A new Liverpool city region arts venue will open this summer and will be home to a wide range of live music, arts and creativity in a four-floor space. Andrew Brown reports
A new arts venue is set to open in Southport this summer.
Warehouse Arts Centre will become home to a wide range of live music, arts and creativity, set across four floors on West Street in Southport town centre. It takes its name from the iconic former Warehouse restaurant which occupied the site several years ago.
Liverpool FC legend Steve Gerrard – who later part owned the restaurant – often spoke about it in interviews as his favourite place in the world to eat.
Warehouse Arts Centre will be playing host to the “next generation of stars” as it provides a platform for the many talented people within Southport’s very rich and diverse arts and cultural scene. Construction work is already under way.
Behind the initiative are Ella, Spud and Yvette Cooper, owners of Cooper’s Bar on Leicester Street, working alongside Andrew Portersmith and Stephanie Portersmith of the not-for-profit organisation Music Stuff, and a dedicated team from Tides Out Studios.
The Warehouse Arts Centre is not even open yet but has already been hailed in Parliament.
The Coopers said: “It’s not every day your business gets mentioned in the House of Commons. We are happy our hard work is being recognised, and we will continue to dedicate our time to keeping the grassroots music scene alive in our home town.
“We are so excited about our big move into The Warehouse Arts Centre. We will be filling all four floors of the building, which will be an exciting new space for live music, arts and more.
“Coopers Bar has become such a popular venue for live music that we need a larger space to accommodate bigger audiences, as well as giving us the opportunity to attract even more quality bands to perform.
“We are building a brand-new stage and Cooper’s Music will be relocating inside from Union Street. There will be ‘Modulart’ Art Gallery where local artists will be able to apply to exhibit their work for free, on a rolling basis.
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“Musicians will be able to utilise the new Tides Out recording studio. There will be a shop selling arts and crafts. We will have rooms on the upper floors where people will be able to host art classes, music lessons and acting classes.
“We will be hosting wellbeing and yoga events and there will be teaching rooms and video editing rooms. The Warehouse Arts Centre is taking shape, and we’re excited to be able to share more details about our journey as the work progresses.”