An evening of quick-fire presentations by people passionate about using the arts for social change
About this event:
Collective Encounters is delighted to be programming another fascinating night of presentations exploring participatory arts projects, practice and passions.
Join us for an evening of quick-fire presentations by people passionate about using the arts for social change. The showcase is a great way to grow your ideas, share and celebrate your achievements, rage about something or highlight something that needs to change. Presenters will show up to 15 slides about their theme, project, issue, community, infatuation and/or themselves. Each presentation will last no more than 5 minutes.
This event is a great opportunity to connect, network, get feedback and generate new ideas. Presenters can be theatre-makers, producers, participants, funders, community groups, charities…anyone with a curiosity or passion for arts & social change.
There will be up to ten presentations, with opportunities to ask questions of the contributors throughout.
Expressions of Interest: If you are interested in presenting at this event please fill out the expression of interest form available soon.
Ticket Cost: £5.00
There is a small number of bursary places available for those with limited funds, please email info@collective-encounters.org.uk
Access: This event will use live transcription. If you require BSL interpretation, please get in touch no later than two weeks before the event. If you have any other access requirements please email info@collective-encounters.org.uk
He’s a legend and an icon, a revolutionary and an immortal. John Lydon – aka Johnny Rotten – changed the face of music and sparked a cultural revolution.
The frontman and lyricist of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd (PiL) caused a political earthquake and transformed music for good. To coincide with the publication of his new book, the brilliant, funny and insightful I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right, he is touring the UK. Lydon will talk about how he sees life, along with his unique and extraordinary career, and take audience questions during a pyrotechnic, one-off tour. Lydon will be sharing his thoughts with audiences.
He Could Be Wrong. He Could Be Right.
A talk by Ashley Cooke, Head of World Museum.
This exceptional example of ancient Egyptian royal clothing in the collections of World Museum (National Museums Liverpool) has been described in various ways since it first went on display in 1855—sometimes as a scarf, a belt, or a girdle. Tomb and temple paintings suggest it was worn wrapped around the chest and fastened at the waist. Woven in bright colours and decorated with rows of ankh hieroglyphs meaning “life,” this remarkable textile is a masterpiece of ancient linen craftsmanship. This presentation will explore its provenance, interpretation, and manufacture, shedding new light on this rare archaeological survivor.
Ashley Cooke is Head of World Museum, home to one of the UK’s largest and most significant collections of Egyptian antiquities. He has worked with Egyptian collections in museums for over twenty years and has over ten years of fieldwork experience at five archaeological sites across Egypt. He earned his PhD in Egyptology from the University of Liverpool in 2006, the same year he was appointed Curator of Egyptian and Near Eastern Antiquities at World Museum.
Artist Linny Venables talks about the making of Sweet Factory; a vibrant and playful exhibition celebrating the rich, shared histories of sweet making, working-class food traditions, and seaside culture.
Linny shares the inspiration, playful research, and hands-on processes behind the work, offering a glimpse into her socially engaged practice.
–
Visit the Sweet Factory exhibition: Mon – Sat. 10am – 4pm. 18 Oct 2025 – 7 Mar 2026.
Sweet Factory is curated by Linny Venables and supported by Arts Council England and At The Library.
Join Dr Anna Maddison to learn the history of Art using examples from The Atkinson’s collection.
3 Sessions: Thursday 11/18/25 September. 11am – 1pm.
The Atkinson’s collection has works of art dating from the 17th to the 21st centuries and is currently concentrating on collecting more contemporary art.
Highlights of the 20th century collection include several paintings by Walter Sickert and fellow members of the Camden Town School such as Charles Ginner as well as paintings by Scottish Colourists, namely Arthur Melville, JD Fergusson and Samuel Peploe. Key works from World War I include a painting of a mounted trooper by Alfred Munnings and a battle scarred landscape by Paul Nash. The collection of 20th century British sculpture is small but very high quality and includes good examples by Henry Moore, Elisabeth Frink and Jacob Epstein.
