From 1 May 2024. Dogs of all shapes and sizes can explore fifty acres of formal and landscaped gardens of Cheshire's Tatton Park with their owners, enjoying the views and finding their favourite picnic spot in the longer summer days. In this new initiative that Tatton Park are trialling this year, dogs on short leads will be welcome in Tatton’s formal gardens every day through the summer. This new dog initiative in the gardens, will be trialled across the summer months and will be reviewed at the end of September 2024. Not everyone loves dogs, and some people fear them, so visitors are reminded to make sure their dogs don’t approach other people, especially children, unless the dog is invited to. In addition to the gardens there are some wonderful parkland walks for visitors with dogs to explore with over one thousand acres of ancient deer park to enjoy. Dogs can exercise off lead, under close control, in the parkland. But please remember to keep a close eye on your dog at all time and have a supply of little bags, should the need arise. Tatton Park are very mindful of their duty to balance the needs of dog owners, who want to enjoy Tatton Park and not leave their dogs "Home Alone" or in a potentially hot car. With their custodianship row in supporting efforts to protect precious parkland wildlife, farm animals and habitats. Hence out in the parkland, dogs will need to be on leads and under close control from 1 May – 31 July 2024 as this is Deer calving time. If you wish to take your family, and the family pet(s) to Tatton this summer (fingers crossed it will be hot, but I didn't want to tempt providence). please check out the up to date advice on the Tatton Park website www.tattonpark.org.uk/dogs and to look out for signage on site, during their visit.

From 26th April - 10th May 2024, Liverpool will come alive with dance, with performances taking place in theatres, cultural venues and public spaces on the streets of the city centre. Leap Dance Festival will present two weeks of dance events showcasing Liverpool City Region talent across seven key venues this spring. After a successful crowdfunding campaign , organisers are delighted to announce a packed programme of events. Established local dance artists and companies perform alongside young people and community groups, in a range of styles from burlesque and breakdance to contemporary dance and a ceilidh, with tickets ranging from £0-£25. Paul Doyle, the festival's Artistic Director says: “ We are so excited to bring dance to audiences across Liverpool. From Breakdance to Vogue, contemporary to tap, there’s something for everyone ”. The festival launches on Friday 26th April at The Black-E with a night of cabaret, burlesque and circus performances, later taking over venues from The Capstone Theatre to National Museums Liverpool, with a schools showcase on International Dance Day. The festival closes on Friday 10th May with a House of Suarez spectacular, featuring vogue artists alongside performers from all dance disciplines from across the festival. Programme Ooh La La Cabaret Friday 26th April, 7pm, The Black-E, £25/22 Ooh La La Cabaret presents a night of circus, cabaret and burlesque. Expect high camp entertainment and death defying stunts from world class performers. - Dancing at the Museum Saturday 27th April, 12pm, National Museums Liverpool, Free Experience pop-up performances happening in museums and galleries across Liverpool. - Schools Dance Platform Monday 29th April, 7pm, Archbishop Blanch, £8/6 Schools and colleges from across Liverpool City Region have been invited to share performances based on countries and cultures from around the world, for International Dance Day. - Liverpool Dance Prize Thursday 2nd May, 7pm, The Capstone Theatre , £12/10 The North West’s emerging artists and choreographers share new work in a chance to win £1000 development fund. In partnership with Liverpool Hope University and Dance Consortia North West. - Youth Dance Showcase Saturday 4th May, 7pm, The Capstone Theatre, £10/8 An evening of performances by and for youth dance companies from across Liverpool City Region. - Dockside Breakers: Boss Breaking Sunday 5th May, 1pm The Black-E, £15 Dockside Breakers take over the Black E in a celebration of hip hop and breakdance culture. This jam will be a competition for over and under 16s, with competitors battling it out for prize monies. - Dancing in the Streets Monday 6th May, 12pm, Liverpool City Centre, Free Enjoy outdoor performances from some of the region’s leading artists. Sponsored by Liverpool BID Company and Liverpool One. - Sole Rebel: Ceilidh Tuesday 7th May, 7.30pm, Liverpool Arts Bar, £10/8 Sole Rebel CIC brings their community Ceilidh event to Leap Dance Festival. Dust off your shoes and get ready to take part in an evening of dancing and live music. - Triple Bill: Rowena Gander/Taciturn(above)/TMC Collective Wednesday 8th May, 7.30pm, Unity Theatre, £15/£12 A triple bill of new work commissioned by Culture Liverpool from female choreographers based in Liverpool. - Higher Education Showcase Thursday 9th May, 1.30pm, The Capstone Theatre, Free (tickets required) A selection of new work by emerging talent from the North West, selected from universities and training schools. - House of Suarez vs Leap Friday 10th May, 7pm, The Black-E, £25/22 Worlds collide, as performers from across the festival take to the runway in a range of categories, with iconic voguing from House of Suarez. Hosted by Rikki Beadle Blair. Tickets are on sale now via leapfestival.co.uk

