Liverpool is preparing to welcome the inaugural World Boxing Championships for Elite men and women this September – and a major community engagement programme is set to run alongside the sporting spectacle.
From 4 – 14 September, the city will play host to the world’s best boxers, and Culture Liverpool is working with creative and sporting partners to ensure the event leaves a lasting legacy. The programme features three unique artistic residencies in schools and neighbourhoods, including a public exhibition celebrating the unsung heroes of the sport.
Delivered in partnership with Open Eye Gallery and England Boxing, the Unsung Heroes exhibition will be on display at St George’s Hall – Stable Gallery shining a light on 20 grassroots figures nominated by local boxing clubs. Photographers Emma Case and Katie Richardson, with filmmaker Susannah Fletcher, have captured portraits and stories of these “Unsung Heroes” – the people whose dedication continues to shape the boxing community. The free exhibition runs 29 August – 20 September, open Monday-Saturday, 9am-4.30pm.
Residencies will see artists working closely with local communities: At Rotunda ABC, artist and boxing coach Ciara Lyons is spending six weeks exploring stories of belonging, heritage and wellbeing, which will be developed into a film, performance and exhibition. Wired Aerial Theatre will work with secondary schools and take up residency at The Florrie – a venue with strong ties to Liverpool’s boxing history – delivering workshops and performances of their aerial theatre piece Me Vs Me. The production tackles themes of mental health and resilience, developed in partnership with mental health activists and education experts. Schools have also been offered the opportunity to attend boxing matches at the M&S Bank Arena during the championships. This programme has been made possible thanks to Liverpool City Council, World Boxing Championships, England Boxing, GB Boxing and UKSPF, with support from adi.tv.
For more details, visit the Culture Liverpool website.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, said: “Liverpool has a proud history of hosting massive global events such as Eurovision and the World Gymnastics Championships, which not only boost the local economy but also offer an opportunity to inspire and raise the aspirations of young people. “It is a huge coup for Liverpool to be hosting the inaugural World Boxing Championships but we want the legacy of the event to last much longer than just 10 days. We are delighted to be working with our communities and boxing clubs to ensure that we can support the future grassroots development of boxing in the city. “The engagement programme will support cross-curricular learning, while encouraging our young people to get into habits which improve their physical and mental health, that hopefully continue long after the event.”
Jason Harborow, Chair of the World Boxing Championships 2025 Steering Group, added: “It is really important when major events like the World Boxing Championships come to the UK that they have a positive impact and celebrate the work of people that do so much good work in the community in delivering the sport at the grassroots and Unsung Heroes is a brilliant example of a project that is doing this. “Liverpool is one of the most vibrant cities in the UK when it comes to boxing and that is because of the great work that goes in clubs and communities, and it is fantastic to see that this is being acknowledged and celebrated as part of the World Boxing Championships.”
Open Eye Gallery’s Head of Social Practice, Sophie Mahon, said: “This exhibition offers a unique insight into the faces and stories of those creating a lasting impact and legacy within their local clubs and communities, capturing the spirit, resilience, and impact of the sport at its roots. “As this project has made clear, at a grassroots level, boxing is about far more than competition. These clubs offer safe spaces, structure, and support, especially for young people, fostering resilience, self-belief, and connection. “They are places where confidence is built and where champions are measured not only by medals, but by the positive change they inspire.”
