From great heights to musical numbers and gaming, heres 10 unmissable LightNight events

By Cath Bore

We’re plotting our route and lacing up to experience as many cultural events as possible this Friday 19th May 2017 as LightNight returns to Liverpool.

Liverpool’s galleries, heritage and academic venues along with other unconventional spaces, throw open their doors from 5pm until late this Friday as for the eight year, the public are invited to explore hundreds of free cultural events staged across the city centre for visitors of all ages.

Over 100 local arts organisations and 900 artists will be celebrating this year’s theme of ‘time’ and we’ve lined up another 10 amazing

1 – LightNight at Liverpool Cathedral, Hope Street, 5pm-11pm

The Cathedral is open for music. From 6.45pm, the Super Sonic Assembly, a giant vocal jam followed by a DJ set from Greg Wilson, will take place in the main Cathedral space. Alternately you can immerse yourself in a soundscape in the Lady Chapel. Outside on the plateau, play the Illumaphonium, a giant music-making sculpture.

If you want a bit of peace and quiet, prayer stations are situated throughout the Cathedral, and night prayers will take place on the hour between 7pm and 10pm in the Lady Chapel. Or you can head to the top of the Tower, until 10pm, for a glorious view of the city.

2 – Time To Hit The Gym LJMU John Lennon Building, Duckinfield Street, 5pm-9:30pm

If it’s something a bit more energetic you’re after, how about a work out? Take part in High Intensity Interval Training (HIT) activities in four different zones – a lab, a gym, a living room and workplace – to see how you can fit keeping fit into your work and home life.

3 – Typhoon and the Pedal Players, Paradise Street and surrounding area 5pm-9pm

In a special LightNight commission, the time travellers Typhoon and Pedal Players are in town! Because their time machine is broken, they are stuck in a time continuum; cycling around in circles for centuries, telling the same stories for years and YEEEARS! Will they return to 2017? Or surrender to a lifetime of steampunk storytelling? Go and find them there or anywhere between Paradise Street (near John Lewis), Manesty’s Lane, Peter’s Lane and Bluecoat Courtyard.

4 – Fancy a Selfie?, Bluecoat Arts Centre 5pm- 9pm

A selfie with a difference, that is! Join Blue Room, Bluecoat’s inclusive arts programme, who will take you on a fancy dress journey through time; create your own accessories and props in a pop up costume workshop, then visit the photo booth or one of the selfie stations to capture and share your moment in the Bluecoat time portal.

5 – Gaming Through Time, Contemporary Urban Centre 6pm – 8pm

The Studio School have curated the world’s first interactive, educational, retro gaming museum. This interactive, playable exhibition is home to many consoles of the past; from the Commodore 64 – introduced back in 1982 – to the ZX Spectrum and a Nintendo Entertainment System, moving into the modern day with consoles such as the SEGA Dreamcast and PlayStation.

6 – Emily Dickinson and the Trap of Time, Liverpool Central Library Hornby Library 7pm – 8pm

The Black Entrails put the work of the great poet Emily Dickinson to music, blending various elements of avant-garde and medieval music, with musique concrete and shades of indie and world music as well.

7 – Frequency British Music Experience, Cunard Building (Pier Head Entrance) 5pm – 10pm

There’s a family friendly rave at the British Music Experience exhibition! Go on a journey through acid house, suitable for all the family. Find out about the music and visuals that made The Second Summer of Love so iconic, along with a preview of the full British Music Experience, the story of British pop music from 1945 to the present day.

8 – Liver Sketching Club, Gostins Building, Hanover Street (7^th floor) 5pm – 9.30pm

Liver Sketching Club is England’s oldest continuously active art club. Tonight you can see an exhibition by club members and if you fancy having a go yourself, there is a model is sitting for most of the evening. Visitors also have the opportunity to be a model themselves! Drawing materials are provided free of charge.

9 – Flashback Black Lodge Brewery, 4 Kitchen St L1 0AN 5pm – midnight

A time machine transporting you back to your fondest memory. Step inside, choose a song associated with that memory and travel to a moment in time through drawing as this sensory experience uses light and distorted projections to immerse both the voyager inside the installation and those observing from the outside in a unique representation of memory, space and time.

10 – The Art of Tea, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Albert Dock, 5pm – 9pm

There’s no problem that can’t be solved by putting the kettle on, and tonight The Art of Tea celebrates the good old British cuppa.  Tea, coffee and sugar were once expensive commodities that, upon their arrival on ships, were stored within the Maritime building – originally a bonded warehouse. Come to this craft session – suitable for children 5 years old and over – and create artworks to take away, inspired by the history of the docks and these once valuable commodities. Tea tastings take place 5:30pm and 7:30pm. The Liverpool Signing Choir perform a selection of songs between 6.30pm and 7.15pm.

For more information on what LightNight has to offer, check out www.lightnightliverpool.co.uk and don’t forget to tag us in your LightNight pics and selfies, @TheGuideLpool and we’ll share the best on our socials.