Now open sundays and bank holidays
What made St. Helens great? From its humble beginnings to its rise as a world leader in Glass making, you can find it all here at The World Of Glass.
Ever wondered what life was like in a Victorian town? Step into St Helens past and relive life in the town in the last century.
Find out about properties of glass, look through periscopes and microscopes, and play with lenses to change the colours in light.
Admire contemporary glass and the unique and beautiful designs from some of the Worlds greatest makers.
This international collaboration celebrates over 75 years of cultural connection between Stuttgart and St Helens — a shared yet independent reflection on how place and people shape one another.
This exhibition invites you to see St Helens anew — through the eyes of photographers from both St Helens and its twin city, Stuttgart. Together, they’ve explored the town’s overlooked architectural corners and unexpected beauty: alleyways, painted walls, textures, colours, and the traces of everyday life.
During their visit, the Stuttgart artists collaborated with local creatives to capture not just places, but feelings — atmospheres, interactions, and fleeting moments that speak to the character of the town. The photographers were encouraged to experiment freely, embracing abstraction, humour, and the poetic potential of the ordinary.
“Architectural photography can be much more than just an overview of a building. We’re looking for surprises, peculiarities, cracks in convention, the hidden and mysterious — and if possible, a feeling for the town through the motifs. Let creativity simply take over.”
— Thomas Herrmann
Twinning through cultural and artistic exchange helps communities share ideas, celebrate creativity, and build stronger, more inclusive local relationships by helping people learn from each other with councillor murphy stating-
“I’m delighted to welcome the Stuttgart photographers to St Helens. St Helens has a long history of twinning projects with Stuttgart, and I look forward to seeing this wonderful collaboration with St Helens photographers, the Arts in Libraries Team and the World of Glass.”
— Councillor Sue Murphy MBE, Cabinet Member for Localities, Culture and Heritage.
The exhibition will run from 5 October to 15 November and is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm.
The project has been funded through Stuttgart Council’s Cultural Department and Arts Council England, thanks to funding from taxpayers. The exhibition is delivered by the World of Glass and St Helens Borough Council through the Arts in Libraries programme, supporting artists to showcase and develop their work.
Exhibiting photographers:
All images are available to purchase from The World Of Glass
Image Credit : Thomas Herrmann
CALLING ALL ARTISTS!
Live, work, or study in St. Helens or the wider Liverpool City Region (Knowsley, Sefton, Wirral, Halton)?
We want to see YOUR art!
The St. Helens Open Art Competition is BACK at The World of Glass – celebrating 30 years of championing local creativity!
The Godfrey Pilkington Art Gallery on the 29th November 2025 – 28th February 2026
Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just starting out, this is your chance to showcase your talent in one of the region’s most iconic galleries.
We are inviting artists from across the entire Liverpool City Region – let’s make this the most exciting exhibition yet!
You can now download your entry form or collect at our reception desk!
We offer experiences for Individuals and couples alongside group sessions for corporate clients or those of you who want a team experience.
Thanks to a kind and generous donation from Art Friends Merseyside we were able to bring you a mini glass festival in 2023 attracting some of the best contemporary glass makers to exhibit work here at The World of Glass. As part of the festival workshops and activities, some of the artists gave a talk about their work. You can find a link to two below.
Brought to you thanks to support from Art Friends Merseyside
