A lyrical and percussive piece of new writing

CELL, Ailis Ni Riain's third play receives its premiere as part of the 24:7 Theatre Festival, supported by Arts Council England,  20th-26th July 2009 in Manchester (see venue and performance times below). Directed by Paula Simms, CELL was written between 2005 and 2009.

LEON ROSSELSON, AMSTERDAM and CHUMBAWUMBA top Festival
12th – 16th SEPTEMBER 2009 @ The Picket, Jordan Street, Liverpool

Tickets are now on sale for The Liverpool Working Class Music Festival, the only annual music festival of its kind in Europe.

Now in its second year the five-day festival is the brainchild of local singer/songwriter Alun Parry and it showcases twenty top radical songwriters and performers from around the country. “Our aim is to promote songs of struggle, protest and social justice, as well as songs that tell our story,” says organiser Alun.

Sunday 2 August, 12 - 6pm at Urbis and Cathedral Gardens, Manchester

Congolese rumba, beat boxing and bhangra music, this one day extravaganza celebrates Greater Manchester’s diverse refugee communities and promises to be a cultural feast with live music, dance performances, workshops, craft activities and international food stalls from across the globe.

FREE EVENT- no need to book

For further information go to www.can.uk.com/exodus

Cabaret concepts for Deaf School
3 special nights four special shows with Henry Priestman and more Special Guests over 3 nights in September.

Over the past few years fans have been treated to a series of special gigs, they performed at the opening of the Picket in 2006, and last year one night at the Carling Academy.  This time it's special, the Everyman has a brand new  cabaret club layout for special guests to experience the real thing. Tickets will sell out fast so find out more. 

"... a shimmering, atmospheric cluster of works with a ghostly theme...superbly constructed." - Musician Magazine

A haunting and beautiful sound and visual experience is coming to Liverpool’s St. Luke’s (Bombed-out) Church on Thursday 16^th July, ‘Ghost Stories – A Night Opera’ a classical composition written by Liverpool musician and composer Neil Campbell.  Since its release in October 2008 on CD simply titled ‘Ghost Stories’, it has received unanimous acclaim from both the UK and International music critics.  The subtle ‘A Night Opera’ was added to the title following collaboration with Bill Elms who will work with Neil to stage performances of the piece across the region with stunning visuals in unusual spaces.  It is also being performed as part of the Wirral International Guitar Festival in November at Birkenhead Priory.  Plans are being made to tour ‘Ghost Stories – A Night Opera’ to other cities and festivals across the UK in 2010.

CITY AS GYMNASIUM’ - 10^th July – 3^rd October 2009

Preview Thursday 9^th July 6-9pm

CUBE continues to showcase cutting edge projects that explore the Urban Built Environment. Building on our well established reputation fusing together architecture, contemporary art and design.

Their forthcoming exhibition ‘City as Gymnasium’ is Inspired by London 2012 games has been granted the Inspire mark as part of the Cultural Olympiad. The projects aim to showcase ‘alternative’ ways the city is often used as a gymnasium.

The exhibition features work by Lottie Child, Neville Gabie, Peter Liversidge, MediaShed and Tsui Kuang –Yu.

Image above taken from Invisible City: Liverpool Top 9! By Tsui Kuang Yu – the film will be screened daily in the gallery

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Vasily join Vincent and Flavia for a spectacular and Liverpool's first Summer Ball.

Liverpool City Council and St. George's Hall has announced yet another magnificent Ball in the Great Hall.  The Summer Ball 2009 welcomes the return of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko, following the unique and exciting Viennese Balls in 2008, which became one of the highlights of Liverpool's cultural year.   

The first Summer Ball 2009 will take place on the evening of Saturday 11th July 2009 and will have all the attributes of the glittering Balls that took place in 2008 and earlier this year at the Spring Ball, both of which sold out.

Joining the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Vasily Petrenko will be multi award-winning dance champions and BBC's Strictly Come Dancing stars Vincent (2008 runner-up with Rachel Stevens) and Flavia, who stole the hearts of the British public with their breathtaking Argentine Tango and The Magic Waltz sequence, who will showcase their talent and flair with dance performances throughout the evening.

More music comes from the wonderful Greg Francis Orchestra & Singers and the evening will be hosted by TV and radio presenter Esther McVey.

Monday 11th May

Shafted: The Media, the Miner's Strike and Militant Liverpool

In association with the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (CPBF) Writing on the Wall presents a night of discussion and debate on the 25th anniversary of the Miners' Strike of 1984, the role of the media during the dispute, and of Liverpool’s battle with the Tories in that year. Brian Reade, Daily Mirror columnist, broadcaster and writer, leads an expert panel:

Nick Jones: CPBF National Council and industrial correspondent during the 1984-85 miners' strike for BBC radio.
Peter Lazenby: co-author of Shafted and Industrial Reporter for the Yorkshire Evening Post at the time of the strike.
Granville Williams: editor of Shafted, author of Remembering How It Was: a history of mining in the Leeds area, CPBF National Council.
Paul Astbury: one of the 47 Liverpool Labour Councillors surcharged and removed from office following their campaign against government cuts.

7:00pm
The Casa, 29 Hope Street, L1 9BQ
Entrance £4.00/£2.00 concessions, pay on the door

This event is part of the Writing on the Wall festival  

This new footballing comedy is set to tour the North West throuthout May

 “A real page turner - you’ve captured the city.” Jimmy McGovern

Written by Radio 4 playwright, John Graham Davies,  BEATING BERLUSCONI is based on the bizarre true story of a real Liverpool fan who went to the Istanbul final in 2005, somehow got into the AC Milan Director’s box and then almost had a fight with the Mussolini loving Italian PM when the Reds equalised.

Drawing on this true story as its inspiration, BEATING BERLUSCONI is the hilarious story of one man’s attempt to rediscover his belief in himself, his club, his city and his class.