BBC1 Xtra star K Koke to perform at a very special roof terrace party in Liverpool

ON Saturday, 11 December 2021, BBC1 Xtra star K Koke, is coming to The Shankly Hotel for a very special roof terrace party! Set to be 1 of the events of the year, Rakeem Abiru Presents K Koke features 1 of the UK's best rap artists and some of the best urban artists in the Region. The event was due to have Wiley headlining in the new underground car park venue, but is now set to be even better; with the incredible K Koke heading an exciting line up; featuring special guest SBK and a whole host of super talented local artists from 7pm until late!

On the night, party goers can live it up on 1 of Liverpool's most iconic roof terrace venues whilst enjoying the very best local talent and a big hitting headliner! K Koke is regarded as 1 of the best UK rappers and is famous for his:- 'Fire In The Booth' performance on Charlie Sloth's BBC 1 Extra show. His latest music video is set in Liverpool too!

Event organiser Rakeem Abiru, 1 of Merseyside's most talented urban artists, said:- "We're really excited to be hosting our 1st event at The Shankly Hotel's roof terrace! The Shankly is a renowned venue in the City so to be partnering with them is a real pleasure. Our Region has so many talented urban artists so it's great to showcase them alongside a top headliner; it's a nice mix of local talent and a top headliner. K Koke is a proper superstar of the UK scene so to have him in Liverpool is fantastic. He's a big Liverpool fan too. The night is going to be amazing!"

Included in the line up is the multi award winning duet Sorelle, who have recently supported Kano. A collaboration between sisters Tabitha Jade (The Pop Princess Of Liverpool) and the super talented Eliza Mai,  Sorelle (meaning:- 'Sister' in Italian) have been lauded by the likes of:- BBC Introducing, Kiss FM, BBC1 Extra and Capital Radio.

Sorelle have established themselves as 1 of the most exciting prospects for MOBO in the City. Pre-Covid, the sisters were both individually forging successful careers as Soloists, but during lock downs, they worked together for the 1st time creatively and out of that process Sorelle was born. With their love for RnB melodies and a groove, it's easy to see why their live shows are so revered.

The roof terrace event with K Koke is the 1st of many exciting events to be held at The Shankly Hotel by Rakeem Abiru. Going forward, expect big events featuring top artists and DJs; from house and techno to urban and hip hop; adding to the hotel's already vibrant offering of a restaurant, bar, roof terrace and events space.

We are told tickets are still available online from the The Shankly Hotel's website.
 

Liverpool sets scene for:- "game changing" Film and TV studios at iconic site
Pictures with thanks to CAPITAL&CENTRIC

Phase 1 works will take approximately a year and once Phase 2 is fully costed, this could lead to a full development contract.

Adam Higgins, co-founder of CAPITAL&CENTRIC said:- "This is a pivotal moment for the Littlewoods project and will kick start activity on site. We've worked hard to get to this stage, investing in developing the vision for the site and securing key tenants. We can't underestimate what an important regeneration project this is to Liverpool, which is shown in the support we've had from the City Council and Combined Authority. As well as cementing Liverpool's position at the forefront of the UK's creative industry, it will bring a shed load of benefits to people living nearby with thousands of jobs and millions invested. We want to inspire local kids to think about a career in film and TV, and with an education partner enable the City to grow its own talent pipeline."

For phase 2 to proceed a fully costed funding package is required, with the Council and combined authority projecting to both invest ₤12m and a commercial lender being sought for the balance. 
 
The scheme, which would be subject to planning permission, already has 2 proposed major anchor tenants:- Twickenham Studios and Liverpool John Moores University. The arrangement would provide a direct link between academia and industry in what would be the largest facility of its type in the UK.

LJMU's Professor Joe Yates, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Arts, Professional and Social Studies which includes the Liverpool Screen School said:- "This development would give us the opportunity to provide the very best facilities to our students and industry, creating new opportunities for both. We already teach 100s of students each year how to tell a story and make a film. But, this new LJMU facility, located with sector leading industry partners, would mean we could train people from Liverpool with the absolute best and  latest, technology from Hollywood. The world's filmmakers will come here, confident that they can make a blockbuster movie with the right equipment and the right people."

The Littlewoods Studios scheme would comprise of:-
 
► 85,000 sq ft of studio and ancillary space for Twickenham Film Studios, to be operated by TIME+SPACE Studios. 

► 75,000 sq ft of education space proposed for Liverpool John Moores University to deliver a sector leading Entertainment Technology Centre to ensure local young people develop high level skills to work in the industry.

► A further 95,000 sq ft of flexible employment space for creative industries, which will be advertised to market for expressions of interest. 

Littlewoods Studios would also complement the recently completed Council and Combined Authority funded studio, known as:- 'The Depot.' These 2 20,000 sq ft temporary filming stages, managed by the Liverpool Film Office, only opened last month and have already taken a flurry of bookings from a wide range of clients.
 
It is predicted that The Depot alone will create a ₤24m economic boost for the Regional economy, creating 360 new jobs and 760 indirect jobs and forms part of Liverpool's 10 post-Pandemic pledges to stimulate growth. Liverpool is already the 2nd most filmed City in the UK and is currently hosting illustrious productions such as Sky's Funny Girl starring Gemma Arterton and Channel 4's The Curse from the team behind People Just Do Nothing. It also recently invested in and supported Channel 4's Help starring Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham, BBC's The Responder starring Martin Freeman and ITV's adaptation of The Ipcress File, through its LCR Production Fund. The BBC's 6th series of Peaky Blinders, Doctor Who, Ridley Road, Netflix's Stay Close, Sky's COBRA: Cyberwar and major blockbusters such as Warner Bros' The Batman and Netflix's Munich: The Edge of War were also filmed in Liverpool.
 
Councillor Sarah Doyle, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet member for Economic Development, said:- "The Littlewoods Studios scheme has the potential to be a real game changer for the City's TV and Film sector, underlining our growth as a truly world class location. Liverpool's offer has blossomed over the past decade to the point that it feels like your bumping into a TV crew every other day or seeing the City on the TV or in the cinema every other week. The move from being the 'go to City' for exterior shoots to 1 that can provide productions with the studios and talent supply to match our stunning backdrops is 1 the City needs to deliver, as the economic and educational benefits are there for all to see. The opening of The Depot studios last month was a great start but Littlewoods is on a different scale, which is underlined by the calibre of the partners like Twickenham Studios and John Moores University waiting in the wings. This reports spells out the 1st steps to bringing this sleeping giant of a building back to life. If approved, we can deliver the remediation and set the stage for phase 2 and making this dream a reality, creating thousands of skilled jobs the impact of which will be felt way beyond these studios."