First-ever festival to take place during school holidays.
This October half term, arts and cultural venues from across Coventry and Warwickshire are teaming up to offer a series of fun-filled family friendly events as part of the first ever UK-wide Family Arts Festival.
The Belgrade Theatre, Warwick Arts Centre, Compton Verney, Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum and Coventry Transport Museum are all taking part in the initiative, which will see over 1,500 events taking place at 800 venues across the UK.
Running from 18th October-3rd November, the Family Arts Festival aims to build on the momentum of the London 2012 Festival and Cultural Olympiad, with a mix of music, theatre, dance and visual arts events to attract families to participate in the arts this autumn.
Families can take advantage of more than 24 events across Coventry and Warwickshire, ranging from Madness musical Our House and storytelling at the Belgrade Theatre, NoFit State circus and Dinosaur Zoo at Warwick Arts Centre, The Big Draw and spooky storytelling at Compton Verney, Coventry Transport Museum’s War Effort exhibition and craft workshops as well as drawing activities inspired by Quentin Blake’s book, Angelica Sprocket’s Pockets at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum.
Events at the Royal Shakespeare Company include stage fighting workshops and new show Blown Away. Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust is hosting ghost walks, pumpkin carving and a family friendly performance of Macbeth, amongst other events.
Kathryn McDowell CBE, Family Arts Campaign Chair and Managing Director of the London Symphony Orchestra, said: “We’re delighted to present such an extensive and diverse programme at the first Family Arts Festival. We hope to engage families across the UK with the wealth of high quality programming which truly offers something for everyone. From the music lover, to the aspiring artist, the dancing queen or the budding thespian, people of all ages, backgrounds and interests will be able to find inspiring arts events near them. We’re counting on the families of the UK to recreate the Olympic spirit of participation and join in an event in their area.”
The Family Arts Festival is part of a wider programme, The Family Arts Campaign, which is working to help arts organisations attract more and a wider range of families. Devised in consultation with over 1,000 arts professionals and 2,000 families, the Family Arts Campaign and Festival are initiatives of the Association of British Orchestras, the Theatrical Management Association, the Society of London Theatre, the Independent Theatre Council, the Visual Arts & Galleries Association and Dance UK, and are funded by Arts Council England.