Saturday 5 April 2025, Lecture Theatre, Museum of Liverpool 

 The inaugural Homotopia Takeover presents a line-up of live music, talks and provocations responding to The Holly Johnson Story. 

 Join us from midday to celebrate and explore LGBTQI heritage in Liverpool. 

Hosted by Marcy Rick 

12:00 – Intro by Younger Homotopia  

12.05 – Young Homotopia provocations – A cabaret piece inspired by the exhibit, with a focus on making love your goal. 

12:20 – Queer Core, short presentations by Luke Fawcett, Grace Tompkins, Ollie Adebisi and Bronwyn Andrews.  

12:40 – Queer Cumbria – A performance exploring gender, drawing inspiration from Holly Johnson and the exhibition. 

13:00 – Break

13.30 – Don’t Relax! Culture, Protest, and Music during the AIDS Crisis. Dr Monica Pearl in conversation with Gary Needham. 

14:30 – Twenty Years of Homophobia/Transphobia. Artist and founder of The Pansy Project, Paul Harfleet hosts a panel reflecting on the last two decades of LGBTQ+ life in Liverpool and discusses the challenges and advancements of the fight against discrimination. 

15.15 – Break

15.30 – Tales From the Masquerade John de Tuite and the Eat Me Collective. An extract from the forthcoming musical show & Album, TFTM album written by John De Tuite and Pete Rea. The Masquerade was a small Smokey basement nightclub in the city of Liverpool Dirty and divine full of gay boys and lesbians, sex workers, drag queens, sailors and misfits. Known only to the privileged few Those that the ordinary folk of the city called Degenerates. 

Venue  

The takeover is in the lecture theatre at the Museum of Liverpool for one day only.  You can also access The Holly Johnson Story in the gallery. Museum of Liverpool will be open from 10am before the event starts at 12pm. You don’t need a ticket, and entry is free to the takeover day in the lecture theatre.

Running time 

12pm–4pm  

Age guidance: 14

All events are suitable for people aged 14 and above, please note that the exhibition contains sensitive material and adult themes which will be discussed during the day.

Age 16-25? Sign up to Young Homotopia – a partnership project with YPAS – GYRO.

Everyone is welcome at the Homotopia Takeover Day and we can’t wait to see you there!  

Credits 

The Holly Johnson Story is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The exhibition has been produced by Homotopia, DuoVision Arts and National Museums Liverpool, in collaboration with Holly Johnson.