Cultural Hubs 3 by St.Helens Arts Service

Arts in Libraries Programme #3

May - August 2015

CULTURAL HUBS IS... an Arts Council England funded programme of work which allows us to animate St.Helens network of 13 libraries with performances, plays, gigs, workshops, courses, events, exhibitions and well... great stuff! This third programme sees us again working with local people to choose what they want to see in our libraries as well as a focus on working with local artists to bring work into our libraries. If you haven’t already, then please sign up to our monthly e-zine via www.sthelens.gov.uk/arts or follow us on Twitter @sthelensarts.

I am very impressed by Cultural Hubs, such a lot to see!

My daughter has really enjoyed herself. We came here to get new books and ended up staying longer

Participant

This is the first time I’ve seen dance so close - loved it!

I’ve been to several evenings at the library and cannot rate them highly enough!

Audience member

Enjoyed taking part and would do it again Participant

Excellent evening! I left laughing Audience member

Children loved it, as did the grown ups!!

I know nothing about ballet or classical music but enjoyed it

Audience member

You awoke an inner part of me through the quality of script, acting and audience participation Audience member

EVENTS AT A GLANCE Weekly Page 3

Music Tech Club

Drop in Music Sessions for Young People

30th May Page 4

Your Name Here Heart Of Glass

Art Workshops Family Friendly

Starts 5th June Page 5

Here Now and Looking Back St.Helens 1914 - 1918 Benedict Phillips

WW1 Interactive Artwork Tour Family Friendly

19th June Page 6

BLOSSOMS Get it Loud in Libraries

Get it Loud in Libraries Gig

20th June Page 7

Pop Up Poetry Knives, Forks & Spoons Press

Poetry Event

20th June Page 8

Partsticipate Adult Learners Week

Adult Learning Sessions

26th June Page 9

Woodchip Anaglypta And Nicotined Artex Ceilings JB Barrington

Spoken Word Performances

Starts 2nd July Page 5

Here Now and Looking Back St.Helens 1914 - 1918 Benedict Phillips

WW1 Interactive Artwork Tour Family Friendly

17th July Page 10

Easy Virtue by Noel Coward Liverpool Network Theatre Group

Theatre Performance

18th July Page 11

STATIk Action Transport Theatre

Theatre Performances Family Friendly

18th July Page 7

Pop Up Poetry Knives, Forks & Spoons Press

Poetry Event

Starts 29th July Page 5

Here Now and Looking Back St.Helens 1914 - 1918 Benedict Phillips

WW1 Interactive Artwork Tour Family Friendly

1st August Page 12

Extemporise Organic Planets

Musical Performances

10th August Page 13

“Books & Breakin” 13 Library Flashmob Challenge UC Crew

Break Dance Performances Family Friendly

11th & 12th August Page 14

The Boggle & Shapeshifter Lawrence Speck

Theatre Performances Family Friendly

Starts 15th August Page 15

St.Helens Vs The Lizards Re-Dock

Young Persons Digital Art Commission

Starts 25th August Page 5

Here Now and Looking Back St.Helens 1914 - 1918 Benedict Phillips

WW1 Interactive Artwork Tour Family Friendly

Summer Back Cover

Creative Alternatives Arts On Prescription programme ITA Professional

For Adults

ARTS AWARD

St.Helens Central, Eccleston and Chester Lane Libraries are all Arts Award centres. Young people and schools can use the Cultural Hubs arts in libraries programme for their Arts Award.

Heart Of Glass

YOUR NAME HERE

Saturday 30th May, St.Helens Central Library, 10.00am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 3.30pm

Linking with the Heart of Glass’ upcoming Your Name Here project, artist Jeni McConnell is inviting people to join her for a day of free workshops in St.Helens Central Library. Come and join her to find out more about the Your Name Here project - a chance to nominate a friend, loved one or role model for an exciting competition.

TICKET PRICES & CONCESSIONS We have tried to keep ticket prices as low as possible to ensure as many people as possible can attend our wonderful programme of events and many are FREE. From our point of view, a concession is anyone under the age of 21 or over 65, a student, has a disability or who is out of work for whatever reason.

