BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.4.5//EN TZID:Europe/London X-WR-TIMEZONE:Europe/London BEGIN:VEVENT UID:12304@artinliverpool.com DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261211T000000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20271231T000000 DTSTAMP:20260903T124339Z URL:https://www.artinliverpool.com/events/you-gotta-get-a-gimmick-the-paul -ogrady-story/ SUMMARY:Williamson Art Gallery & Museum: You Gotta Get a Gimmick: The Paul O’Grady Story DESCRIPTION:A major exhibition delving into the private archive of Paul O ’Grady\, revealing his life in front of and behind the cameras will open in his hometown of Birkenhead at the end of this year.\n\nThe exhibition\ , featuring a wider community and participation programme\, will give a fi rst glimpse into the extensive archive of Paul\, contextualising him as an LGBTQIA+ icon\, an award-winning broadcaster\, passionate activist and so meone who gave a voice to the voiceless\, particularly those with four paw s. From Tranmere to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern\, the “blonde bombsite of Birkenhead” to Battersea Dog’s Home\, the exhibition will present Paul O’Grady is one of Britain’s most cherished\, and significant cultural figures.\n\nBirkenhead is at the heart of Paul O’Grady’s story\, whet her it is the acid tongue of Lily Savage\, the humour and activism of Paul as a presenter and entertainer\, the determination to stand up for a caus e and the working-class identity at his core. Premiering the exhibition in the town has been the central ambition of the curatorial team\, and The P aul O’Grady Estate with a commitment to keeping access free.\n\n \;\ n\nEarly Years\n\nPaul James O’Grady was born to Molly and Paddy on 14 J une 1955 in Birkenhead and was brought up in a close-knit Irish Catholic h ousehold in Tranmere. The youngest of three children\, he first attended S t Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Prenton and then St. Anselm’s Co llege in Birkenhead\, which was founded by the Christian Brothers.  After leaving school Paul worked in a variety of jobs including being a clerk i n the Magistrates Courts and a care worker in a Children’s Convalescent Home in West Kirby.\n\n \;\n\nCrossover into mainstream\n\nSet against the turbulent social and political landscape of 1980s Britain\, the exhib ition charts the rise of Lily Savage within the context of Section 28 and widespread homophobia. Lily Savage emerged as a defiant response to the er a’s unrest\, channelling working-class resilience into high-glamour\, ra zor-sharp satire.\n\nAs we mark the 60th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual O ffences Act\, the exhibition places Paul O’Grady at the vanguard of LGBT QIA+ visibility. It maps the moment queer culture crossed over from the pu b and club underground into the collective heart of the British public\, f orever altering the national cultural fabric.\n\nLily’s television caree r included hosting “The Lily Savage Show” (BBC)\; “Lily Live”  (ITV)\; and “Lily Savage’s Blankety Blank”. After resting Lily\, Pa ul O’Grady’s career flourished in many directions from the BAFTA award -winning “The Paul O’Grady Show”\, “Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs” and “Paul O’Grady’s Little Heroes” to name but a few. He also had a definitive decade-long residency on BBC Radio 2\, making hi m one of the most significant cultural figures of his generation.\n\nHe ha s written four volumes of his autobiography and in 2017 “Paul O’Grady ’s Country Life” was published.  Paul’s children’s books about Ed die Albert focus on a boy who lives with his dad after his mum has died an d who finds he has the ability to talk to animals.  They are his friends and they have adventures together which include rescuing a baby orangutan from a cruel owner.  Paul wanted his books to encourage children to be ki nd to animals as well as wanting to support children who are bullied in sc hool or who feel they don’t fit in.\n\nDespite all his success which und oubtedly changed his life he remained passionate about speaking out when h e considered people were being treated unjustly and in his TV series about the Working Class and “The Sally Army and Me” he wanted to highligh t the day to day struggles of ordinary people and show the hard work that goes on often unnoticed by the powers that be.\n\n \;\n\nThe Archive: Craft\, Costume\, and Character\n\nFor the first time\, the public is invi ted to engage with the meticulous craft behind the persona. The exhibition brings together a unique selection of items from Paul O’Grady’s archi ve:\n\n Iconic Wardrobe: Original Lily Savage and pantomime costumes tha t defined an era of British drag.\n Media: Rare footage\, scripts\, phot ography\, and oral histories documenting LGBTQIA+ activism and working-cla ss life and entertainment.\n Private World: An intimate look at Paul’s personal eclectic collection of objects\, figurines\, and puppets\, revea ling the influences that shaped his creative psyche.\n\n \;\n\nA Livin g Heritage\n\nThanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund\, this exhibiti on will spread from behind the gallery walls to document Paul’s legacy a nd the lived experience of his peers and community. Through a series of or al history sessions\, the exhibition documents the lived experiences of th e local LGBTQIA+ community\, ensuring Paul O’Grady’s legacy is intertw ined with the heritage of the Northwest and the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. The exhibition will be accompanied by a year-long public programme of Talking Heads\, music\, performance and cabaret to inspire and platform the next generation of queer talent alongside reading clubs of Paul O’Grady child ren’s books in libraries across the Wirral. good causes by National Lott ery players to make a decisive difference for people\, places and communit ies.\n\nWith thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council Eng land ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.artinliverpool.com/wp-content/upload s/2026/09/Paul-1080x1080-1.jpg CATEGORIES:Exhibitions LOCATION:Williamson Art Gallery & Museum\, Slatey Road\, Birkenhead\, Wirra l\, CH43 4UE\, Wirral\, United Kingdom GEO:53.384568;-3.040443 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Slatey Road\, Birkenhead\, Wirral\, CH43 4UE\, Wirral\, United Kingdom;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Wil liamson Art Gallery & Museum:geo:53.384568,-3.040443 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20261025T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20270328T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20271031T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR