The massive transformation of Southport’s iconic former Warehouse restaurant is finally complete. Starting tonight, the four-storey building at 30 West Street officially opens as the Warehouse Arts Centre (WAC).
The West Street site – famous locally for its history as a hotspot once co-owned by Steven Gerrard – has been completely converted into a grassroots creative hub. The project is a collaborative effort between the family behind Coopers Bar (Ella, Spud, and Yvette Cooper), Andrew and Stephanie Portersmith from the non-profit Music Stuff, and the team at Tides Out Studios. The ambitious venture even picked up a formal commendation in the House of Commons earlier this year from Southport MP Patrick Hurley for its commitment to the town’s music scene.
Instead of just being a standard venue, the space spreads different creative outlets across all four floors:
- The New Coopers Bar: Moving its live music operations into the building to accommodate much larger touring crowds.
- Coopers Music Shop: An established retail and instrument repair shop.
- The ‘Modulart’ Gallery: A curated exhibition space by Tides Out where local visual artists can display their work for free on a rolling basis.
- Bell, Book & Candle: A new shop selling arts and crafts made by local makers.
- Creative Hubs: Dedicated spaces on the upper floors for TOPS Theatre acting workshops, music lessons, art classes, and video editing suites.
The grand opening weekend runs from Friday, June 26 to Sunday, June 28. Visitors can explore the building, check out the gallery’s first exhibition (“Meet the Locals” at 5:30 PM on Friday), and catch a packed weekend lineup of live music including Dash Rip Rock & the Ton of Lead, Tico Tico, After Hours, and the Jazz Stats Big Band.