Jeni McConnell is a socially engaged, process orientated artist whose creative practice has 4 key components; people, place, objects and archives, brought to life by the social connections between them. Hooked in by the passions that people have to place and intrigued by how that manifests itself, she works with people in places to tease out memories triggered by images and objects, using all our senses.

MUSIC TECH CLUB Most Tuesdays, St.Helens Central Library, 4.00pm

Audience: 8 - 18 year olds Cost & booking info: FREE. Just drop in!

Audience: 10.00am - 12.30pm - Family Friendly Session 1.00pm - 3.00pm - Adults Cost & booking info: FREE. Just drop in! To find out more about Your Name Here please visit www.winyournamehere.co.uk* *website launches mid-May

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Interested in making music with computers and music technology? Always wondered how to do it or wanting to improve your skills and knowledge? Then come to our free weekly sessions in the Central Library which are led by qualified and experienced tutors from the Council’s Music Service and are tailored to the needs of each participant.

Benedict Phillips

Get It Loud In Libraries present

HERE NOW AND LOOKING BACK ST.HELENS 1914 - 1918

Event launch Friday 5th June, Haydock Library, 5.00pm Artwork tour in libraries: Haydock Library, 6th - 26th June Moss Bank Library, 2nd - 28th July Eccleston Library, 29th July - 24th August Rainford Library, 25th August - 21st September Billinge Library, 23rd September - 19th October St.Helens Central Library, 20th October - 28th November

Friday 19th June, St.Helens Central Library, 8.00pm (doors open)

Get It Loud In Libraries returns to St.Helens with a show from emerging Stockport band - B L O S S O M S. The band have found favour with BBC 6 Music and recently supported The Charlatans and are bound to be a hot ticket for this exclusive event in an intimate venue. “Manchester’s Blossoms offer a lighter take on psychedelia, one that’s steeped in classic British pop songwriting” NME

Audience: Everyone Cost & booking info: FREE. Just drop in! Check individual Libraries for opening times

Audience: Teenagers and Adults Cost & booking info: £7. Book tickets online at www.seetickets.com or call into St.Helens Central Library

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Come and interact with a unique St.Helens originated artwork that has been built by bringing together a mix of computer hardware, games technology and WebGL. Artist Benedict Phillips was commissioned as a Cultural Hubs artist in residence to make a digital artwork in response to WW1. Benedict travelled between seven libraries situated in the North of St.Helens. During these library visits he met with many local people who own personal artefacts, photographs and objects detailing their families’ involvement in the Great War. Through recorded discussions and the documentation of collections, Benedict developed this interactive artwork alongside a commemorative book and a website. “This project reminds us that as little as one hundred years ago, photographic images were still a rare and evocative thing” Benedict Phillips

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BLOSSOMS

POP UP POETRY Saturdays 20th June, 18th July, 17th October, 12th December, St.Helens Central Library, 1.00pm

The Knives, Forks and Spoons Press bring back their unique blend of internationally renowned poets to the main space in St.Helens Central Library. Expect experimental, modernist, postmodernist, late-modernist, and minimalist poetry of the highest calibre! Visit www.knivesforksandspoonspress.co.uk for the full programme of artists. “One of the most prolific and intelligent small poetry presses” Tears in the Fence magazine

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Audience: Adults, Teenagers and Families 10+ Cost & booking info: FREE. Just drop in! As well as professional performers, there is an opportunity for local acts to perform at the events. Please email theknivesforksandspoonspress@hotmail.com for more information

Adult Learners’ Week

PARTSTICIPATE Saturday 20th June, St.Helens Central Library, 11.00am - 3.00pm

As part of St.Helens’ contribution to the Festival Of Learning and Adult Learners’ week - St.Helens Central Library will be hosting a number of arts activities for you, your friends and colleagues to have a go at. From Drama to Music, Dance to Visual Arts there will be plenty of activities to take part in and arts groups to meet. Perhaps you will sign up to join a group that will start a new creative journey for you. Also launching around the time of the festival will be new visual arts works and performances created by St.Helens based artists who took part in our Off The Wall and Outside The Box courses in our last season - keep an eye out on Twitter or sign up to our e-zine for full details.

Audience: Adults Cost & booking info: FREE. Just drop in on the day!

