Event type: Talk

Street Dreams: Urban Struggle Disabili...

Join disabled artists and their collaborators from Java & Bali – Indonesia, Cardiff and Liverpool to talk about mark making in the places that disempower us and the value of mural and street art as hyper-local radical activism. Artists contributing include: Sukri Budi Dharma, Winda Karunadhita, Nano Warsono and Andrew Bolton

Access:

The session will be interpreted simultaneously from English to Bahasa and vice versa. Please mention when booking your language preference. BSL will also be available along with captions and audio description.

If you have any difficulty booking via eventbrite, please do contact our team via info@dadafest.co.uk and we can help you to book.

About DDFI40

DaDaFest International returns 8th-31st March 2025 to celebrate DaDa’s 40th Anniversary and this time they are coming with ‘RAGE: A Quiet Riot’.

Event

DDFI40 will showcase work by disabled artists that captures all shapes and sides of rage. From the internal quiet frustrations and righteous rage, to overt injustice and activism, DDFI40 will explore disability rights, disability arts, access, ableism and ‘Rage’ in an explosion of creativity.

Ignite: Imagine Better Futures For Peo...

What could health care look like if it was designed by people with energy limiting conditions (ELCs)? How can creative workshops feed into research? How can the creative research process be made as accessible as possible?

This roundtable includes 5 artists involved in a research project using creative workshops to ideas about better futures of care for people with ELCs. The project built on research by Chronic illness Inclusion which demonstrated the harm done by medical professional disregarding or disbelieving people’s accounts of living with ELCs.

Online creative workshops were facilitated for
Muslim women
LGBTQIA+ people
People of marginalised gender (cis and trans women, trans men, non-binary, intersex and gender nonconforming people)

Workshops involved zine making, creative writing, fairytale writing, drawing, collage and mixed-media. Workshops were designed to be accessible for people with ELC and asynchronous workshop options were hosted to maximise opportunities to participate.

Each workshop was led by a l creative practitioners and artists with a participatory approach and together each group co-produced an artefact that spoke to their needs. The results are zines, podcasts, stories, comics, animations and creative non-fiction.

The artists involved were Khizra Ahmed Khairani Barokka (Okka), Julian Gray, Mish Green and Louise Kenward. The project was led by Professor Bethan Evans at The University of Liverpool, working with Morag Rose and Ana Bê Pereira, Chronic Illness Inclusion, Liverpool Hope University, Stephanie Davis, Healing Justice London, and a team of independent researchers: Dr Aaliyah Shaikh Dr Alison Allam and Dr Anna Ruddock. Everyone in the team has their own experiences of disability and / or chronic illness.

About DDFI40:

DaDaFest International returns 8th-31st March 2025 to celebrate DaDa’s 40th Anniversary and this time they are coming with ‘RAGE: A Quiet Riot’.

Event

DDFI40 will showcase work by disabled artists that captures all shapes and sides of rage. From the internal quiet frustrations and righteous rage, to overt injustice and activism, DDFI40 will explore disability rights, disability arts, access, ableism and ‘Rage’ in an explosion of creativity.

DDFI40: A Wee Riot with Edinburgh Frin...

Head along to the DaDaFest hub to chat with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society’s Artist Services team about all things Fringe. In 2026, they plan to open a new, year-round artist hub in Edinburgh, and want to hear from Dadafest artists on what they’d like to see happen in this space.

The drop in will allow you to find our more about how to bring a show to the Fringe, and offer an open discussion where the team who want to hear about the things that both excite and challenge you at the Edinburgh Fringe.

This drop in welcomes anyone with an interest in learning more about the Edinburgh Fringe and the different ways to get involved.

About DDFI40:

DaDaFest International returns 8th-31st March 2025 to celebrate DaDa’s 40th Anniversary and this time they are coming with ‘RAGE: A Quiet Riot’.

Event

DDFI40 will showcase work by disabled artists that captures all shapes and sides of rage. From the internal quiet frustrations and righteous rage, to overt injustice and activism, DDFI40 will explore disability rights, disability arts, access, ableism and ‘Rage’ in an explosion of creativity.

Liverpool Philharmonic Music Industry ...

Aged 14-21? Interested in working in music but don’t know where to start? Come to the Music Industry Careers Fest at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall!

Learn more about the wide array of opportunities in this field, meet leading industry professionals and kick start your musical career. Liverpool Philharmonic’s Careers Fest is packed with hands-on workshops, fascinating demonstrations and talks from industry experts, covering everything you’d want to know about working in the music industry.

DDFI40: How F**ked Are We? Climate Cri...

Disabled people are impacted more directly by global issues such as the cost of living, the rise of the right, and the Climate Crisis is no different.

