Liverpool’s Angel Field Festival to host International Beatles Symposium

Liverpool will host an international Beatles symposium celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the release of the band’s debut album, Please Please Me, later this month.

The symposium will explore the musical, cultural, historical, political, and social contexts of the Beatles’ and members’ solo works as part of a nine-day arts festival hosted by Liverpool Hope University. 

Now in its fifth year, the Angel Field Festival is a celebration of music, fine art, storytelling, dance, drama, film, magic and comedy taking place at the Cornerstone and Capstone Theatres on Hope’s Creative Campus between Friday 24 March and Saturday 1 April.

The Beatles symposium will be held on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 March and is a chance to hear from a panel of international experts, including Professor Kenneth Womack, one of the world’s leading authorities on the Beatles and their enduring cultural influence.

It also features a selection of local musicians who were active on the Merseybeat scene in the 1960s and a screening of The City That Rocked The World, a documentary marking fifty years of music made on Merseyside.

The symposium is one of 21 events taking place at the 2023 instalment of the Festival.

Other highlights include Steve Price Illusions, one of the UK’s most recognisable magicians who has thrilled audiences around the world for more than a decade with his unique blend of laughs, mystery and stunning sleight of hand.

And there will be a special performance to close the Festival, with The Who’s premier live tribute act, Who’s Next, taking to the stage on Saturday 1 April. 

Fifty years on from the release of the iconic Quadrophenia, the acclaimed tribute band will perform what is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time in a show that is a must watch for any fan of The Who.

With acts from across the performing arts spectrum, the Angel Field Festival builds upon Liverpool’s distinct tradition of culture and arts, aiming to delight, challenge, captivate and exhilarate with its varied and diverse content that celebrates excellence in the arts in an inclusive environment.

Combining local and international artists, there is a mix of paid-for and free events, including the ‘Piece’ of Mind exhibition, which is a collaboration between undergraduate students at Liverpool Hope, HMP Liverpool and residents of local care homes living with Dementia.

Among the other free shows is RELEASE, an interactive digital art installation and dance performance exploring stories of female migration and the human capacity to offer a place of refuge in times of crisis.

Professor Stephen Davismoon, Angel Field Festival director and Dean of Hope’s School of Creative and Performing Arts said: 

“Over the last five years, the festival has morphed into an event which celebrates creative diversity and that is evident in this year’s line-up.

“We know the Beatles symposium in particular will resonate with fans in Liverpool and beyond, but we are delighted with the entire line-up.

“There really is something for everyone and we are pleased that we have been able to maintain our commitment to community engagement by providing a platform for local performers and initiatives.”

For the latest in news and events, keeping checking The Guide Liverpool.

For more information on the Angel Field Festival, including the line up, click here.