Arts and Culture
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The Culture Network LCR Celebrates a Transformative First Year of Growth and Impact
The Culture Network LCR CIC, the new membership organisation championing the Liverpool City Region’s arts and culture sector, is marking a milestone first year since launching in Spring 2024. With 65+ member organisations and growing, the network has quickly become a vital advocate for the region’s creative and cultural sector—driving collaboration, supporting economic growth, and expanding access to culture across the region. A Year of Impact – At a Glance 65+ cultural member organisations and…
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Liverpool Hope University to Host a Triptych of Creativity This June
Liverpool’s vibrant cultural tapestry is set to gain new threads this June as Liverpool Hope University unveils a compelling series of events, promising to be a significant platform for emergent and established artistic voices. Eschewing the conventional, these three distinct happenings offer a nuanced exploration of contemporary creative practice, inviting audiences to engage with film, spoken word, and the very processes of artistic production. The proceedings commence on Monday, 16 June, within the architectural embrace…
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Liverpool Biennial 2025: BEDROCK – Unearthing the City’s Soul
This year’s Liverpool Biennial (7 June – 14 September) – the 13th edition – is titled BEDROCK, and it’s all about what lies beneath: from Liverpool’s sandstone foundations to the social, cultural and ancestral roots that shape us. Curated by Marie-Anne McQuay, BEDROCK brings together artists from around the world to explore themes like identity, memory, family, migration, belonging and the environment. Liverpool Biennial 2025: What to Expect More than 35 international artists Free exhibitions,…
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More Events Announced For Liverpool Arab Arts Festival 2025
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF), the longest running annual festival of Arab arts and culture in the UK, returns for its 23rd year this July – and has just announced more events for this year’s edition!LAAF exists to support and champion creatives from across the Arab region and its diaspora, in the belief that art and creativity have the power to express a shared humanity. The festival also celebrates Liverpool’s unique identity; a city, with…
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Colombian Music Collective Systema Solar Come To Future Yard This June
One of Colombia’s most celebrated music collectives are heading to the Wirral this month. Systema Solar, known for turning stages into explosive carnival-like celebrations, will land in Birkenhead for a rare UK performance at Future Yard, armed with their highly anticipated new album Futuro Primitivo. Systema Solar is not your average band, they’re an artistic force. Formed in 2006 during an art biennial in Medellín, the collective was born from a collision of music, visual art,…
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Liverpool Arab Arts Festival Presents Akram Abdulfattah This July
Akram Abdulfattah is a Palestinian-American violinist who combines jazz with middle eastern and Indian music. Akram’s music is influenced by Hindu, Turkish, and Persian styles, reflecting the rich legacy and culture of oriental sounds in a modernized fashion. In 2023, his multinational group visited the UK for the first time, performing a debut London show, and appearing at Knockengorroch and Cambridge Folk festivals. Akram’s talent has received international recognition as he’s won prestigious awards and engaged in various international and cross-culture projects.…
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Liverpool Hope University Fine Art Degree Show 2025
A Celebration of Emerging Creativity… There’s something special about June in Liverpool, and it’s not just the promise of the returning sunshine. It’s degree show season—when the city’s art schools throw open their doors and let the creativity spill out into the world. And this year, Liverpool Hope University’s Fine Art Degree Show is shaping up to be a must-see on the cultural calendar. On Friday 13 June, the Creative Campus will come alive as…
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World Premiere of Symphony Orchestra Tribute To The Beatles Takes Place In Liverpool This July
A unique tribute to the music of The Beatles, which has been over two years in the making, will be performed for the first time ever in Liverpool this July. Another Seven Symphonies will see 39 different Beatles songs – divided over 7 symphonies performed by a full symphonic orchestra without the use of any rhythm section or vocals. WedgeView Music Netherlands will present this world premiere at the exquisite Tung Auditorium, that aptly resides inside the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre. The Antwerp Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the Brazilian Alexandra Arrieche considered one of the most exciting and unique conductors of her…
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Caroline Gorick – After Hours At Liverpool Bridewell Studios
Caroline Gorick: Capturing the Stillness Between Moments—Where the Ordinary Turns Sublime This latest series from eminent artist Caroline Gorick is a quiet storm—evocative works that pulse with life and where beauty brushes up against decay, the everyday shimmering with potential unease. Her rich, gestural brushwork and glowing, rubbed- back tones pull us into spaces that feel uncannily familiar, yet somehow out of reach. Gorick captures fleeting, fragile moments and elevates them into something timeless, almost…
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Creative Spotlight: In Conversation – Julie Lawrence
A Landscape of Light and Memory… There’s a quiet resonance in Julie Lawrence’s work that lingers long after the image fades from view. It’s not just the landscapes she paints—it’s the light within them, the way it flickers and slips between trees, casting shadows that feel both intimate and infinite. Based on the Wirral and deeply rooted in her daily walks through Caldy Hill and Stapledon Woods, Lawrence invites us to pause, to notice, and…
