The Liverpool-based arts centre Bluecoat hits a momentous milestone next year: the 300th anniversary of its building, which began life as a charity school for orphans in 1717. The venue was converted into an arts complex in 1907, making the Bluecoat the oldest culture hub in the UK. Curators at the Bluecoat have organised a plethora of exhibitions and events over 300 days to commemorate the special occasion including the show Public View (4 February-23 April) featuring 100 artists who have exhibited at the Liverpool gallery (leading practitioners such as Jeremy Deller, Mark Leckey, Elizabeth Magill and Yoko Ono are among the star names). Other treats include a rendition on 13 May of Pierre Henry’s unfinished composition Messe de Liverpool at Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral. Meanwhile, “Bluecoat will also host a sociologist in residence, Dr Paul Jones from the University of Liverpool, for the duration of 2017 as part of a pioneering programme focusing on architecture, culture and society,” says a press statement.