​Music

Music has played a vital role in putting Liverpool on the world's cultural map, and our reputation is growing. In 2015, Liverpool became one of just two cities in the UK to be named a UNESCO City of Music, already having been recognised as 'World Capital of Pop' by the Guinness Book of Hit Singles for producing more number one records than anywhere else.

Music takes its place here in every corner of the city. Intimate evenings at The Cavern host emerging artists in the same room that witnessed the first gigs of the Fab Four back in the 60s. Liverpool can go big too, with the 10,000 seat Echo Arena welcoming the likes of international superstars Beyoncé, Muse and Calvin Harris.

Fostering the British love of these sometimes muddy but always memorable events, Liverpool plays an important role in the festival scene. The annual Sound City festival is the brainchild of a former LIPA staff member, providing us with great links for students and graduates, who regularly work their magic both onstage and behind-the-scenes. The nearby festival Creamfields was also born in Liverpool, originating at Cream Nightclub, before it blossomed into the world-renowned event it is today.

"The British Music Experience Is Heading To Liverpool"! Headlining the official website, we can't help but be excited about the fantastic opportunities just around the corner for our students and graduates. This summer, following our suggestion as their official Educational Partner, the BME has moved from London's O2 arena to open on Liverpool's waterfront. The British Music Experience is the UK's Museum of Popular Music; a place where visitors can relive the moments that helped put British music on the map; a place that will boost Liverpool's growing reputation as a vibrant heart for all things musical.

Theatre

As a Performing Arts Institution, it's only right that the theatres of our city inspire and nurture creative talent. Thankfully, we're in luck. Whether you're watching a performance, part of a performance, or making a performance possible, there's no shortage of exciting venues to do it in. What's more, you'll reap the rewards from our long-standing connections to all of them.

The Empire Theatre regularly welcomes the best in West End Touring Productions, while The Royal Court puts on around eight home-grown comedies a year, sometimes featuring our graduates. The Everyman and Playhouse theatres have built their reputations on staging bold productions of original and classic plays, and just round the corner from us, the Unity Theatre welcomes tours from exciting UK theatre companies, as well as several LIPA shows.

Whether you want to laugh, cry, dance or sing along, the eclectic group of Liverpool Theatres unites the city in an immersive, accessible experience for all. The best part is, LIPA students or graduates have in some way made their mark on every single one.

​Art and History

Liverpool's art is not limited to its galleries, but can be found saturating many of its street. Liverpool is home to the Biennial Festival of Contemporary Art – a story of fictional worlds showcased in galleries, public spaces, disused buildings and online, which draw from Liverpool's past, present and future. This all-encompassing approach to art reflects Liverpool's progressive culture, and its flawless blend of the ages. This idea is reflected in the vast collection at The Walker Art Gallery, ranging from Renaissance to present day art.

If you prefer modernity, you can soak up the cutting-edge contemporary art at the Tate's national collection of modern art in the north, where work of some of the world's most celebrated artists is displayed, such as Tracey Emin and Jackson Pollock. At the Open Eye Gallery, you can muse on an impressive collection of photography dating back to the 1930s as well as regular exhibitions from international photographers. At the Bluecoat, you'll find four galleries housing a creative community of artists and businesses showcasing an exciting array of contemporary visual art, music, dance and literature, with lots of opportunities to get involved. At FACT, the UK's leading media arts centre, you can wonder at ground-breaking new media art from across the world, or catch the latest in independent and mainstream film.

If you're still hungry for culture, Liverpool's museums don't disappoint. At the International Slavery Museum, Merseyside Maritime Museum and the newer Museum of Liverpool (to name but a few) you can take a walk through time, places, traditions – you name it. The fact is, you'll never be bored in Liverpool.