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Knives, Forks and Spoons Press

JB Barrington

Liverpool Network Theatre Group

WOODCHIP ANAGLYPTA AND NICOTINED ARTEX CEILINGS Friday 26th June, St.Helens Central Library, 5.00pm with support from Jake Evans 7.00pm with support from Carol Robson

Winner of Best Spoken Word at last year’s Greater Manchester Fringe, performance poet JB Barrington performs in St.Helens for the first time. His show is a roller-coaster of emotions with a brilliant and imaginative display of poetic writing. With its immense power in its flexibility of atmospheres, stimulating emotion, magnifying perspectives and prodding the conscience through social issues, economics, class and loss. It’s a must see evening of entertainment and it’s also very funny. Jake Evans is the winner of Young Storyteller of the Year 2014. His stories come from his own imagination and experiences; greatly inspired by living in the bleak but beautiful Falkland Islands but also the funny/sad/exciting stories he hears almost everyday from people that would never consider themselves storytellers. Carol Robson has performed at many venues between London and Edinburgh and in 2014 her Edinburgh Fringe show received a 4-star review.

EASY VIRTUE BY NOEL COWARD

Friday 17th July, St.Helens Central Library, 7.00pm Local amateur company Liverpool Network Theatre Group return to St.Helens to present Noel Coward’s charmingly bright summer comedy ‘Easy Virtue’. Set in the lustrous ‘20s British country estate of Colonel Whittaker, whose wife and daughters are overawed to meet the new wife of John, the returning prodigal son. Her chequered past and worst of all, American accent, will challenge all of their social etiquette and bring their precariously balanced and delightfully absurd moral system to its knees. Join Network Theatre for a wickedly humorous and sumptuously stylish take on this Coward classic! Produced in association with Wanderlust Theatre. “Have seen LNTG previously and always love their shows and this was no exception. St.Helens Central Library was an absolutely ideal place to host their work” Audience member at last year’s LNTG library performance.

“Lovely stuff, touches heart strings and the odd raw nerve” Johnny Vegas

Audience: 5pm - Teenagers and Adults 7pm - Over 18’s only (Show will contain strong language and content) Cost & booking info: £7, Special Offer for both shows (limited number of tickets) or per show £6, £5 (St.Helens Library Card Holders), £2.50 (concs). Book online at www.culturalhubs.eventbrite.co.uk or call into St.Helens Central Library

Audience: Teenagers and Adults Cost & booking info: £8, £7 (St.Helens Library Card Holders) and £5 (concs) (this play is not funded through our Arts Council grant so prices are slightly higher). Book tickets online at www.culturalhubs.eventbrite.co.uk or call into St.Helens Central Library

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Action Transport Theatre

Organic Planets

STATIK

EXTEMPORISE* Saturday 1st August, St.Helens Central Library, 10.00am - 4.00pm

Saturday 18th July, St.Helens Central Library, 11.00am and 2.00pm Rebellious radios, secret sweets and accidental adventures! It’s Mikey’s first day at the radio factory but when he discovers a rebellious radio mysteriously transmitting the voice of a child, Mikey can’t help but play along! As mischief ensues, will Mikey’s first day at work be his last? With a unique visual style and a soundtrack inspired by the wisdom of children, STATIk reveals what happens when one person can’t, or won’t fit in. Join our 3 performers as they clown, tumble and play their way through an energetic, laugh out loud 60 minutes. ‘Action Transport Theatre have created an imaginative and warm piece of physical theatre that would appeal to anyone’ Liverpool Daily Post

Organic Planets is a group of musicians who have learned through improvisation. This event is going to be a day of improvising, no song list and no defined composition length. The music will take you on a journey, evoking feelings. Once finished, it will only be a memory. Experience the music at the point it has been created, before it is cut, copied and pasted. Improvising with sound is a brilliant way to learn, as you are free from the constraints of a sheet of music or intrinsically copying a song that you want to learn. It allows you to lead or follow the other musicians. Ultimately playing what you can hear in your mind. Your influences, from all of the music you love. * to sing, or play on an instrument, composing the music as one proceeds; improvise.

