Linny Venables is a visual artist based in Liverpool working in sculpture, installation, curation and facilitation. Linny experiments with kiln-formed warm glass processes as a form of therapy, slumping, extruding and manipulating glass into fluid, playful shapes.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Saturday 18 October 2025 - Saturday 21 February 2026
Monday - Saturday. 10am - 4pm.
Closed Bank Holidays.
Closed Bank Holidays.
Galleries
FREE ENTRY
Sweet Factory is a vibrant and playful exhibition celebrating the rich, shared histories of sweet making, working-class food traditions, and seaside culture.
Melt, mix, mould, pat, press, settle, slump, stretch, extrude: the exhibition draws parallels between the processes of glass making (liquid sand) and sweet making (liquid sugar), featuring newly created glass artworks by artist Linny Venables and workshop participants from Southport and Bootle, alongside research, documentation, and objects sourced from local sweet factories.
Through colourful displays showcasing joyful experimentation, material transformation, and community storytelling, Sweet Factory invites audiences of all ages to engage with local history and the pleasures of making processes.
Sweet Factory is curated by Linny Venables and supported by Arts Council England and At The Library.
FREE ENTRY
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Linny Venables
Events
Thursday 19 February. 11am – 3pm. Free, drop in event. Donations welcome.
Join artist Linny Venables for a craft workshop inspired by the Sweet Factory exhibition. There’s something for all ages, with all materials supplied for free.
Further Reading
Art in Liverpool / Review: The Sweet Factory at The Atkinson / by Patrick Kirk-Smith
“Linny Venables’ trademark application of saturated colours lends itself perfectly to the subject of sweets and sweet making, and the journey of the project to this point is fun to track.”
Stand up for Southport / New Sweet Factory exhibition in Southport celebrates shared histories of sweet making and seaside culture / by Andrew Brown
“Through colourful displays showcasing joyful experimentation, material transformation, and community storytelling, Sweet Factory invites audiences of all ages to engage with local history and the pleasures of making processes.”
Exhibition Dates
Due to essential maintenance in the Art Gallery, the ‘Sweet Factory’ exhibition will now close at 4pm on Saturday 21 February 2026 (previously 28 Feb). We apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding.