Your dreams and memories could shape a festival coming to Dovecot

KNOTTY Ash and Dovecot Park residents are being invited to share their dreams to help shape a special festival commissioned by Liverpool City Council as part of its Creative Neighbourhoods Programme.

Memories and dreams will be gathered, discussed and interpreted through a series of:- creative workshops, community gatherings, schools activities and pop-up public events, the first of which takes place at:- Dovecot Multi-Activity Centre, on:- Friday, 24 January 2025, from:- 2pm to 5pm.

Weekly Creative community workshops will continue on Thursdays, from:- 4:30pm to 6:30pm, from:- 30 January until 6 March 2025, at Dovecot Multi-Activity Centre. If you live in the Knotty Ash and Dovecot Park area but you can't make any of the workshops, you can still share your dreams by sending them to:- IzzieDreamKeeping@Gmail.Com, or email to find out more about the project.

The Dovecot Dreamkeeping Society, an artistic residency led by artist Izzie Major, is a fictional organisation dedicated to preserving the memories and dreams of the different generations of the Knotty Ash and Dovecot Park area.

Using Surrealist art techniques such as:- collage creating, dream journals, automatic drawing and writing, the memories and dreams collected via creative community workshops will directly shape the devising process and immersive performance festival, celebration and public art around Dovecot Parade in spring.

Commissioned by Liverpool City Council's Culture Liverpool team as part of its Creative Neighborhoods programme and supported by the UK's Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the residency will also be supported by a public art commission delivered by John Culshaw and funded by UKSPF and Councillor Harry Doyle's Local Neighbourhood Fund.

Keep up to date with the project by following:- @izziemajor and @dreamkeepingsociety on Instagram.

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:- "This is a fantastic opportunity for the residents in our neighbourhood of Knotty Ash and Dovecot Park to directly influence a unique festival on their doorsteps. The work will respond to and reflect the feedback of the residents and will celebrate the local heritage, voices and stories of our community. These workshops and the subsequent festival are part of our ongoing programme of collaborative projects and creative interventions that engage with communities and neighbourhoods throughout Liverpool."

Artist Izzie Major said:- "Dreams offer a unique perspective to view and discuss our experiences of the world and ourselves within it, providing excellent stimulation for creativity. Memories and dreams gathered from workshops and pop-up public events will inspire the creation of visually enchanting, surreal, weird, and wonderful theatrical happenings to take place in and around Dovecot Parade, in unusual places and spaces. All activities will be adaptable for various accessibility levels and have been designed to champion creativity, social wellness, mental and physical wellbeing. The residency will also provide paid and upskilling opportunities for local people, community champions and emerging artists."

Southport Jazz Festival brings UK's top jazz musicians to Town this January and February

SOUTHPORT Jazz Festival is back in Town this January and February, with music lovers from all over the UK looking forward to enjoying 10 superb shows across three days and nights. From trio to big band, young performers to jazz legends, there is something for everybody over 3 days and nights.

The jazz jamboree is directed by talented local musicians:- Emma Murphy, Jez Murphy and Clifford Ray. They said:- "Lots of people have booked tickets already. Everything is in place for Southport Jazz Festival. We are really excited! We can�t wait for it to start. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone enjoying all our events. There are people coming to Southport from all over the country to see the shows. We have people coming from London, Scotland, Wales, Scarborough, Manchester, Liverpool, Lancashire, the Lake District, from all over. At this time of year it�s a great boost to local hotels, restaurants, bars and shops with lots of our visitors staying over and making the most of all that Southport has to offer. We still have some tickets available. We have kept the structure flexible, so people can book tickets for the whole festival, and make significant savings. They can also purchase day tickets; or tickets for individual shows. We have a fabulous line-up, with music and shows to suit all tastes. Come and give it a try, you won�t be disappointed! We have a very equal mix of male and female jazz artists, as well as supporting up and coming talent, both of which are very important to us when programming our festival. We are delighted to be back at The Grand in Southport, which is such a stunning venue. It is perfect for a jazz festival, and the team there couldn�t be better. They supported us so well these past 2 years. One new event we have this year is our Gala Dinner at Auberge restaurant, launching the festival on the preceding Thursday. It sold out in just three weeks and will be a great night. We are really pleased this year that jazz legend Liane Carroll, our patron, will be with us throughout the whole of the 2025 Southport Jazz Festival."

The Southport Jazz Festival organisers are pleased to be staging a really positive event after a tough few months for the Town.

The Southport Jazz Festival organisers added that:- "Southport is such a beautiful Town, with such a wonderful community. We want to do all we can to help encourage more people to come back and enjoy what Southport has to offer. It�s a brilliant place. We want visitors to come here and go away with happy memories."

The 2025 Southport Jazz Festival takes place at:- The Grand, Lord Street, Southport Town Centre, from:- Thursday, 30 January 2025 to Sunday, 2 February 2025.