Audience: Everyone, Families 5-11 age range Cost & booking info: Special Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children) £10, or £6, £5 (St.Helens Library Card Holders), £2.50 (concs). Book online at www.culturalhubs.eventbrite.co.uk or call into St.Helens Central Library

Audience: Everyone Cost & booking info: FREE. Just turn up! A Heart Of Glass Prototype Commission, visit www.heartofglass.org.uk

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“BOOKS & BREAKIN” 13 LIBRARY FLASHMOB CHALLENGE Monday 10th August, St.Helens Central Library, 7.30pm - Final Performance In an attempt to break the World Record for most number of performances in different libraries in a day, UC Crew will be displaying their exciting and acrobatic break dancing moves for the people of St.Helens. As well as the final performance UC Crew will also be ‘flashmobbing’ at the following libraries at the following times (approximate): Thatto Heath, 10.00am, Chester Lane, 10.45am, Newton-Le-Willows, 11.30am, Haydock, 12.15pm, Garswood, 1.00pm, Billinge, 1.45pm, Moss Bank, 2.30pm, Rainford, 3.15pm, Eccleston, 4.00pm, Peter Street, 4.45pm, Rainhill, 5.30pm, Parr, 6.15pm.

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Audience: Everyone Cost & booking info: FREE. Book tickets for the 7.30pm show online at www.culturalhubs.eventbrite.co.uk or call 01744 677087 For the flashmobs in the day - just turn up! A Heart Of Glass Prototype Commission, visit www.heartofglass.org.uk

Lawrence Speck

THE BOGGLE & SHAPESHIFTER

Tuesday 11th August, St.Helens Central Library Wednesday 12th August, Rainhill Library (outdoor performance)* 11.00am The Boggle & 2.00pm Shapeshifter, on both days *weather dependent, in Rainhill Library in the case of inclement weather

The Boggle: We all know that Boggles don’t exist... Don’t we? John’s dad has given him dire warnings about the strange creature that lives on their farm. So when John forgets to feed the Boggle, he is breaking one of the key rules he has been given. As the mischievous and strange Boggle wreaks havoc, John must set out for adventure and mayhem in faraway lands. “The show was very good and funny. My favourite bit was when the Boggle threw underpants at me! I really enjoyed the Boggle and will tell my friends to go and see it.” 7 year old reviewer Shapeshifter: Town is up in arms! People are talking, panicking and rumours are rife! Apparently there’s a Shapeshifter living amongst us and who knows what’s going to happen… Using a concoction of storytelling, puppetry, comedy and an original score, ‘Shapeshifter’ promises to be a fantastic theatrical experience for theatergoers young and old.

Audience: Families 4+ Cost & booking info: Special Family Ticket to attend both shows per day (2 adults, 2 children) £10 or each show £6, £5 (St.Helens Library Card Holders), £2.50 (concs). Book online at www.culturalhubs.eventbrite.co.uk or call into St.Helens Central or Rainhill Libraries

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UC Crew

Re-Dock

ST.HELENS VS THE LIZARDS Saturday 15th - 29th August, St.Helens Central Library So you enjoy challenges and solving puzzles? In August, St.Helens sees it’s very first Escape Room built in St.Helens Central Library. Designed and created by young people from the Borough, this bespoke project will question what we think about the world... St.Helens vs The Lizards will be a real-life escape game which requires players to work together to solve hidden puzzles, use their intuition, teamwork skills and intelligence to accomplish a challenging task. Sam seems like any other teenager - problems with authority, fed up of school… except there might be something more going on… What if dad isn’t just embarrassing, but is actually much more sinister? What if the teachers at school aren’t only tracking grades, but also texts? There are strange messages in music and on Facebook… patterns in the news, odd occurrences in the town. Something is going on, but no one else can see it. From now on, nobody can be trusted - they could all be lizards!

Audience: Everyone Cost & booking info: FREE. To book an hour slot for the Escape Room go to www.culturalhubs.eventbrite.co.uk* *booking opens early July

Sam’s even built a research lair in the heart of the library - a makeshift hut of bookshelves and surveillance, hidden in plain sight. From there, the puzzles will be solved, the conspiracies revealed and the lizards unmasked. Are you a young person/teenager interested in getting involved in this project to help us create it? If so, come along to a drop in workshop on Friday 31st July between 11.00am and 3.00pm to help contribute to the creation of St.Helens vs The Lizards Escape Room

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Sam has been busy in the library, researching the local history, making connections between the books people read and the bizarre goings on.

