WIRRAL ARTS: Our pick of events taking place in Hoylake this weekend for the inaugural Festival of Firsts

Jul 6 2011 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

HOYLAKE will become a hotbeds of creativity from Friday as the inaugural Festival of Firsts kicks off.

Hundreds of artists, musicians and poets will take part from Friday, July 8 until Sunday, July 10.

The arts festival will include premiere performances of plays, poems and musical works.

It will be repeated in Oxton on July 15 to 17.

The promenade is due to host an art exhibition, and the festival team also plan to create “Gallery Hoylake” which will see the entire town turned into an art gallery, with local shops and businesses displaying works of art from Saturday, July 2, to Saturday, July 16.

Here’s our pick of this weekend’s line-up:

lFriday sees the world premiere of poet and former Scaffold member John Gorman’s play Lena, from 8pm at St Luke’s Church.

lFlower demonstration from Gill Davies at the Vanilla Lounge from 8pm. Tickets £5.

l Saturday is music day at the Festival of Firsts, with live performances taking place at The Ship Inn, Vanilla Lounge, Tides Wine Bar, Jack Rabbit Slims, Panache and Glassfire between 1pm and 9 or 10pm. Acts include Caroline England, Beta and Barney Soanes. For a full line-up see www.festivaloffirsts.co.uk/artists/music

l Wirral Ukeleles group will perform in public for the first time on Saturday at St Hildeburgh C of E Church, starting at 3pm

l Acoustic folk and blues night at Hoylake Sailing Club on Saturday from 7.30pm. Tickets are £6.50 from Hoylake Sailing Club,

John Chapman Insurance and

LAM Music, Banks Road, West Kirby.

lSt Luke’s Methodist Church will host the Melrose Singers at 12noon on Saturday, tickets £5.

l Hoylake Chapel is hosting an evening of flamenco and tapas from 7.30pm on Saturday, tickets £15.

l John Gorman and friends perform at St Luke’s from 8pm on Saturday, tickets £5.

l Philosophy in Pubs will discuss art at the Ship Inn from 11am on Saturday.

l Floral Art Exhibition at Melrose Hall from 12pm to 4pm, with the same venue hosting a cheese and wine event with violinist Alex Smith between 6pm and 8pm, for a nominal charge.

l Workshops takes place throughout the day, with an Impropriety improvisation workshop at Hoylake Evangelical Church between 2pm and 4pm.

l Sunday is Art and Poetry Day, with day long arts events at Hoylake Community Centre covering everything from textiles, to jewellery, audio visual, sculpture, glass hanging, felting, enamelling, painting and face painting.

l On Sunday poetry performances take place every 20-25 minutes at the following venues between 1.30pm and 4pm: Vanilla Lounge, Ship Inn, Tides Wine Bar, Panache and La Bodega.

lSunday will culminate in a Poetry Concert at St Luke’s Church, from 7.30pm, featuring Kate Fox and other great local poets. Tickets are £5.

To find out more visit www.festivaloffirsts.co.uk