ArtsGroupie CIC

ArtsGroupie CIC is a Liverpool-based organisation widening access to culture through theatre, music, community projects and heritage. We have secured eleven Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants plus awards from the Royal Society of Literature and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Committed to accessibility and creativity, we have produced nine stage productions, notably “Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse”. Our shows highlight working-class and forgotten historical figures, selling over 100,000 tickets at St George’s Hall, Shakespeare North Playhouse, the Unity Theatre and London’s King’s Head. Beyond the stage we deliver creative workshops in high-deprivation areas, partnering with 100+ organisations and engaging children, refugees, LGBTQIA+ communities and disabled people. Heritage sits at our core. MerseyTrails walking tours blend history with activism, providing earned income and a “Walking Tour Model” for impact evaluation. With Liverpool Irish Festival we revitalised the Irish Famine Trail, investing 1,800 research hours. Our first large-scale exhibition, Lights Up on Liverpool (Nov 2024–May 2025) with Liverpool Libraries, spotlighted the city’s theatre history and was extended by popular demand. All this was achieved without core funding, working project-to-project with a trusted freelance team. After the sudden passing of founding director Jill Smith in January 2025, we are welcoming David Griffiths and Margaret Connell to the board. ArtsGroupie has featured in The New York Times for reviving Victorian ghost-story readings and on Channel 5’s Susan Calman’s Great British Cities. Two music albums released on our in-house label continue our support for working-class creatives.