These sessions will also be looking at a number of works currently on display as part of The Atkinson’s 150th Anniversary Exhibition.
Writer and “Ghost in the Museum” podcaster Isaac Hart returns to The Atkinson on Halloween Night to discuss the deep origins of the spooky season.
From ancient pagan traditions to modern panics over trick or treating, Halloween has always been the time of year that we welcome the weird and the uncanny into our lives rather than pushing it away, with often strange and surprising results…
Due to unforeseen circumstances this talk has been cancelled. We apologise for the inconvenience and hope to reschedule.
_
Ainsdale to Albania: The Wartime Career of Anthony Quayle
A talk by Dave Roberts
Before Anthony Quayle became a celebrated British actor and stage director, he was a man of quiet heroism, trading Shakespearean soliloquies for sabotage behind enemy lines. Born in Ainsdale, in 1913, Quayle’s early life gave little hint of the daring exploits that would follow. When the Second World War broke out, he joined the British Army and soon found himself recruited into the Special Operations Executive (SOE)—the shadowy wartime organisation tasked with espionage, sabotage, and supporting resistance movements in Axis-occupied territories.
Quayle’s wartime career included stints in Gibraltar and with one of the most secret organisations, the Auxiliary Units, but his most notable wartime service came in the Balkans. In 1943, he was dropped into German-occupied Albania to aid partisan fighters. It was a perilous assignment: mountainous terrain, hostile forces, and the constant threat of betrayal. Yet Quayle not only survived but proved himself a capable and courageous leader, building strong relationships with the Albanian resistance and enduring harsh conditions with quiet resolve.
From the quiet shores of Ainsdale to the rugged peaks of Albania, Anthony Quayle’s journey through war was as dramatic and complex as any role he played on stage or screen.
Twentieth Century Seaside Architecture: pools, piers and pleasure around Britain’s coast
Grab your bucket and spade and enjoy a nostalgic stroll around Britain’s seaside architecture.
In this illustrated talk, based on her new book, author and historian Dr Kathryn Ferry uses picture postcards to highlight how design trends including Art Deco, Mid-Century Modern and Brutalism, shaped our seafronts between 1920 and 2000. Southport highlights will include the Pier and Sea Bathing Lake.
As the heyday of domestic holidays gave way to a dramatic decline in popularity, new attractions continued to be built. Kathryn will share local examples alongside her favourites, taking in everything from hotels, lidos and entertainment pavilions to beach huts, amusement arcades and leisure centres.
Annabel Croft is a national treasure. After announcing herself by winning the Wimbledon and Australian Girls’ Tournaments in 1984, she went onto represent Great Britain in the Fed Cup while enjoying a glittering career.
Moving into broadcasting, she replaced Anneka Rice on Channel 4 Treasure Hunt before moving into the commentary box and working as a presenter and pundit for Eurosport, Sky Sports, and the BBC.
More recently, she enjoyed a thrilling run to the final four on Strictly Come Dancing, with dance partner Johannes Radebe.
Her intimate new show will share tales of famous friends and faces, from Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to the stars of Strictly.
It’s a genuine must-see show.
Are you seeking new approaches to evaluation which put the communities you are working with at the heart of the process?
Understanding and demonstrating the value and impact of creative work in and with communities is vital to the sustainability of participatory and community arts. This training will focus on how artists, practitioners and project managers can enable participants to evaluate their own experiences of arts and cultural projects through creative exercises.
This training will:
Introduce ideas around participatory creative evaluation. Support practitioners to find the right questions and engaging ways to ask these. Share ideas on how creative data can be captured, analysed and disseminated.
Length: 3 hours
This training will take place online, via Zoom.
Ticket Cost:
For attendees supported by their organisations the full price of a ticket is £40.00 For freelancers and non-regularly funded organisations, the price of a ticket is £30.00 For those on low income the ticket price is £18.00
We also have a small number of bursary places available for those with limited funds, please email admin@collective-encounters.org.uk
Access: This event will use live transcription. If you require BSL interpretation, please get in touch no later than two weeks in advance of the training.
