This week our Culture Radar guest is the Founder and Managing Director of Focal Studios, Dennis Outten.
Loved: We really enjoyed the dance, music, arts, theatre, new street art and comedy at New Brighton Arts Festival, which was organised by one of our partners, CChange (Holy Family Multi Academy Trust) who are also based on Victoria Road. It was fantastic to see how their creative curriculum has directly impacted the lives and aspirations of so many young people who performed or took part in the festival.
We even got to see scouse legends Space play on the main stage with some of our projection mapping onto Good Hood forming an immersive backdrop!
Looking forward to: It’s another shameless plug for a Wirral event but we’re so excited for the Future Now Festival at Future Yard on Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th August. Especially the peerless Wirral-born She Drew The Gun, whose visceral, hard hitting songwriting expounds the wild injustices faced in 21st century Britain after 14 years of Conservative rule.
The festival has grown so much that it’s taking over Birkenhead Town Hall and multiple venues across the town, promising to be an incredible weekend of musical talent and celebration. Considering its only 1 stop on the train from James Street, there’s no reason for the Scouse psychological divide to hinder attendance across the water!
Trivia: Focal Studios have recently taken over the upper floors of the old Natwest Bank on Victoria Road, New Brighton, that we’re turning into a Creative Technology Hub. It’s situated above Jayne Casey’s (CREAM, District, Baltic Triangle) amazing new venue and is promising to be an incredible addition to the city region’s most thriving seaside creative community – Costa Del Newbo. We can’t wait to share it with everyone and begin making an impact on the livelihoods of creatives in the region.
We also have an incredible immersive installation opening in Wilkie’s New Palace (the 1920s fronted arcade and funfair) with artist Di Mainstone, which is a real coup for the region. If you haven’t popped over yet to check out the world-class street art, bars/pubs, cafes/restaurants, galleries, seaside heritage and event spaces, grab your sunnies and come check it out. You’ll probably end up moving here with the rest of us!