Created by performance maker Ray Young, OUT won the 2017 South East Dance A Space to Dance Brighton Fringe Award and was nominated for the 2017 Total Theatre & The Place Award for Dance. Embracing personal, political, and cultural dissonance; this act of interdisciplinary self-expression smashes through normativity, summoning voices and re-enacting movements in an exhilarating mash-up of remembrance and re-invention. OUT carves out a new kind of space from which to reimagine, reclaim and celebrate aspects of Caribbean culture from a queer perspective. Ray Young ’s award-winning duet OUT comes to the Lilian Baylis Studio from Thursday 25 – Friday 26 April 2024. OUT defiantly challenges homophobia and transphobia while reclaiming dancehall and celebrating social dance culture. The 2024 restaging of OUT is performed by Azara Meghie and Bambi Jordan Phillips and features lighting design by Nao Nagai, set design by Naomi Kuyck-Cohen, sound design by Naomi Jackson and costume design by Mia Maxwell. Esma Allman is Assistant Director, Nandi Bhebhe Movement Director and Nussatari Movement Consultant. Ahead of OUT coming to the Lilian Baylis Studio, Ray Young said “I am extremely excited to be bringing OUT back in 2024, the themes in the work resonate more now than ever before. As queer people we are still living in a world in which it is contentious for us to dare to thrive in our bodies, this is doubly so for our trans siblings whose lives are often under threat from the simple act of living authentically." "Surely being able to do this is non-negotiable. I’m over the moon and hugely privileged to be working with Bambi Jordan Philips and Azara Meghie. Two phenomenal queer performances artists who will step into the work as performers for this iteration of OUT . It is amazing to be kicking off the year with this project!” Rob Jones, Sadler’s Wells Associate Artistic Director said “When I first saw OUT , I was completely mesmerised and shook to the core. The way this work irreverently takes up space and pushes forward an important conversation is a gift. I am beyond excited to welcome Ray Young’s latest iteration of this work to the Lilian Baylis Studio. Both Azara Meghie and Bambi Jordan Phillips are incredible performers in their own right, who are breathing new life into this powerful production. Bring on the dancehall, lasers, pink dance floor and the oranges.” OUT was created with kind support from Arts Council England, The Marlborough Theatre, The Yard Theatre, IBT, Leicester Curve, South East Dance and Greenwich University. The 2024 restaging of the work has been supported by Cambridge Junction and Sadler’s Wells. Out comes to Lilian Baylis Studio on Thursday 25th & Friday 26t April. For tickets and further information please go to www.sadlerswells.com or ring the Ticket Office 020 7863 8000  Image(s) Performers Azara Meghie and Bambi Jordan Phillips (c) Glodi Miessi

" It was as perfect a day as I could wish for. Getting to hang out with one of my favourite bands and take pictures was just sensational." Tom Murray In the Summer of 1968, Tom Murray was invited to assist renowned photojournalist Sir Don McCullin in capturing a new publicity campaign for The Beatles, who at the time were in the midst of recording The White Album. Armed with just two rolls of film and a Nikon F:35mm, Murray produced some of the most revered colour images of the band, now known as the ‘Mad Day Out’. From April 19th - May 25th, RedHouse Gallery in Harrogate will premiere a new exhibition presenting an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes with The Beatles, featuring images by acclaimed photographer Tom Murray. During a time when The Beatles kept to themselves and away from photographers as much as possible, Murray couldn't believe his luck; alongside McCullin, he had been selected as one of the few people given carte blanche to photograph the band. He recalls: "At first they were fed up of having pictures taken, so they stopped doing shoots altogether. However, when they kept seeing out-of-date photos they decided to do one final day of what they called 'mad' photography. They hired Don to capture their antics as they wanted, and I was left to my own devices to shoot whatever I liked. It's a photographer's dream to be free to shoot what they want: no brief, no instructions and no restrictions." "It really was a mad day rushing around London. We would get half-an-hour, maybe forty-five minutes at the most, in any one place before too many people arrived, which was really good. I doubt you