Edward Kemp Community Garden and Growing Area Volunteering Day
We are delighted to announce that Professor Robert Lee has released his book on a detailed history of Birkenhead Park – Birkenhead Park: The People’s Garden and an English Masterpiece. This new book is the first critical, comprehensive history of the first publicly funded park, globally.
Professor Lee’s work establishes the significance through his research of the park, emphasising the how Birkenhead Park was a pioneer in the development of urban public parks, designed for use by everyone. Birkenhead Park was labelled “the people’s park” and the book further describes how irrespective of social class, ethnicity or age Birkenhead Park become the local green space for health and wellbeing, for all. Additionally, Professor Robert Lee’s book celebrates the creative genius and design skills present in Paxton’s original design of Birkenhead Park. His work identifies the Park’s significant contribution to the public park development and nineteenth-century landscape history on both regional and international scales.
The book is beautifully illustrated with 60 colour images, drawing on a wide range of contemporary material and the professional skills of local photographers.
Order your copy from Liverpool University Press through this link.
Order nowThe launch of Professor Robert Lee’s fantastic book was at Birkenhead Park visitor centre and was truly a beautiful event. With support from the Friends of Birkenhead Park and Liverpool University Press, Wirral Council and Birkenhead Park’s team were delighted to welcome attendees from across the country to celebrate Professor Lee’s exceptionally talented work.
Get involved with the Borough of Culture celebrations 2024, hosted alongside Luke Jerram’s ‘Gaia’ artwork installation.
We are looking for:
- Cyclists/ cycle groups
- Aspiring actors (no previous experience required)
- Movement artists and community dance groups
- Environmental artists and community groups
- Singer songwriters and Choirs
Borough of Culture Opportunities 2024
Interested in being a part of the Borough of Culture Celebrations to challenge your cycling skills? Join in!
On Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th May 2024, as part of the Love Your Earth Day and Wirral Sings events, you will help to power the pedalled operated Stephenson’s rocket replica. It will be touring across the park and pass under Luke Jerram’s fantastic “Gaia” artwork. The people powered replica will be accompanied by/ carrying six pantomime actors dressed as horses around the park. The cycling role is an excellent way to be involved with the local community while promoting your group passion for cycling.
You must be available from:
29th: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. & 30th: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Have the opportunity to grow your performing arts skills by taking part in the Borough of Culture 2024 Celebrations at Birkenhead Park!
Featured in Love Your Earth Day and Wirral Sings (Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th May 2024) we need six Victorian pantomime actors dressed as horses to be a part of the Stephenson’s rocket replica tour and to entertain visitors around the park. The acting role is an incredible opportunity to grow and develop your skills, while joining in with the local community fun.
You must be available to meet for a pre-event costume fitting and the event dates: 29th May – 30th May 2024.
Fancy presenting your talent in the Borough of Culture 2024 Celebrations showcase of multi dance and movement?
We welcome all dance and movement styles from Zumba, Mersey Morris, ballroom, Ukrainian dance to boxercise, yoga, and Qigong. We want to bring you into the spotlight to celebrate the community’s creativity and culture. The performance slots at the Dance Around The Globe event brings the opportunity to create recognition and awareness for your creative dance and movement and encourage the celebration of culture.
Performance Slots are available throughout the day of Tuesday 28th of May for Dance Around The Globe.
(Please be aware that we may not be able to accommodate all requests to perform).
Eager to present your community groups passion about the environment? Participate in Love your Earth Day!
We are offering the opportunity for you and your group to present a drop-in session to share your passions about topics relating to gorilla gardening, allotmenteering, recycling, bee keeping, pollinator planting, re wilding, alternative power, climate change and low carbon. The event encourages local engagement and community collaboration, perfect to share your passions at the Birkenhead Park environmental marketplace, alongside Luke Jerram’s “Gaia” installation.
Session slots are available throughout the day of Tuesday 28th of May.
Ready for your time to perform? We are inviting you to perform your musical piece under the iconic ‘Gaia’ installation as a part of Borough of Culture 2024.
We welcome the works and creativity of the Wirral singer/songwriters and choirs to celebrate with us the Borough of Culture 2024. We want you to share your talent and creativity to celebrate the community’s soul and culture. The performance slots at the Wirral Sings event brings the opportunity to create recognition and awareness for your musical style and encourage the celebration of culture.
Performance Slots are available throughout Thursday 30th of May, including the evening for Wirral Sings.
(Please be aware that we may not be able to accommodate all requests to perform).
28th of May - 30th of May 2024
Interested? The programme around Gaia is produced by outdoor arts organisation Walk the Plank.
Contact bev@walktheplank.co.uk more information.
We hope to see you here!
Contact DetailsBe a part of Borough of Culture 2024.
Get involved. This programme around Gaia is produced by outdoor arts organisation Walk the Plank
Let It Grow, Let it Grooooow!
From 2022, Birkenhead Park is taking part in the annual “No Mow May” scheme in accordance with Plantlife’s national campaign. Across Birkenhead Park we have allocated a little over 18 acres of our grassland to grow longer throughout May, allowing our bees, butterflies and other pollinators, a chance to flourish at a crucial time. We’ve signposted the areas of the park where this is taking place, but don’t worry – we’ve left plenty of areas for you to continue to enjoy and we’ll continue to maintain them as normal!
Want to do your part help with the scheme yourself? Simply lock up your mower for May and let your law grow some wildflowers. Clink the link below for more information on “No Mow May."
Find Out More
When out for your daily exercise in Birkenhead Park, why not make things a little interesting and take part in our scavenger hunt? Take a new route and see if you can find everything on our list in the park, take a picture and let us know how you get on!
Please remember to continue to keep your social distance from anyone outside of your household or bubble in Birkenhead Park at this time.
Stage 5 of the Tour of Britain raced through the park this week in what was surely one of the greatest events the Wirral has ever witnessed. Thousands of race fans, families and spectators turned out to support the cyclists and enjoy the festivities.
Birkenhead Park was incredibly proud to host this event, and we would like to extend our deepest thanks to all of the staff, event team and volunteers, who made this a day to remember, without dedicated teams like these, events like this wouldn’t happen!
The Wooden Parliament is located behind the Visitor Center, creating a space immersed within the natural order of the park, and is open to the public.
It looks to articulate the way architecture can serve as a mediator between people and encourage the public to interact in a way they wouldn’t have before.
The brightly coloured structure is overtly patterned and covered in a series of enlarged wooden knots that follow the precise geometry of the pavilion, as well as a centrally placed disk which acts as a door.
‘The Wooden Parliament’ is considered a displacement of a private interior in a public space and inside rows of steps face each other to create platforms or seating to encourage debate, conversation and contemplation.
The Wooden Parliament is designed by Spanish architects Cristina Díaz Moreno and Efrén Ga Grinda of the Madrid-based practice AMID.cero9, sponsored by the Spanish timber company Finsa, supported by Coal Drops Yard and organised by the Museum of Architecture.
Birkenhead Park’s Manager, and one of our Forest School Practitioner were cordially invited to be part of a ceremony honouring Doug Blonsky in New York City on May 2nd.
Doug is the President and CEO of the Central Park Conservatory, the non-profit group responsible for maintaining the park daily and which also raises 75% of the park’s annual budget.
The 36th annual Frederick Law Olmsted Gala paid tribute to Doug Blonsky who gave 33 years with the group that rescued the park from decades of neglect. Doug has also visited Birkenhead Park on several occasions, recognising that without Birkenhead Park, there would be no New York Park.
