20th Birthday Celebrations

This year we're celebrating 20 years of our award-winning arts centre on Wood Street. Back in 2003, FACT was Liverpool’s first purpose-built arts centre for more than 60 years. It was a landmark moment for the city and the UK, giving moving image and digital art a place to expand, experiment and be embraced by visitors from all over the world.

We're celebrating this October with two days of special events! Expect two new exhibitions, a giant immersive installation, back-to-back talks from some of the most influential living artists, family fun, the opening of Studio/Lab (a new space for artists to experiment) - and of course, a party!

Whilst most of the events are drop-in, a few do have limited spaces so we would strongly advise booking your free tickets in advance.

Discover the full celebratory programme →

Friday 20 October

As part of our weekend of celebrations, we're excited to present a day of free back-to-back talks featuring individuals who share a close connection with FACT, followed by a screening of the latest film from Mandela8. Join us for these insightful conversations that not only reflect on our rich history but also look ahead to a vibrant and innovative future.

Book your free tickets for individual events →

PANEL 1: DIGITAL EVOLUTION

11:00-12:30
Free, booking essential

Nicola Triscott (CEO/Director, FACT), Eddie Berg (Founding Director, FACT) Ruth McCullough (Former Director, Abandon Normal Devices) and Helen Starr (Curator), explore how the landscape of art and creative technology has changed since we opened our doors in 2003.

Free tickets →

PANEL 2: SOCIAL AGENTS

14:00-15:30
Free, booking essential

Artists Alan Dunn, Jack Ky Tan and our Resident Criminologist Dr Emma Murray consider the possibilities of art to inspire more activist outcomes, to subvert expectations of institutional and social structures, and the ways in which we approach technology.

Free tickets →

PANEL 3: ARTISTS AT WORK

16:00-17:30
Free, booking essential

Artists Larry Achiampong, David Blandy, Zinzi Minott, Isabel Ramos of Keiken, who have all worked on projects of different scales at FACT, discuss what artists need in terms of support from institutions in the development of their practice, the presentation of work and experimentation with ideas and technologies, and how to meet the challenges the future holds.

Free tickets →

MANDELA8 FILM SCREENING

19:30-20:30
Free, booking essential

Concluding the Friday, we are delighted to welcome Mandela8 to present their new film. From Dream to Reality follows the journey and realisation of a new memorial to Nelson Mandela in Princes Park, Liverpool. In a unique setting, this great artwork is set to become a significant and renowned landmark for the City. The film includes footage of the visits of Mandela's family to open the memorial and interviews with key players in this historic project.

Free tickets →

PICTUREHOUSE PRESENTS REPO MAN & WALKER DOUBLE BILL

18:30
£11.20-12.20, booking essential

As part of the celebrations, Picturehouse is delighted to invite internationally renowned director (and local legend) Alex Cox back to FACT for a curated 35mm double bill. Known for his punk-rock soundtracks, influential film style, and the cult TV series Moviedrome, Alex presents back-to-back screenings of his films Repo Man and Walker with a specially recorded introduction.

Book your tickets →

Saturday 21 October

Our birthday celebrations continue into Saturday with a range of free events and activations. Join us throughout the day for tours, interactive demos, new exhibitions and not one, but two parties!

JENKIN VAN ZYL EXHIBITION TOUR

12:00-13:00
Free, booking essential

For this event, Jenkin and our Learning Team have worked with a group of local young people to design a tour that shares their unique perspective on the exhibition.

Free tickets →

THE (NEW) CONSTELLATION

12:00-16:00
Free, drop-in

Following their artist residency last summer, artist collective The (new) Constellation return to FACT for a special presentation of behind-the-scenes content from their new artwork, alongside a costumed performance.

Discover more →

GAME ON

12:00-16:00
Free, drop-in

Artists Larry Achiampong and David Blandy host an afternoon of games and conversation. Play and compete in tournaments as we celebrate how we connect through games and challenge how technology is used to define us.

Discover more →

STUDIO/LAB OPEN DAY

12:00-16:00
Free, drop-in

We’re opening up the doors to Studio/Lab for a free demo day. Be the first to see our new space dedicated to supporting artists and creative experimentation. There’ll be plenty of kit on offer for you to play with, as well as an all-ages-welcome technical demo.

Discover more →

LAST DANCE

17:00-20:00
Free, drop-in

Take a seat inside a limousine to see a new short film by Jenkin van Zyl. Bringing scenes and set pieces from Jenkin’s film to life, you won’t want to miss this journey into the artist’s psychotropic world.

Discover more →

Birthday Party & Exhibition Opening

17:00-20:00
Free, booking essential

No birthday would be complete without a party! Join us for an evening of celebration as we officially open two new major solo exhibitions by Jenkin van Zyl and Uma Breakdown. Be among the first to step into their captivating worlds as we raise a glass to the last two decades and look forward to what the future holds.

Free tickets →

AFTER PARTY

20:00-04:00
Free, booking essential

Grab your free tickets to the official after party at District in the Baltic Triangle (61 Jordan St, Liverpool L1 0BE) to dance the night away. We’ll have PLUSH and Social Hours providing the party soundtrack with cabaret performances from EAT ME and a special headline DJ set from artist Jenkin van Zyl.

Free tickets →

To celebrate our 20th Birthday, we’ve created a limited edition metallic silver tote bag inspired by Jenkin van Zyl’s immersive exhibition. Made from a strong but lightweight material, our limited edition birthday totes are fully lined, fold away easily when not in use, and have a wide handle for carrying comfort.

Purchase your limited edition bag for £6 when booking your free ticket to a birthday event or pick one up during our celebrations on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 October (whilst stocks last). Limited to 350.