Collective Encounters

Adult Theatre for Social Change company
2026-08-15 11:00 - 14:00, 2026-09-12 11:00 - 14:00, 2026-10-10 11:00 - 14:00, 2026-10-24 11:00 - 14:00, 2026-11-07 11:00 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | St Michael in the City, Upper Pitt Street, L1 5BD, Upper Pitt Street, Liverpool, L1 5BD
We work with highly-skilled theatre makers and facilitators to use a wide range of theatre disciplines to explore social and political issues.
Whether you’ve never performed before or want to reignite your creative and performance instincts taking part in one of our regular groups will give you the chance to gain confidence through performance, learn how you can make a difference in the world, meet new people and have fun.
Our Adult Theatre For Social Change group meets fortnightly on Saturdays at St Michael in the City 11am – 2pm.
For more information email Abi@collective-encounters.org.uk or call 07849094903.

Creativity and Care Experience: Resources and Opportunities
2026-08-19 12:30 - 14:45 | Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, Mount Street, Liverpool, L1 9HF
The Verbatim Formula and Collective Encounters present
CREATIVITY AND CARE EXPERIENCE: Resources and Opportunities in Liverpool
Join us at this special event to

Explore SIX STEPS, a creative digital resource co-designed by care-experienced young people
Learn and exchange information on opportunities for care-experienced young people across the Liverpool City Region.

Event Programme:
12.15pm – Arrival, registration and refreshments
12.30pm – 2.00pm – SIX STEPS: Interactive Dissemination Workshop and Discussion on local opportunities

Experience activities from the digital resource
Meet TVF’s care-experienced facilitators
Explore creative approaches to participation
Reflect on local opportunities and gaps for care-experienced young people

2.00pm – 2.15pm – Break
2.15pm – 2.45pm – A sharing of creative work from care-experienced young people participating in Collective Encounters’ annual ‘Summer Arts Adventure’. Co-created in just two weeks, the performance will combine drama, poetry, music, visual arts and design.
For full details and to register your free place, click here. Places are strictly limited and advance booking is recommended.
Book Your Free Place

Parent/Baby Co-Production Group
2026-08-20 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-09-14 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-09-21 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-10-05 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-10-12 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-10-26 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-11-02 10:00 - 12:30, 2026-11-09 10:00 - 12:30 | PSS, Unit 16, Eleanor Rathbone House, 24 Derby Road, Liverpool, L5 9PR
Delivered in partnership with local charity PSS, our parent-baby co-production group is for parents of children under 3.
We use creative expression to develop skills and confidence, get parents’ voices heard and contribute to the improvement of services for parents and families. We also spend time sharing our experiences and getting to know each other in a safe and welcoming environment.
It’s a relaxed group with low pressure creative activities, discussion, and refreshments. Toys and activities for babies and children too.

Join us to discuss family health and wellbeing and contribute to the development of our new cabaret performance A Turn for the Better.

Online Drama Group
2026-08-28 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-25 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
Connect with others online and explore social issues creatively in our monthly zoom workshops. Open to anyone aged 18+
Led by Co-Artistic Director Abi Horsfield, we use creative methods to explore performance on Zoom.
Through games, discussions, improvisation and cabaret scenes, we utilise the unique form of Zoom to create entertaining and thought-provoking performances about the issues that affect us all every day. All levels of experience are welcome at our monthly session, where you’ll have the chance to connect with others, have fun, gain skills and make a positive impact.
Our Online Drama Group meets one Friday a month on Zoom at 1-3pm.
For more information email Abi@collective-encounters.org.uk or call 07849094903.
For help getting on Zoom contact Em@collective-encounters.org.uk or call 07871 026014.

Make Time to Speak About Sleep
2026-09-04 09:30 - 13:30 | Make Hamilton, Argyle Street, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 6LQ
Collective Encounters is working with Make It Happen (Birkenhead), using creative methods to explore sleep within community groups and organisations. The project will create a new Sleep Hygiene Playbook, providing practical techniques and resources to support healthy, proactive conversations about sleep and wellbeing.
Come and be a part of shaping this unique resource. We want input from people who might want to use or share the Playbook within your teams or the communities you support.
This is the final session within the current phase of the project. Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of it!
To attend, please email liz.ryan6@nhs.net or call 0151 2944470.