could do it now. You'd be inundated with screaming fans and paparazzi in about 30 seconds! " The day after the shoot, The Beatles recorded the single Hey Jude. Murray processed and printed his two rolls of film, and, remarkably, stored them away for almost thirty years. These photographs were only viewed in public for the first time in 1998, and the colours, tone and definition are astonishing for their age - the original slides were kept in the dark in an envelope for many years. Murray’s complete ‘Mad Day Out’ collection of 23 photographs will be exhibited with just one example of each image available to purchase. These rare prints will be complemented by artworks from Astrid Kirchherr, Dudley Edwards and Peter Blake. The exhibition - ‘The Beatles: A Mad Day Out’ will go on display in Harrogate from Friday 19th April – Saturday 25 th May. The Beatles: Mad Day Out | RedHouse Originals

Somewhere nearby, there’s a meeting going on. A very important meeting. Run by very important people. Making very important decisions about your lives. But you and your family are not allowed inside… it’s nothing you need to worry about. 140 years ago this year, in November 1884, representatives from 12 European nations, the Ottoman Empire and the U.S.A met at an international conference in Berlin. Before the conference, 80% of Africa remained under local and traditional control, but by 1902, 90% of the continent was under the colonial rule of the powers that met in Berlin. BAFTA-winning game-makers Coney announce brand new co-creation with theatre-maker Rhianna Ilube , 1884 : an immersive anti-colonial playable theatre show inspired by the legacy of the 1884 Berlin Conference, which is coming to Shoreditch Town Hall from Wednesday 17 - Saturday 27 April . Co-created by artists, historians and activists, 1884 is a groundbreaking game-theatre show inspired by this often-overlooked turning point in history for the African continent and the world. Writer and project director, Rhianna Ilube commented: "1884 was inspired by the work of activists from the African diaspora in Berlin who have been raising awareness about how Germany has largely erased the memory of its role in the colonisation of Africa. I wanted to bring the story of the 1884 conference to the UK, but the nature and impact of this show have gone much further than I could've imagined." "1884, created over a year of debates, experimentation and playtests with Coney and amazing creative collaborators, touches on the heart of crucial questions about land ownership, memorial cultures, decolonisation, gentrification, protest and more. I'm so proud that it will finally be experienced - and shaped - by audiences.” The experience explores the ways in which anti-colonial resistance movements have been excluded from our public history and collective historical narrative, and how this omission highlights a glaring oversight in how we memorialise the impacts of colonialism. Taking place in a modern fictionalised setting named Wilhelm Street, over the course of two and a half hours, 1884 immerses audiences in a world that echoes the dynamics of the conference. Played around tables in Shoreditch Town Hall’s iconic Council Chamber, participants form small family groups, collaborate on playful activities, and make choices about how to build their family community and make their house a home. However, as rules are gradually imposed on the groups and it becomes increasingly clear that not everything is within their control, they must decide how to respond. 1884 asks: how is history recorded, and who is left outside of the room where history is written? Make sure, this room, Shoreditch Town Hall Council Chamber is one you are not left out of to see this ground-breaking immersive experience. Tickets and further information on 1884, which runs from Wednesday 17th - Saturday 27th April, can be found at https://shoreditchtownhall.com/whats-on/1884 Top Image (c) Kerry Churcher Below: 1884 by Coney @ Talawa Firsts_(c) Alex Brenner

Flamenco guitarist, composer and producer Paco Peña and his company return to Sadler’s Wells Theatre with Solera from Wednesday 17 to Saturday 20 April, following its acclaimed run in 2022. Paco Peña, supported by his friend, theatre director, Jude Kelly CBE for the piece’s dramaturgy, explores artistic wisdom and the fearlessness of youth in search for new expression. Paco Peña and Jude Kelly CBE started working together twenty years ago, when they created Voces y Ecos. Other projects include A Compás! and Flamenco sin Fronteras, a study of flamenco forms at the turn of the twentieth century, when Spanish performers arriving in South America discovered a folklore reminiscent of their own musical traditions. With Solera, the duo collaborates again to tell the story of love and respect of the flamenco way of life. The solera system, from Andalucía in Southern Spain, is a process for aging wine by fractional blending in such a way that the finished product is a mixture of ages, with the average age gradually increasing as the