PAINT & SIP
mic nights. "We had about twelve performers booked, and for the rst twenty minutes, no one was really there. I was standing outside, scanning tickets, thinking, 'Where is everyone?' en the music kicked in, and suddenly, the room lled with people grabbing chairs and standing against the walls. We had to run downstairs to get more seats. at kind of energy… it just builds on itself." at night ended with a packed house and a shortfall of chairs, a good problem, in retrospect. It's the kind of spontaneity that de nes Cosy Kreations; equal parts logistics scramble and creative triumph. And it's not just about putting on a show. With help from their videographer friend Obim, every performer walked away with full-length footage, photos, and interview clips, all provided free of charge as part of Cosy's commitment to platforming emerging artists. "It's about PR, yeah, but it's also about giving back," Mai explains. "We wanted to nd ways to support artists without putting the pressure on ticket prices. Obim lmed everyone, did a
It's a ursday night in Liverpool, and the crowd is buzzing. Fold-out chairs press shoulder to shoulder; the clink of drinks and conversations muted by a poet's nal line, and somewhere at the back, someone is wheeling in another speaker. It's not chaos, exactly; it's a community, the kind that's improvised, alive, and deeply intentional. At the heart of this open mic night are Mai and Chelsea, the duo behind Cosy Kreations, an independent creative collective that's rapidly becoming a movement in the North West. What started as a few paint-and-sip sessions for friends has now evolved into a cultural ecosystem. eir events range from poetry nights to scrapbooking socials, art exhibitions, and experimental music gigs. At its core, however, is a clear purpose: bringing people together through creativity without elitism or high entry costs. With every event they throw, they're rewriting the rulebook for what inclusive, grassroots culture can look like post-COVID. "We wanted something bigger than just a venue," says Chelsea, recounting one of their recent open
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