Residents of Knotty Ash and Dovecot Park invited to help shape a unique festival

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 2pm-5pm.

Weekly Creative community workshops will continue on Thursdays from 4:30pm – 6:30pm from 30 January until 6 March 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.

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.”

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