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10 Must-See Highlights of Independents Biennial 2025
The Independents Biennial, celebrating the art and artists living and working in Liverpool city-region, opens to the public on Saturday 7 June, with a special, free to attend launch on Thursday 5 June in Port Sunlight showcasing a range of art venues and artists in the historic village. The artist-led festival, which runs concurrently to Liverpool Biennial, is created to showcase the vibrant art and art scene of the city-region. The Independents Biennial has been…
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Workers Playtime: A Radical Legacy Reborn On Stage
Exploring how Workers Playtime draws from the pioneering spirit of the 1930s theatre collectives to inspire new generations. Workers Playtime: How the Workers Theatre Movement Shaped British Theatre, running 6-8 June at Liverpool’s Hope Street Theatre, is far more than just another night out. It’s a powerful call back to the roots of working-class creativity, activism, and resilience. Brought to life by Valley Community Theatre—a company deeply embedded in Liverpool’s grassroots arts scene—this production aims…
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From Runcorn to the Revolution: Bethany Kate on Life in Hamilton
There’s something deeply special about coming home — and for Bethany Kate, a gifted musical theatre performer born in Liverpool and raised in Runcorn, stepping into Hamilton at the iconic Liverpool Empire is nothing short of magical. Now part of the blockbuster production as an off-stage swing, Bethany brings versatility, tenacity, and passion to one of the most demanding roles in musical theatre. Steve Kinrade caught up with her to talk about what it means…
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Review: Afloat At Unity Theatre
When Theatre Becomes Testimony: Afloat Challenges, Moves, and Uplifts Tonight’s performance of Afloat at the Liverpool Unity Theatre was a powerful testament to the potential of theatre as both social commentary and communal catharsis. Devised by director Phoebe McSweeney through a series of workshops with asylum seekers and those working alongside them, Afloat is a moving, dystopian vision that holds a mirror up to contemporary Britain—one that dares to ask: what if we were the…
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SoundYard New Electronic Music Venue To Open In Liverpool This June
This summer marks the arrival of SoundYard, a bold new 900-capacity venue set to become a flagship destination for electronic music in Liverpool. Launching in June 2025, SoundYard will celebrate the city’s rich cultural heritage with a forward-looking approach — offering immersive music experiences, curated day parties, and a vibrant daytime programme that goes far beyond the dancefloor. Located in the heart of the Baltic Triangle, SoundYard is a versatile indoor-outdoor venue, designed to cater…
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Theatre As Testimony: Afloat Amplifies Voices Often Left Unheard
Afloat is a powerful and urgent piece of theatre developed in collaboration with Asylum Link Merseyside and directed by Phoebe McSweeney. Created through workshops with asylum seekers and support workers, the performance offers a poignant exploration of migration, political extremism, and human resilience. Set in a dystopian fictional city, the narrative follows the strained relationship between Angela, a right-wing political candidate, and Sam, a community worker supporting asylum seekers. As the Blue Party gains power…
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VideOdyssey Needs You: UK’s Last Video Shop Calls for Volunteers
Liverpool’s most unique arts venue, VideOdyssey – affectionately known as the ‘UK’s last video shop‘ – is calling out for volunteers to join a one-of-a-kind film archiving project. Home to thousands of rare VHS tapes, vintage memorabilia, and retro arcade games, VideOdyssey offers visitors a nostalgic escape into the golden age of home entertainment. Now, the team is embarking on a mission to catalogue and preserve its massive collection for future generations — and they…
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MusicSeen: How A Liverpool-Born Initative is Uniting The Music Community
MusicSeen was born from Connor Di Leo and Nina Himmelreich’s shared desire to make Liverpool’s music scene more connected, visible, and inclusive. Drawing on their experiences at LIPA and Nina’s research into gender inequality in music, the platform began with a simple list of local FLINTA artists and has since grown into a vital hub for musicians, fans, and industry professionals. With searchable databases, curated playlists, and a strong focus on community, MusicSeen is helping…
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Firehawks: Groundbreaking Liverpool Exhibition Sheds Light on Firesetting and Childhood Trauma
A powerful new photography exhibition exploring the hidden world of firesetting and its psychological roots is set to open at Liverpool’s Open Eye Gallery this September. Running from 26 September to 16 November 2025, Firehawks is the first exhibition of its kind to address the complex and often misunderstood behaviour of firesetting through a visual arts lens. The work of photographer Stephen King, the show features around 20 atmospheric images that eschew documentary tropes in…
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Creative Spotlight: In Conversation – David Booth MRSS
Guiding viewer’s perception beyond the visual… David Booth MRSS – a distinguished member of the Royal Society of Sculptors – stands as a significant voice in contemporary art. Holding the esteemed MRSS accreditation, a mark of established artists contributing meaningfully to the language of sculpture, Booth’s diverse practice spans a compelling range of mediums. From striking sculptures and immersive installations to intricate ceramics, evocative paintings, and innovative digital artwork, his creations demonstrate a profound engagement…
