Prescot’s Elizabethan Fayre returns this year to celebrate the town’s Elizabethan heritage and its renaissance, all with a contemporary twist.
The FREE fayre is a popular date in Knowsley’s events calendar and there will be plenty for everyone to enjoy. It will be a fun-filled day packed with theatre and dance performances, circus skills, craft workshops, music, heritage walks, artisan stalls and more.
Visitors can also experience a piece of Tudor history, with candle making, musical minstrels, archery and soldier school. There might even be an appearance from Queen Elizabeth I herself!
Prescot’s history is quite remarkable – in Elizabethan times it was the only place in the whole of the country, aside from London, to have a free-standing purpose-built theatre. Today it is home to Shakespeare North Playhouse, a new theatre and cultural venue in the heart of the town inspired by William Shakespeare and his love of storytelling.
Cllr Tony Brennan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development said:
“Prescot’s Elizabethan Fayre is a wonderful way to celebrate the unique history of the town and for everyone to get involved in celebrating that history. The Prescot Cultural Consortium have created a programme of unique performances, activities and crafts for everyone to enjoy. Prescot town centre is also home to plenty of lovely shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, so visitors can spend the full day experiencing everything that the town has to offer.”
Siobhan Noble, Senior Producer at Shakespeare North Playhouse and Chair of the Prescot Cultural Consortium, commented:
“The Elizabethan Fayre is a fantastic event for Prescot and Knowsley, it’s a chance for communities to come together and celebrate the rich heritage of the town. This year’s Fayre will be jam packed with things to do and guarantees a great time for all ages. This is not to be missed.”
Where and when
Prescot Town Centre
Saturday 10 June 11am – 5pm
Get involved
- Help make the Prescot Bird with Arts Groupie
- Get Sketchy with Illustrator Gill Smith
- Willow Weaving from Twig Twister
- Clay making with Prescot Community Curators
- Heritage Walking Tours of Prescot
- Free Face Painting
Performances
- Fools Rush In – Circus Jesters Steve ‘n’ Harry
- The Egg People – The Waggle Bees
- Jan Williams Theatre School
- Liverpool Signing Choir
- Arts Groupie – The Actor’s Corner
- Curbside Ceilidh – Folk Dance Remixed
- Bring the Fire – Fire and Circus Show
- Altered Scale Theatre – Captain Parrot and His Ship of Stories
- Petit Ullaloom – The Dead Average Sonnets Society
- Imaginarium Theatre – Fools and Fairies Parade
- Poppy the Bubble Fairy
- And more!
A full programme with times for events and activities will be available soon on www.cutureknowsley.co.uk. You can also follow CultureKnowsley on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates.
Take a look at last year’s fun…
Prescot Cultural Consortium
Plans for Prescot’s Elizabethan Fayre have been developed by the Prescot Cultural Consortium which is chaired by Shakespeare North Playhouse and includes representatives from Prescot Business Club, Knowsley Community Curators, Prescot Festival of Music and the Arts, Prescot Parish Church, Jan Williams Theatre School, Imaginarium Theatre, Prescot Museum, Knowsley Council and Act for Action. Producer, Laura Orchard, has led on the plans with the Cultural Consortium.
The Cultural Consortium was set up by Knowsley Council as part of the £3.1 million Prescot High Street Heritage Action Zone scheme, and the HSHAZ’s Cultural Programme, which is led by Historic England, in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Cultural Programme aims to make the country’s high streets more attractive, engaging and vibrant places for people to live, work and spend time.
The enhanced Elizabethan Fayre is being funded via the HSHAZ Cultural Programme Local Grant under which Knowsley Council were awarded £80,000 in 2020, on behalf on the Prescot Cultural Consortium.
Prescot High Street Heritage Action Zone
Prescot was selected as one of the 68 high streets to benefit from the High Street Heritage Action Zone project in 2020.
In Prescot, the £3.1 million heritage-led regeneration programme will see major investment from Knowsley Council and Historic England into a number of key projects. This includes the repair and restoration of the Grade II listed former Prescot Picture Palace cinema, the transformation of a Grade II Listed townhouse (formerly Prescot Museum) into a ‘makerspace’ for new and small businesses in creative, arts and digital sectors.
In addition, the funding will be used to provide grants to restore other historic buildings, transform public realm and engage with the local community.
