

Submergence – 12 to 24 February – Huyton Village Centre

Submergence is a reflective, immersive walkthrough experience that will go on display in Sherbourne Square in Huyton Village. Consisting of thousands of individual points of suspended light, visitors are encouraged to enter the artwork to experience the amazing light illusion for themselves.

Alongside Submergence, Huyton will also be home to a second light installation still to be announced by world renowned experts Squid Soup. More details will be announced soon.

New Dawn Light Spectacular – 18 and 19 February – Knowsley Hall

The New Dawn programme will come to a spectacular climax over two consecutive evenings in February. In two showings per evening, the iconic Knowsley Hall will be illuminated in a series of dramatic projections recreating a vision of a pop-up story book – a fairy-tale of lights and sound telling the stories of Knowsley.

Delivered by video projection artist’s Illuminos and accompanied by an atmospheric soundtrack from renowned composer Patrick Dineen the spectacular will create a unique and memorable moment for all visitors.

Numbers are limited, so anyone interested in attending should register to be part of a ballot to receive ‘golden tickets’ to this spectacular event. Details can be found here www.cultureknowsley.co.uk/new-dawn-light-spectacular/.

All of these events will be free for the public to attend (although some will require tickets to be reserved in advance).