Walton residents are being invited to explore what home means to them at a series of workshops at Spellow Community Hub and Library.
Culture Liverpool has commissioned artist Dora Colquhoun – a neurodivergent writer, facilitator, performer, and theatre maker – to deliver series of workshops, the first of which will take place this Saturday (12 April) from 11.30 – 12.45. The interactive family taster will draw inspiration from famous characters who left home to go on an adventure such as Dorothy, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Three Little Pigs.
The Welcome Home project will culminate with a celebration event on Saturday 21 June and living room installation in the library, featuring meaningful objects collected from residents throughout the series.
The artist residency is part of Culture Liverpool’s Creative Neighbourhoods programme of collaborative projects and creative interventions that engage with communities and neighbourhoods throughout Liverpool. The work, which includes artistic residencies, public art, events and creative engagement workshops, aims to address the needs of each community at a neighbourhood level, using co-creative practices to encourage local pride, a sense of place, inclusivity, accessibility and empowerment.
This funding has been made possible as a result of UK Shared Prosperity Funding (SPF). UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to support building a sense of pride for the people of Liverpool, contributing to increasing life chances and supporting a sense of belonging for both artists and audiences. This project is supported by recovery funding provided by Central Government and Arts Council England.
The family sessions will run from 10am – 1pm on the following days:
- Saturday 3 May
- Saturday 17 May
- Saturday 24 May
Family sessions will be co-facilitated by Isaac Nixon AKA Og the Giant! – a Liverpool based storyteller with a wealth of experience working with families to unlock their imagination through play and storytelling.
There will also be a series of sessions aimed at adults from 10am – 1pm on the following days:
- Wednesday 23 April
- Wednesday 7 May
- Wednesday 14 May
- Wednesday 21 May
- Wednesday 4 June
- Saturday 7 June
- Wednesday 11 June
- Saturday 14 June
- Wednesday 18 June
The project is the latest to engage the residents in and around County Road, who were devastated when Spellow Community Hub and Library was torched last summer. Ongoing projects include What’s Your Walton Story, a 12-week creative writing course led by Writing on the Wall. Previous projects include Our Home, Our Place, Our Space, an artist residency in collaboration with Open Eye Gallery.
Dora Colquhoun, whose past successes including writing and performing in ADHD The Musical, said:
“This will be a collaborative project, allowing us to explore what different cultures need to feel safe and comfortable. While aesthetics, food and traditions may vary across cultures, the universal desire to feel welcome and secure in our community unites us all.
“My approach is to gently explore cultural differences through creative workshops, providing an opportunity for people living in and around County Road to connect and understand one another. The goal is to create a welcoming space in the library where discussions about identity and positive hopes for the future can take place.”
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:
“Spellow Community Hub and Library is a welcoming and inclusive shared space for storytelling and connection. This project aims to give marginalised or underrepresented communities a platform to share their stories; helps individuals feel seen, valued, and heard, improving confidence and belonging; and encourage pride in cultural heritage while finding common ground with others.”
