Culture Diary w/c 07-04-2025
Our pick of this week’s arts, design, film and music events from across Liverpool and beyond…
Monday – Eraserhead 7.45pm @ FACT Liverpool – £8.50
David Lynch’s debut feature, Eraserhead announced a remarkable new voice in Western Cinema. It is a darkly surreal vision of a film, which continues to intrigue almost half a century after its release.
Tuesday – Exhibitions Continue: Joanne Masding; Rowena Harris; and Veronica Watson 6pm @ the Bluecoat, Liverpool – FREE
The Bluecoat opened a trio of new exhibitions last week: Joanne Masding, who describes writing as a ‘sculpting tool’, explores words, images and objects in The Moveable Scene of the Page, by combining sculpture, fiction and typography. In her film Long Covid and the Culture of Disbelief, Rowena Harris (below) draws on her experience of living with ME. The condition, compounded for Harris by the pandemic, has a long and complicated story – one, not dissimilarly from those suffering with long Covid, bound up with the wider world’s disbelieving its actual nature. Upstairs, you’ll find portraiture from Veronica Watson; a founder member of Blueroom (Bluecoat’s inclusive arts project), for the best part of two decades, Watson has documented the comings and goings at the gallery, many of whom are immortalised on the gallery walls and in new publication, All Together Now.
Wednesday – Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds 6.30pm (doors) @ M&S Arena, Liverpool – £47.95-£100.50
Yes, it’s quite pricey (especially given we try to put as many free listings on here as possible) but if, like me, your folks had Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds on frequent rotation growing up, this latest stage version feels more or less irresistible. It had us at Jeff Wayne, but it also marks 130 years since the first publication of H.G. Wells’ source material. What’s not to love?
Thursday – Skylight Thursdays – Goodbye to Goodison 12pm @ Museum of Liverpool – FREE
Even as a Liverpool fan, to say that Everton’s vacating of Goodison Park after more than 130 years come the end of this season is a big deal is something of an understatement. My best mate is a blue; I’ve stood on the Gwladys Street End with him more than once. It’s a monumental move. So, recently opened exhibition Goodbye to Goodison is a must see show. Why not catch it in the company of one of its contributing photographers? Today’s session is with exhibition curator, Chris Wardle.
Friday – Melinda Cooper in Conversation with Bahar Noorizadeh, Kodwo Eshun + Anjalika Sagar 11am @ FACT Liverpool – FREE
The impressive series of talks with Otolith Collective and current FACT artist Bahar Noorizadeh continues this week when the latter is joined once again by writer, theorist and filmmaker Kodwo Eshun and filmmaker Anjalika Sagar. The line-up is completed by author and social and political theorist, Melinda Cooper, whose work focuses on recent capitalism and its intersections with class, gender and race.
Wolfgang Flür 7pm @ Future Yard, Birkenhead – £24
Kraftwerk’s drummer between 1973 and 1986, Wolfgang Flür’s performance MUSIK SOLDAT – including videos and images from shows past and present and, of course, electro – returns to Birkenhead.
Saturday – Record Store Day @ Various Venues – FREE
Record stores are, of course, for life, not just one arbitrarily allocated day per year; but it’s always worth noting this annual occasion, simply because it’s an opportunity to celebrate the scene, community and ever-growing rekindling of our love of vinyl. Plus, there’s always a fair few performances across the various stores. Jacaranda Records, in particular, has gone especially large for 2025, with a proper all-dayer kicking off at 10am and culminating in an as yet to be announced secret set.
Further Reading: Liverpool’s Indies (with Jacaranda Records, Dig Vinyl, and Dead Air Records)
2001: A Space Odyssey 5.30pm @ FACT Liverpool – £8.50
It’s no surprise that Stanley Kubrick’s love letter to losing your mind in outer space while coming face to face with the key to humanity sits pretty in the latest Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time poll. While there’s no bad time to watch it, now seems especially apt, given the current debates raging about AI. No less than a masterpiece.
Further Reading: On 2001: A Space Odyssey
Sunday – Poetry Reading: Eleanor Rees and Luke Thompson 2pm @ Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool – FREE
A valuable strand to this photography gallery’s programming in recent times has been its commitment to poets and poetry in general. Today, this is in the form of a reading from her latest collection Portent and Portals by Eleanor Rees. Rees is joined by editor, writer and publisher from Guillemot Press, Luke Thompson, for his insights into small press publishing. After which, Open Eye poet in residence, Dr Pauline Rowe hosts a Q&A, with topics ranging from the writing life of a poet to the editorial process and the broader themes addressed in Rees’ work.
Mike Pinnington
Images/media, from top: Eraserhead trailer; The War of The Worlds 2025 trailer; © Chris Wardle, derby day, Feb 2025; 2001: A Space Odyssey film still
