Kirkby Gallery is set to open a brand-new collaborative exhibition in the new year. ‘The Sacred Memory Bank,’ which opens to the public on Monday, 19 January 2026, showcases the work of Liverpool-born artists Mike Badger and Jeff Young and explores our spiritual connection with the passing of time through a series of powerful assemblage artworks.
The exhibition features works created by Badger, an artist, musician, and writer, and Young, a playwright, memoirist, and artist, who have drawn on their life experiences to create pieces that evoke a “hidden world previously lost to us”. Their assemblages combine everyday items, written texts, and collage to form a “physical poetry,” showing viewers who they were and who they have become.
Councillor Shelley Powell, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, said:
“The arts are vital in helping us connect with our own personal histories and those of our communities. ‘The Sacred Memory Bank’ is a unique concept that invites us to look closer at the ordinary objects that hold extraordinary stories. I encourage everyone to visit the Kirkby Gallery and experience the powerful, reflective work of Mike Badger and Jeff Young.”
The Gallery is also running a programme of complementary events, including hands-on workshops led by the artists themselves. Running from 1pm – 3pm on Thursday afternoons from 22 January until 12 March 2026, the sessions will explore the use of writing and assemblage to unlock the memories held within objects.
The workshops cost £20 and per session must be booked in advance. Each workshop is a standalone session however you are welcome to book on to as many of the workshops as you like.
The Sacred Memory Bank runs until Friday 27 March and is free to attend.
Kirkby Gallery, located on the first floor of The Kirkby Centre, Norwich Way, Kirkby L32 8XY and is open Monday-Friday 10am–5pm (last admission 4.30pm) Saturday 10am–1pm (last admission 12.30pm)
For further information on the exhibition, to book on to a workshop, or to RSVP to the private view on Thursday 15 January, contact the gallery team at galleries@knowsley.gov.uk or on 0151 443 4936.
Find out more about Kirkby Gallery at: Kirkby Gallery – Prescot Museum
