February Newsletter

We've started the year with a series of meeting points with artists involved in our Young Families programme, bringing old friends and collaborators back to the library and introducing our audiences to new artists!

Tuesdays
Bootle Library
10:30am - 12pm

Squish! has been at the heart of what we do since the start of our creative programme, building a community of families in Bootle and Netherton through slow, creative play.

Lead artist Nicki McCubbing says that ‘kids are the best artists’ and the curious and inventive way children approach making and experiencing the world is something that’s permeated the whole of our programme. 

Showing what’s possible when we take children’s creativity seriously, Squish! has also supported parents and carers to find new friendships and support structures, swap advice whilst sharing in unexpected new arts experiences co-created with artists, musicians and performers of all kinds.

This experimentation and playfulness drives our programme even more over the next year as we work with four Associate Artists to create new performances, workshops and music projects with local families, and each other, whilst developing their own creative practice. 

Our new Associate Artists are singer-songwriter and community artist Dan Astles, socially-engaged artist and philosopher Em/Willzy, harpist and composer Mia Mai and singer-songwriter and organiser Soph Gossage. This month each of the artists have led gentle tasters of their creative practices with families in Bootle including experiments with puppetry, a range of different instruments and electronic sounds. 

Thank you to Youth Music for supporting the programme.

Hurly Burly Theatre returned for another week in residence, working towards their new show 'After Party'. Developed in workshops with families in Bootle and Netherton, the show explores the enormous transformation that takes place when a new child is born. 

Hurly Burly led a masterclass for our Associate Artists and dancers Riddhi and Greta from Movema focussing on how to 'go from being strangers in the room to being a mini community playing together'. The artists explored the role of music in performance with and for young children, how to invite audiences to interact and create a shared creative space. 

The week closed with a dreamy, experimental sharing of work-in-progress where local families were invited to come together in moments of play and mutual care. Hurly Burly will be back later in the year when touring the finished show - watch this space for more details!

Photo credit: Alastair Brookes

Fridays
Netherton Library
10:30am - 12pm

We're partnering with Liverpool World Dance company Movema to offer creative dance and movement sessions for young children and their carers to enjoy together. 

Families are invited to explore simple, fun dance from diverse cultures, tapping into our bodies and breath with dynamic and restorative movement. After we dance there’s time for relaxed play and refreshments.

Starts Tuesday 3rd March
Crosby Library

For National Repair Week, join us for  STITCH REMIX! raising awareness of mindful, slow fashion, encouraging our communities to buy less, rewear, repair, repurpose, upcycle and renew clothing and other textiles and play around with what we have rather than buy more.

• Need a last minute World Book Day costume?
• Want to learn to darn?
• Been gifted a sewing machine and want to know more about it?
• Got unwanted fabrics you want to swap? Or ways of repurposing and upcycling them?

Everyone is invited to join us during Repair Week for a costume making session and a huge, creative library takeover!

Thank you to MRWA (Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority) for supporting the programme.