Using Artist Lois Weaver’s Long Table format, we will be inviting disabled artists and cross-sector professionals to participate in a carefully held discussion at Metal to discuss the climate crisis. Hosted by Liverpool Artist Dora Colquhoun, with contributions from disabled artists Liz Crow (UK) and ZU-UK, (UK/Brazil), they will explore climate change and disability from local and global perspectives.

About DDFI40:

DaDaFest International returns 8th-31st March 2025 to celebrate DaDa’s 40th Anniversary and this time they are coming with ‘RAGE: A Quiet Riot’.

Event

DDFI40 will showcase work by disabled artists that captures all shapes and sides of rage. From the internal quiet frustrations and righteous rage, to overt injustice and activism, DDFI40 will explore disability rights, disability arts, access, ableism and ‘Rage’ in an explosion of creativity.

Cultivate: Creating Culture 26 Togethe...

Join Cultivate (Halton’s Cultural umbrella Organisation) for an engaging evening as they prepare for Halton’s Cultural Year in 2026. This event is an opportunity for local creatives, organisations, and community members to connect, share ideas, and explore how arts and culture can thrive in Halton.

What to Expect:

Inspiring Performances: Experience live music, theatre, and poetry showcasing the talent and creativity in our community.
Introduction to Culture 2026: Hear from cultural leaders about the vision for Culture 26 and how you can get involved.
Networking and Consultation: Meet fellow creatives, share your views, and help shape the future of culture in Halton.
Light Refreshments: Enjoy a buffet and informal conversations throughout the evening.
Special Art Exhibit: See “Mars”, an artwork by Luke Jerram and the latest of his creations to be displayed at Norton Priory.

Why Attend?

Discover new opportunities, connect with like-minded individuals, and contribute to shaping Halton’s cultural legacy in 2026.

Admission is Free—don’t miss this chance to be part of the journey to Culture 26!

Spice Stories: The Botanical and Cultu...

10.15 – Welcome by Dr Kate Walchester, Director of Research Institute of Literature and Cultural History, LJMU and Steve Lyus, Chair of the Liverpool Botanic Trust

10.30-11.30 – Axel Dalberg Poulson, Zingiberales Taxonomist, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh: ‘The Diversity of Gingers of the World’

11.30-12.00 – Tea break.

12.00-1.00 – Steve Lyus, Chair of the Liverpool Botanical Trust: ‘“Roscoe’s Baby”, The first Monograph for the Gingers’;
Donna Young, Curator of Herbarium, World Museum, Liverpool: ‘The Liverpool Herbarium and its Gingers.’

1.00-2.00 – Lunch and exhibition, featuring contributions by botanical artist Sue McHugh, LJMU graduate Anna John and Athena Nursery

2.00-3.00 – Richard Baines, Curator at Logan Botanic Garden: ‘Growing Gingers in Great Britain.’

3.10-3.40 – Rebecca Bailey, Senior Lecturer in English Literature: “What’s ginger, I pray ye?”: an exploration of ginger in early modern England’.

Event

3.40-4.00 – Conclusion, tea, and evaluation.

Arts For Social Change Showcase

After the roaring success of the first ARTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE SHOWCASE in September 2021 and again in February 2022, Collective Encounters is delighted to be programming another fascinating night of presentations exploring participatory arts projects, practice and passions.

Join them 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.

Trauma Informed Practice for Participa...

Although it’s very important to maintain the distinction between art and therapy, participatory artists are often in positions where they need to support their participants’ mental health. This training is specifically for artists and facilitators and takes a person-centred approach to understanding trauma and incorporating this understanding into your creative practice.

This training will:

Provide an overview of the physiology of trauma and an insight from the perspective of a clinical psychotherapist;
Unpick popular perceptions and misuse of language around trauma and PTSD;
Offer practical tips for creating safe spaces for participants and avoiding practices which may retraumatise participants;
Create a space to explore problem solving using real-life scenarios.
This event is aimed at artists working in communities, theatre-makers and activists interested in using the arts as a tool for positive change.

Online Event: This training will take place online using Zoom. You will receive an email with the link.
**Please note: we do not record the sessions because of the sensitive nature of the topic.

Length: 3 hours

For attendees supported by their organisations the full price of a ticket is £55.00. For freelancers and individuals from non-regularly funded organisations attendees the price of a ticket is £35.00. For those on low or no income the ticket price is £18.00. They also have a small number of bursary places available for those with limited funds, please email info@collective-encounters.org.uk

Yesterday’s Music Tomorrow

Against the backdrop of their archive display of music posters, Tomorrow’s Music Yesterday, this discussion event looks at key performances and music programmes from across the decades to consider the role the Bluecoat has played in the city’s musical life and how this might inform future developments.

With Roger Hill, Jayne Casey and Benjamin D Duvall.

Tue 25 Feb, 6-8pm
Free, booking required