Below are the events that happened in 2021...
International Cabaret
From June we have developed a relationship with Sriram Gokul (pictured below), who is based in India, which has resulted in a series of virtual cabaret events incorporating acts from India, the UK and (on occasion) New York.
The Interchange Project: Celebrating 'The Heart of Bolton'
The Interchange Project featuring photographs and cartoons of contemporary Bolton came to an end on 24 July after four weeks. Over 300 visitors found their way to Platform 5, the Bolton Station Community Partnership gallery and left with a smile on their face. The re-opening of the Gallery, after a long Covid layoff, had an element of risk but the efforts of Live from Worktown committee members photographer Julia Uttley and cartoonist Dave Burnham paid off in buckets with many new and old contacts established with Live from Worktown membership topping 500 for the first time. We owe a big thanks to Julie Levy of the Community Partnership for encouraging us to use the gallery and making it possible, to the volunteers who entertained visitors each Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the public who submitted their photographs, and Julia and Dave for persevering with the idea throughout lockdown. Examples of all the work exhibited can be found on the LfW facebook group and www.livefromworktown.org
Click Here for Dave and Julia's pictures and Click Here to see for the winning photographs.
Poetry Journeys
click here to view the website - An edition of the magazine was produced every month with growing success.
Worktown Walks
Following on the success of last year’s 'Cotton, Culture and Characters', we launched additional free and online, historically-themed guided walks.
You can find out more about the walks and download the guided walk by clicking here
World Poetry Day Event - A Special Cultural Cabaret 7.30pm 21st March 2021
Organised and hosted by Dave Morgan the line up was 14 poets reading poems from 14 different languages - in translation. The poets included:: Natalie Smalley, Shriram, Gokul, Hilary Walker, Margaret Simpson, Julian Jordon, Steven Waling, Rosemary Moore, Rich Davenport, Jacky Woods, Rosie Cullen, Gordon Zola & Eve Nortley, Lynn Collier Jelly with songs from Eric Lever
Cultural Cabaret
8pm 28th February Line up: Special guest Michael Chapman with Gordon Zola, Dave Morgan, Eve Nortley, Chris Kehoe, Sopie & Paul, and host Peter Firth.
International Cabaret
In conjunction with India's Chennai’s Bharathi Open Mic, Live from Worktown presented this event which will took place on our Facebook Group (Click Here) on Wednesday, 4th August at 7pm UK time - 4pm New York, Midnight Chennai/Mumbai).
Starring, New York poet, George Wallace
Supported by:
the boy from Little Lever, Oliver James Lomax,
Bharathi Open Mic founder, Sriram Gokul,
‘Me Too’ activist and actress/poet, Shrutee Choudhary.
With
Eve Nortley (poet), Dushyant Satbhai (singer), Adwait Keska (tabala), James Hartnell (jazz guitar).
Technical Direction/keyboards: Peter Firth
Compere: Dave Morgan
Out of the blue we were offered the chance to host the top touring band of the moment
Lukas Oravec & Alex Garnett Quintet
Lukáš Oravec – Trumpet, (leading award-winning Slovakian Trumpeter)
Alex Garnett – Saxophone, (Ronnie Scott's Club, Soho, played with artists from Sir John Dankworth and Wynton Marsalis, to Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones).
Jamil Sheriff – Keyboard, (Bolton-born pianist/composer, now Head of Jazz Composition at Leeds College of Music)
Jack Garside - Double Bass
Marek Dorčík – Drums
The gig was on Friday 3 September at the Northern Monkey, Nelson Square, Bolton
National Poetry Day 7th October
We hosted a Zoom event on the day with 14 poets .
Here is the link to the Zoom recording and the comments are attached. To view it you need the Passcode: 2qU?6twJ
Wordsmith Workshops
We attempted to put on 5 Workshops over two Saturdays in October, but we had to cancel as it seems people aren't ready post-covid to go to in-person events. We will re-arrange for a later date.
History Walk with the Wanderlust Walkers Group led by Dave Burnham
Bolton Saturday 30th October
This was another successful collaboration with the Wanderlust Women - a muslim hiking group founded by Amira Patel.Live from Worktown's Dave Burnham led the group of walkers through a mix of residential areas and woodland paths around North Bolton tracing the route of Worktown Walks 1: Cotton, Culture and Characters.
A skilled and engaging raconteur, Dave entertained the group who travelled from places such as Oldham and the Peak District as well as Bolton with stories drawn from the area's rich history.
The Top Storey Club Tragedy - A Talk by Dave Burnham
Bolton Central Library
Saturday 20th November 2021
11am - 12pm
It was the dawn of the 1960s and things were starting to change. In Bolton, still a traditional cotton town, people could visit newly opened eateries and nightclubs such as Aristotle’s, the Tai Tung or the Kismet Restaurant. In December 1961 a new fashionable nightclub had opened in town. The Top Storey Club was high above the River Croal in an old warehouse on Crown Street. On Monday 1st May 1961, a fire swept the building leading to the death of 19 people.
Local historian, Dave Burnham, reflected on the tragic events of this night and gave a glimpse into life in Bolton in the early 1960s.
Eighty people turned up including about 15 relatives of the dead and one man who was there, so there was a lot of debate. At the end, the bloke who was there said, ‘Pedro didn’t do it, but I know who did…’
2022 Calendar
Once again Deve Burnham produced a well received offering