Dare to Dream: A Journey to Health Utopia
2026-09-16 13:00 - 15:00 | MYA Space, 106 Marsh Lane, Bootle, Merseyside, L20 4JQ, United Kingdom
Dare to Dream is an interactive piece of theatre exploring health equity. It has been created with the voices of communities at its centre, and represents these through song, stories, poetry and performance. Come and find out how people in Liverpool, Sefton, and Knowsley think about health, and how they imagine better outcomes for everyone.
All venues are wheelchair accessible. The performance will include integrated audio description and BSL interpretation.
Tickets are free but advance booking is encouraged.
Book Free Ticket

Dare to Dream: A Journey to Health Utopia
2026-09-17 13:00 - 15:00 | Centre 63, Old Hall Lane, Kirkby, L32 5TH

Dare to Dream: A Journey to Health Utopia
2026-09-18 19:00 - 21:00 | St Bride’s, Percy Street, Liverpool, L8 7LT
Dare to Dream is an interactive piece of theatre exploring health equity. It has been created with the voices of communities at its centre, and represents these through song, stories, poetry and performance. Come and find out how people in Liverpool, Sefton, and Knowsley think about health, and how they imagine better outcomes for everyone.
All venues are wheelchair accessible. Performances include integrated audio description and BSL interpretation.
Tickets are free but advance booking is encouraged.
Book Free Ticket

Women in Action
2026-09-22 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-10-06 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-10-13 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-10-20 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-10-27 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-11-03 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-11-17 13:00 - 15:00 | Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG, United Kingdom
Led by theatre maker Joanne Tremarco, this creative group meets weekly on Tuesdays, 1-3pm usually at the Unity Theatre, Hope Place, Liverpool. These weekly sessions involve creative activities, training and discussion that explore a whole range of themes relevant to women today.
The group is currently working towards a performance advocating for improvements in women’s healthcare, which will be performed at the Unity Theatre in December.
To find out more, contact Joanne: joanne@collective-encounters.org.uk or call 07547 333574

Adult Theatre for Social Change company
2026-09-26 11:00 - 14:00

Women in Action
2026-09-29 13:00 - 15:00

Trauma Informed Practice for Community Musicians - TRAINING
2026-10-29 13:00 - 17:00 | Metal Liverpool, Edge Hill Railway Station, Tunnel Road, Liverpool, L7 6ND
“Our minds and brains develop in the context of synchronous relationships – how you play, interact and make music together. We become who we are by being in sync with the people around us, and that gives us pleasure and a sense of counting and being significant”.

– Dr Bessel van der Kolk, ‘Navigating Trauma’ Australian Psychological Society, 2025

About this training:

Although it’s very important to maintain the distinction between art and therapy, community musicians are often in positions where they need to support their participants’ mental health. This training is specifically for musicians and vocalists and takes a person-centred approach to understanding trauma and incorporating this understanding into your creative practice.
This training will:

Explore the benefits of music and music-making on mental health and wellbeing;
Unpick popular perceptions and misuse of language around trauma and PTSD;
Provide an overview of the physiology of trauma and an insight from the perspective of a clinical psychotherapist;
Offer practical tips for creating safe spaces for participants and avoiding practices which may re-traumatise participants;
Create a space to explore problem solving using real-life scenarios;
Explore asset-based approaches to understanding trauma within social justice frameworks.

This event is aimed at musicians and vocalists working in communities.
In person event: Metal; Edge Hill Station Tunnel Road, Liverpool, L7 6ND
Length: 4 hours
Ticket Cost:

For attendees supported by their organisations the full price of a ticket is £65.00
For freelancers and individuals from non-regularly funded organisations attendees the price of a ticket is £45.00
For those on low or no income the ticket price is £20.00

We also have a small number of bursary places available for those with limited funds. Email info@collective-encounters.org.uk to request a bursary place.
*Please Note: Ticket sales will end 24 hours before this event is due to start.
Trainers: AIDAN JOLLY is a researcher, performance maker, trainer and musician with more than 25 years’ experience of working with communities in struggle. He works on projects that seek redress for historic and current injustices, and is the Research Lead for Collective Encounters. He is also a PhD candidate at Edge Hill University, looking at radically generative communities of transition. He has worked with survivors of torture, veterans, homeless people, and has personal experience of complex PTSD.
JESS MICHAELSON is a Gestalt Psychotherapist, Supervisor and Trainer with over 20 years’ experience of working with traumatised adults from diverse communities, in particular with refugee survivors of Human Rights abuses. For the last 17 years Jess has been working as a psychotherapist and trainer for Freedom from Torture. Jess also works as a freelance supervisor and trainer offering training on many aspects of therapeutic work which includes working with asylum seekers, working with interpreters and self-care. Jess has a longstanding passion in human rights as well as in the therapist’s journey when developing their work with survivors of human rights abuses.
Jess has written a chapter “Holding hope: the challenge for therapists working with survivors of torture” in Psychological Therapies for Survivors of Torture: A Human Rights approach for people seeking asylum. Boyles, J (ed) 2017.
Feedback from previous attendees:
“It opened my eyes to the volume of individuals we walk past i life who have and are experiencing trauma and how this needs to be recognised in the creative environments we foster”
” This training gave me the access or entry-point into an informed framework for a trauma informed practice. I could really feel the benefit of lots of people’s wisdom and experience!”
“Full of practical solutions and thinking about approaches for our practice”

Book your ticket now
