Looking back to look forwarD
Collective Encounters celebrates its 21st anniversary this year. Since 2004 we have been working across Liverpool City Region and beyond to centre the unheard stories of the communities who shape the region’s grassroots culture, through a time of huge political and social change.
Radical Retrospectives is a project exploring archives, cultural memory, social history, and the changing landscape of the Liverpool City Region and the experiences of the people who live here. It has involved creative workshops, training, conversation, and reflection.
As we reach the end of the project, we are thrilled to present Radical Retrospectives Festival, a celebration of 21 years of Collective Encounters, centring unheard stories, bold performance and creative acts of resistance.
From open space events and exhibitions to our Social Change Cabaret and the launch of our new digital archive, there’s something for everyone.
Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Radical Retrospectives is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery Players we are documenting and contextualising the stories of marginalised individuals and communities in Liverpool City Region, and look at the next chapters for the future.
For more information contact us on: cearchive@collective-encounters.org.uk
LAUNCH EVENT
On Monday 10th June 2024, 75 people attended two launch events at the Bluecoat in Liverpool and online via Zoom. We explored where the project might lead and both events were rich in discussions surrounding heritage, collective memory and hopes for the future.
Photography by Jazamin Sinclair.
CULTURAL MEMORY WORKSHOPS
In June & July 2025, we held three workshops looking back to look forward at the cultural heritage of the region through themes of gender & sexuality; disability & mental health; and diaspora & community. The results of these sessions will be incorporated into our archive, forming a mosaic of memories from the people of Liverpool City Region.
Photography from the second workshop by Jazamin Sinclair.
About the National Lottery Heritage Fund
As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033.
Over the next ten years, the Heritage Fund aims to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment.
The Heritage Fund helps protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.
The Heritage Fund is passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund www.heritagefund.org.uk.