process continues over many years. The purpose for this is the maintenance of a reliable style and quality of the beverage over time. The word “solera” means “on the ground” in Spanish and refers to the lower level of the set of barrels used in the process; the liquid is traditionally transferred from barrel to barrel, top to bottom. Echoing this method, Peña’s spectacle presents a history of flamenco tradition – handed down from one generation to the next whilst finding its own new means of expression. Paco Peña said: “ The shows I present on stage always tend to follow a familiar journey: finding a meaningful idea, finding a title, in a word or two, that might contain the essence of that idea; then giving shape to it, in rehearsals with all my colleagues. And finally, with much trepidation, stepping on the stage to share it with the audience ." " I have to say that in all the years I have been taking that journey I have never experienced anything like the outburst of emotion from all the artists as we came off the stage on the opening night of ‘Solera’, in 2022 at Sadler’s Wells Theatre … there was not a dry cheek among us – and that was at the interval. ” Solera features young and mature artists – dancers, musicians and singers. 81-year-old guitar virtuoso Peña performs side by side Dani de Morón, a wonderful and innovative young exponent of the flamenco guitar, as well as with dancers Angel Muñoz, a long-time participator, Adriana Bilbao and Brazilian dancer Gabriel Matías, who specialised in flamenco in Madrid. True to the art form’s spirit of community, the dancers’ feet connect with the ground to combine with the sounds of percussion, guitar and song as the ensemble come together to present both traditional and original live music. Solera runs at Sadler's Wells from Wednesday 17th April – Saturday 20th April. For tickets and further information please contact the ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com

In preparation for the free celebration of African music and culture in Sefton Park this June, there's more entertainment on offer with no charge this year as Jali Bakary Konteh heads to The Tung Auditorium for their free Lunchtime Concert Series on Wednesday 17th April . Jali Bakary is the grandson and son, respectively, of the legendary Gambian kora players Alhaji Bai Konte and Dembo Konte. Born into this remarkable musical lineage and steeped in Gambia’s griot tradition, Jali Bakary is the latest torchbearer for his family’s kora legacy on the world stage. He has performed extensively throughout West and North Africa, the USA, and the Middle East, as well as in the UK and the rest of Europe (WOMAD, Roskilde Festival). In this solo kora performance, Jali Bakary brings his own personal touch and innovations to traditional songs with unique melodic and rhythmic arrangements. Tickets available here .

Founded in 2016 by conductor Tom Fetherstonhaugh , the Fantasia Orchestra is a dynamic ensemble of some of the best of young British classical music talent today. It has forged strong artistic partnerships with eminent soloists including Alim Beisembayev, Jess Gillam, Thomas Gould, Isata Kanneh-Mason, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Vadym Kholodenko, Jennifer Pike, Laura van der Heijden, and Steven Osborne. The connections in the orchestra were forged at the Royal Academy of Music, where Tom and many of the other musicians and soloists met and studied together from 2011 onwards. One of those connections, saxophonist Jess Gillam returns to Fantasia Orchestra for a vibrant and virtuosic evening of music to open their Spring/Summer 2024 season with a concert at St Gabriel's Pimlico on 13th April. Jess brings two pieces linked by Scotland: Dave Heath's dance-filled The Celtic and Scottish composer James MacMillan's Saxophone Concerto. The haunting and meditative On the Nature of Daylight, by Max Richter, here for saxophone and strings, will float through the beautiful gothic arches of St Gabriel's Pimlico - as will Barber's Adagio for Strings in the second half. The programme is bookended by two works that show off the strings of Fantasia Orchestra: Anna Clyne's Stride and Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings. Hailed as a ‘spark to watch’ by BBC Radio 3, 26-year-old Tom Fetherstonhaugh is the Assistant Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director of Fantasia Orchestra. Represented by Rayfield Allied , Tom has conducted performances with leading soloists and orchestras from across the world, including the Brandenburger Symphoniker (Germany), Britten Sinfonia (England), Lindenbaum Orchestra (South Korea) and Ulster Orchestra (Northern Ireland). Deemed ‘a model of precision and control from start to finish’ (Belfast NewsLetter), he is one of the UK’s most dynamic young conductors. To watch, listen and enjoy Tom, Jess and the Fantasia Orchestra at St Gabriel's Pimlico, tickets on sale now here . For more information on the orchestra & their Spring/Summer 2024 season, please go to Fantasia Orchestra | Home Above - Fantasia Orchestra 2024 (c) Kaupo Kikkas

