Known to many as their Ceramics Lecturer at Halton College, now known as Riverside College, Jaki Florek describes those 18 years as “like being part of a big family”. She moved to Runcorn in 1974 and has had a huge impact on the music and arts scene in Halton. Born Jaki Etere, in 1948 in Bradford, Yorkshire, of Irish/Italian immigrant heritage, she relates strongly to young people who have unsettled home-lives, have been in care, are experiencing poverty and/or discrimination. Her “escape” was in reading, writing, and drawing. In Cardiff, she gained a 1st Class Hons degree in Art & Design plus a Post-Grad Arts Education qualification and worked as an Art Therapist in various psychiatric hospitals before moving into education.

A writer, and singer-songwriter, and having already had a single in the Top 20 Independent Charts and UK tours, after leaving a previous band she formed Runcorn-based Adam’s Family. In 1984. Bill Leach joined on guitar; they later married.

Jaki’s daughter and sons have all been in bands, one most intensely and experimentally, in UK and Europe, for most of his life. One was in an early pop version of Adam’s Family, keyboards and backing vocals, later joined a Stoke band when she moved away to Art College. LOOSE was originally the record label set up by one son to release the Lazy Mary EP (song-writer Wayne Cookson), which got airplay on the John Peel Show and a shout out for Runcorn!

Jaki Florek was a founding member of local music collective LOOSE, in 1997, alongside Greg Oldfield and Pete Bentham – uniquely talented songwriters, immersed in music-making (separately) since they were young teenagers. There was a great deal of practical support from Roy Jones, the new HBC Music Officer. When young people turned up to a LOOSE meeting saying, “We’ve got nothing!” he organised funding for U18s Saturday Sessions. Music workshops were run by Greg Oldfield at The Studio, which was then an annexe of the Queens Hall. U18s gigs followed giving young people performance opportunities, and access to live music events.

The Feedback magazine was Roy’s idea. Compiled and edited by Jaki, it covered all art forms and was contributed to by many different people in Halton of all ages. It continued until 2008, funded by HBC. Design & layout by Gary Gleavey, who also alongside his twin brother Carl formed and fronted local ska-punk band Zen Baseballbat.

In 2004 The Studio (and Queens Hall) closed, due for demolition so the U18s gigs into The Brindley. Roy Jones had moved on, but  Jaki had the required tenacity and determination to not just accept the loss of a building with so much social history: built in 1879 as a Sunday School and community centre, it was later used as a small factory from 1947 to the late 70s. Locals called it “the Baby Linen” as it made baby clothes. A few years later in 2009 Jaki secured the funding and The Studio building was transferred into where it is today from Halton Borough Council over to LOOSE. After the required work was done to the building and the Official Opening took place on 17^th April 2010, attended by many of the supporters and young people who had campaigned for saving the community asset.  During the period of construction Jaki was invited to contribute a chapter to a book “Liverpool, Centre Of The Creative Universe” published by Liverpool University Press, and had also completed the printing  and publishing of the massive and highly-respected book   ‘Liverpool Eric’s,  All the best clubs are downstairs, everyone knows that…’ Work started in 2002, using taped interviews by Paul Whelan (the book was his idea, but he wasn’t a writer).

Jaki and LOOSE via The Studio continue their aims of “Removing Barriers to Participation in Music, Theatre, Arts, and Life… “

It is home to youth music project Amplify! and thanks also to local promoters has hosted many notable acts  such as Shaun Ryder, Arthur Brown, Glenn Tilbrook, Bruce Foxton/ From The Jam and has been home to annual charity events such as Rec’d All Day by Graeme Scragg  and team and Halton Rocks from musician Simon Owens: Halton Rocks once again with non-stop sets across two stages at The Studio – Liverpool Echo

It was the birthplace of We Shall Overcome which has become a national movement thanks to local musician and social justice advocate, Ste Goodall (RIP).

The starting point for many local musicians taking their first steps into the music industry, it is a much-loved nurturing and supportive venue for all.