Saturday July 19, 2025
Conference Day 3: The Study Tours!
We’re excited to announce our study tours, taking place on 28 November – Day 3 of #HandsOn2025
ST1: Shakespeare North Playhouse
- Transport included
- £10 per head
- 1-3pm (12.15 – 4pm including travel, approx. 40 mins trip)
Join Shakespeare North‘s Head of Engagement, Evonne Bixter for a tour of this spectacular venue, which includes a replica Cockpit in Court theatre. Evonne will share information about the programming and engagement work at Shakespeare North, focusing on regeneration, social impact and placemaking.
ST2: The Bluecoat
- Meet at the city centre venue
- No charge
- 10am – 12pm
Join The Bluecoat‘s Director of Cultural Legacies Bryan Biggs and Laura Yates, Head of Participation as they show you round this beautiful arts centre housed in Liverpool’s oldest building from 1717.
In the 1700’s Liverpool was a burgeoning port whose transatlantic connections would transform it into the slave-trading capital of Europe. The Bluecoat was the result of philanthropic activities by Liverpool merchants involved in this trade and the goods that slavery enabled – sugar, cotton and tobacco. Bryan and Laura will explore narratives associated with the building’s foundation and their resonances in local communities today, and share their experiences from two projects, ‘Echoes and Origins’ and ‘A Cultural Legacy for Liverpool’ that involved collaboration with young people, children and families, and communities whose stories intersect with those of the Bluecoat.
ST3: Calderstones Park / The Reader
- Transport included
- £10 per head
- 1-3pm (12.15pm – 4pm including travel, approx. 30 mins trip)
The Reader is the UK’s biggest Shared Reading charity. Its home, in Liverpool’s beautiful Calderstones Park, is a warm and welcoming community celebrating stories, creativity and nature. During the visit you will;
Discover The Storybarn – a one-of-a-kind reading retreat for children and their grown-ups, where little ones can let their imaginations run wild.
Explore The Mansion House – home to the 5,000-year-old Calder Stones, a Garden Theatre and more, and hear about our impact and research.
Experience The Reader’s unique Shared Reading model first-hand and learn how it is being adopted in spaces across the UK and internationally.
ST4: Eureka! The National Children’s Museum
- Transport included
- Price tbc
- 10.30am-1.30pm (8.30am – 3pm including travel, approx. 1 hr 45 mins trip each way)
Discover the magic of learning through play at Eureka! The National Children’s Museum in West Yorkshire – a hands-on, minds-on experience that’s as inspiring for adults as it is for children. As part of your study tour, step into a vibrant world where curiosity leads the way and interactive exhibits spark creativity, critical thinking, and endless possibilities. From science to storytelling, every corner is designed to ignite young minds – and offer fresh insight into how informal education can shape future-ready learners.
Meet Eureka!’s Play & Learning team to discover more about the unique experiences we create for families and schools and take part in one of our playful and engaging shows.