A sonic cinematic piano experience Piano pioneer, Young Steinway Artist, and Neo-impressionist GKO returns to the UK to perform a number of provocative exhibitions of unconventional and virtuosic originals and film music. Using classical virtuosity, improvisation, and styles across genres, GKO creates cinematic and kaleidoscopic compositions. Critics describe his music and performance as " performing wizardry, flowing yet bright, lively and heroic... with moments of nostalgia, reverie, and reflection". Since the release of his first album, "Sonic Sanctum" (2020), GKO has been pioneering what's possible with the piano. Critics describe his playing as " performing wizardry, flowing yet bright, lively and heroic... with moments of nostalgia, reverie, and reflection ." He combines decades of classical training with a gift for improvisation to speak with a candour all his own. Born in California, GKO took his first lesson at 5. He was a reluctant student until his studies at Harvard, where he focused on piano performance and composition. GKO produced the first-ever Piano Performance Thesis in Harvard's history and received the David McCord Prize for exceptional musical talent and creativity. I caught up with GKO earlier this week as he came over from LA, to find out more about the transformation from reluctant student to keyboard wizard. " It came in waves. I first liked piano when I witnessed Lang Lang playing Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto. His performance of that floating second-movement melody tugged at my heartstrings, and his mastery showcased how beautiful and impactful the piano can be. The second wave was during my time at Harvard. I saw artists, academics, and industry breakers cultivate their craft to a level that superseded the possible. " " I wanted to devote myself to a craft that elevated people and the human spirit, and music was my natural medium. But my true love for playing the piano grew during COVID. After playing over 10,000 hours of classical piano, my brain had an epiphany, and suddenly, I could improvise anything in my head and heart. More importantly, I could command the piano to say what I wanted. I could express myself freely, and being able to do that brought immense delight ." " I started sharing my improvised compositions on Instagram and Spotify, and soon, people from around the world were messaging me about how my music helped them heal and inspired them to learn the piano. That was when the piano became my life's pursuit of happiness. I love that I can freely express myself and not be limited to specific rules or stigmas of a "good composition." Improvisation, for me, acts as a conduit between my mind, spirit, heart, and the notes we hear in a record or on stage." " It’s very honest. I'm also probably the worst person to ask about the secret to improvising. I know it may sound like a Disney movie, but I literally woke up one day during COVID-19 and told myself , "I'm going to play whatever is in my head today, not black dots on the white page.” For some reason, I was just able to do it. I have no explanation for it. I'm not super religious, but in that moment of realizing what I could do, the existence of God quaked my cognitive dissonance." The art of improvisation is not always a solo act, I wondered if there was anyone GKO would love to improvise with - it turns out he has a Bucket List! " I would love to collaborate with so many great artists worldwide. I know I'm supposed to say one. However, please allow me to cheat and offer three different artists of three different disciplines. In the piano world, I would love to work with Hiromi. She is, at least in my mind, the greatest improviser in the world. " " If I were to play piano with a singer, it would be a dream to duet with Norah Jones or Laufey. Their sultry, sweet, nostalgic tone and unparalleled timing would be so easy to envelop with piano. Lastly, if I were only to pick one artist to work with, it would be John Mayer. I'm a massive fan of his music and his mastery of the guitar. His sensitivity to lyrics and how they shape melody, harmony, and feel is dialled to eleven. His records also saved me during a hard time in life" GKO has appeared on stages worldwide, including nine appearances at Carnegie Hall, and has performed as a guest artist at notable institutions, including The British Museum, TED, the MIT Media Lab, Berklee College of Music, and Tanglewood Institute of Music. His piano music can also be heard on tracks by The Black Keys, Foster the People, and Handsome Boy Modelling School. To find out more about the pianist, Steinway & sons say describe as “ He’s great for music… making classical music exciting and accessible for the masses .” Please check out his website and social media: Website: https://www.gkopiano.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gkopiano Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6jz7Cd5XCrr9mNaUGMebny?si=Pd214PLcTbm8gtFou1W_3Q Image below: RKO at Thayer Hall