Storyhouse has unveiled WayWord, an exciting and inspiring programme of events and activities for children this October half term.
Poet Benjamin Zephaniah, multi award-winning author Dame Jacqueline Wilson and comedian and novelist Julian Clary are among the line-up in the festival for children which aims to celebrate the power of words to ignite imaginations.
The half term programme for children and their families takes place from Monday, 24 October to Sunday, 30 October and many of the events are free, while Storyhouse has committed to keep ticket prices for others as low as possible.
Meanwhile 200 tickets for each event on the main stage and 10 tickets for each Garret Theatre event will be reserved for free distribution to low-income families and groups through Storyhouse’s Community Connectors partnership.
Events will take over the main stage, Garret Theatre, Kitchen, Den and Storytelling Room at the Hunter Street venue and other libraries across the borough. They include stories, workshops, crafting, theatres performances, fancy dress and a Halloween Disco finale.
The packed week of fun begins on Monday, 24 October with Mako Creates LEGO Stop Motion and LEGO Comic Book Design in the Garret Theatre.
The first is a creative workshop which is the perfect introduction to the world of stop motion animation, while the second event will give youngsters the skills they need to bring their LEGO characters to life in their own digital comic books, including storytelling, photography, image editing and graphic design. Both are aimed at ages eight and over.
The day then continues with AR (augmented reality) Colouring – Bring Your Pictures to Life! in the Kitchen.
The free, hands-on activity is perfect for children who enjoy colouring in and technology and will include colouring in an AR sheet and then using iPads and the power of AR to bring the design to life.
A very special new abridged re-telling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, especially created for families, will be staged in The Garret Theatre on Monday and Tuesday, 24-25 October, and Saturday, 29 October, with a final performance on the main stage on the Saturday afternoon followed by a Q&A.
The Storytelling Room is the location for Julia Donaldson’s The Scarecrows’ Wedding on Tuesday, 25 October. Suitable for young explorers aged one to five, join Story Explorers’ Claire to find clues, read the story and then come together to build a scarecrow. The session ends with a bubble dance and is free.
Claire will also introduce the tiniest visitors to Storyhouse to the joy of stories in Baby Story Explorers. The free session in the Storytelling Room, suitable for babies aged up to 12 months, includes singing nursery rhymes, baby signing and bubbles and music.
Meanwhile youngsters aged seven and up will want to join Julian Clary and award-winning illustrator David Roberts for The Bolds Go Green. The pair are the writer and illustrator of the popular The Bolds series of children’s books, and in The Bolds Go Green the titular family have decided to do their bit for the planet – even if not all their ‘eco-friendly’ ideas go down well with their neighbours.
The event takes place on the main stage.
In the Garret Theatre meanwhile there’s a chance to meet Mark Powers, the author of the brilliant Space Detectives books.
And there are free, drop-in Space Crafts sessions in the Den during the day where you can come and have a go at making aliens, rockets and flying saucers.
The fun continues on Wednesday, 26 October.
Lily and the Heron – a story of bravery, courage and magic told through puppetry and music – will unfold in The Kitchen, while Goofus Theatre will be appearing all over Storyhouse during the day with brilliant pop-up theatre and storytelling. Lily and the Heron will also be touting to other libraries across the borough too.
On Thursday, 27 October activist, novelist, broadcaster and Storyhouse’s artist in residence Benjamin Zephaniah is live on the main stage to talk about his iconic collections of children’s poetry and stories with some unexpected hosts! The event is suitable for young people aged six and up.
And Box Tale Soup also visit Storyhouse on Thursday, 27 October with two shows being staged in the Garret Theatre.
Catch a beautiful adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s much-loved classic The Wind in the Willows in the afternoon, while in the evening make a date with their breathtaking new version of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. Gulliver! comes complete with includes tales of shipwrecks, undiscovered lands and unheard of creatures, all wrought with the theatre company’s trademark style, unique puppetry and original music.
Story Explorers’ Claire returns to the Storytelling Room on Friday, 28 October for Room on the Broom. Find the clues, read the story and then make your own wand. It’s aimed at ages one to five, and Halloween fancy dress is welcomed.
The session is followed by Baby Story Explorers.
Expect fantasy, folklore and a whole lot of nonsense when world famous magical explorer Professor Jigget brings his collection of Storytelling Suitcases to the Garret Theatre on Friday, 28 October.
Or why not join much loved children’s author and illustrator Nick Sharratt for a special Halloween Drawalong, taking place on the main stage when he will draw spooky characters from a selection of his fun-filled picture books including the hugely popular You Choose, Shark in the Park and Pants series. There’s also a chance to draw alongside him – just bring pencils, paper and something to lean on.
Meanwhile the creator of CBeebies’ smash hit JoJo and Gran Gran, award-winning author and Early Years expert Laura Henry-Allain, is in the Garret Theatre. Her powerful book My Skin, Your Skin helps children and adults to have meaningful conversations around race and anti-racism.
Fill Storyhouse with your art in The Big Draw! with free sessions taking place all day in The Kitchen, Den and Storytelling Room.
Then on Saturday, 29 October, former Children’s Laureate Dame Jacqueline Wilson is the big draw on the main stage. Spend the morning learning about how she started her writing career and how she created some of her best-known and loved characters as well as hearing all about her latest book, Project Fairy.
There’s Halloween in the Den on both Saturday and Sunday, packed with Halloween arts and crafts, fancy dress and spooky stories.
And on Sunday, 30 October don’t miss Read Now Write Now spooky storytelling and creative writing workshop in the Garret Theatre.
Finally, get on your ghoulish glad rags for a Funny Bones Halloween Disco in the Kitchen which will be a suitably spooky end to the WayWord week, complete with face painting, games and a marvellous Monster Mash.
Meanwhile Storyhouse’s Favourite Stories – where different members of the Storyhouse team share their treasured tales from childhood – will take place in the Storytelling Room at 2pm daily from Monday, 24 October to Sunday, 30 October.
Added to all this, throughout the week there will be arts and crafts, reading challenges, books to loan and lots more in the Storyhouse Library as well as in local libraries across the wider Chester region.
On Monday, 24 October the enchanting Lily and the Heron comes to Little Sutton Library at 11am and Hope Farm Library at 3pm. It then goes on to Helsby (10.30am) and Frodsham (2pm) Libraries on Tuesday, 25 October; Sandiway (11am) and Barnton (3pm) on Thursday, 27 October; and on Friday, 28 October it will be at the libraries in Lache at 10.30am and Blacon at 2pm.
And Story Explorers is at 10am and Baby Story Explorers is at 11.30am at Neston Library on Wednesday, 26 October.
More details and booking via:
Suzie Henderson, Storyhouse’s creative director, says:
“WayWord is about being playful, creative and surprising – and the programme we have planned for the autumn half term aims to inspire our young audiences and fire their fantastic, fertile, fierce imaginations.
“We’re really pleased to be welcoming headline names like Benjamin Zephaniah, Dame Jacqueline Wilson and Julian Clary along with a host of other brilliant storytellers and thinkers.
“Whether it’s creating stop motion magic, taking a fantastical journey to far off lands, illustrating your own characters or settling down to hear a spooky story, Storyhouse or your local library will be buzzing with creativity.”
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