Each of our libraries host a FREE popular Read & Rhyme Time aimed at preschool children. Why not come along and listen to stories and sing along to your favourite nursery rhymes? Billinge Library Fridays, 2.00pm Central Library Tuesdays, 1.00pm Thursdays, 10.30am Chester Lane Library Mondays, 11.00am Fridays, 11.00am Eccleston Library Mondays, 2.00pm Fridays, 10.30am Garswood Library Thursdays, 2.00pm Haydock Library Mondays, 10.30am

Moss Bank Library Fridays, 10.30am Newton-le-Willows Library Mondays, 10.30am Parr Library Thursdays, 11.00am Peter Street Library Express Tuesdays, 2.00pm Rainford Library Fridays, 2.00pm Rainhill Library Fridays, 10.30am Thatto Heath Library Wednesdays, 10.30am

ST.HELENS LIBRARIES READING GROUPS St.Helens Central Library Penultimate Wednesday of the month, 10.30am Junior Book Group (8-11yr olds) 1st Saturday of the month, 1.00pm Billinge Library 1st Monday of the month, 2.15pm Chester Lane Library 1st Wednesday of the month, 6.00pm

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Eccleston Library 1st Thursday of the month, 2.00pm Haydock Library Thursdays, every 4 weeks, 2.00pm Moss Bank Library 1st Tuesday of the month, 10.30am

Newton-le-Willows Library 1st Wednesday of the month, 7.30pm (Newton-le-Willows Community Fire Station) Parr Library 1st Monday of the month, 2.00pm Rainford Library 1st Monday of the month, 2.00pm Last Monday of the month, 2.00pm Rainhill Library 2nd Monday of the month, 5.30pm Thatto Heath Library 1st Tuesday of the month, 1.30pm

ST.HELENS LIBRARY LOCATIONS 1

5 A571

A570

A58

A580

4 A570

A599

9 A49

13 A58

A570

M62 A569

1 Billinge Library, Main Street, WN5 7HA. 01744 677535 2 Central Library, Victoria Square, WA10 1DY. 01744 676989 3 Chester Lane Library, Four Acre Lane, WA9 4DE. 01744 677081 4 Eccleston Library, Broadway, WA10 5PJ. 01744 677575 5 Garswood Library, School Lane, WN4 0TT. 01744 677797 6 Haydock Library, Church Road, WA11 0LY. 01744 677801 7 Moss Bank Library, Bowness Avenue, WA11 7EQ. 01744 677988 8 Newton-le-Willows Library, Crow Lane East, WA12 9TU. 01744 677885 9 Parr Library, Fleet Lane, WA9 1SY. 01744 677580 10 Peter Street Library, Peter Street, WA10 2EQ. 01744 677896 11 Rainford Library, Church Road, WA11 8HA. 01744 677820 12 Rainhill Library, View Road, L35 0LE. 01744 677822 13 Thatto Heath Library, Thatto Heath Road, WA10 3QX. 01744 677842 *All of the information contained in this brochure is accurate at the time of going to print - however, sometimes things change - please check for updates via Twitter, on Eventbrite or call us on 01744 677087*

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BOOKSTART READ & RHYME TIMES

ITA Professional

CREATIVE ALTERNATIVES ARTS ON PRESCRIPTION PROGRAMME From Summer 2015 a new and free approach for dealing with stress, anxiety and depression will be available to adults living in St.Helens. Cultural Hubs has been awarded funding from St.Helens Council’s Public Health team to deliver a new project as part of our Arts in Libraries work. The award winning arts and health service Creative Alternatives will be coming to St.Helens, offering a programme of creative activities to alleviate stress and improve wellbeing. Creativity can help by giving you something meaningful to do with your time, helping you to meet others, explore your feelings and take time out to relax and unwind. When you join Creative Alternatives you will be invited to attend a series of creative workshops which take place on a weekly basis and which explore a range of visual and performing art forms. “The sessions get me out of my house - which I was scared to do. The sessions lift my mood and help to meet other people who understand how I feel.” Creative Alternatives participant (Sefton) © Creative Alternatives

Audience: Adults (over 18’s) Cost & booking info: FREE. If you feel you would benefit from taking part in the project please email artsservice@sthelens.gov.uk or call 01744 677449 to be added to the list for our referral officer to contact you when the project starts