Brighton Festival highlights: children’s events
Brighton Festival is filled with events for children of all ages
Whilst Brighton Festival is rightly renowned for its extraordinary theatre productions, ground-breaking outdoor work and stunning classical programme, people with young families should not feel neglected. Kicking off with the legendary Children’s Parade (5 May), programmers Pippa Smith and Hilary Cooke choose those offerings of most interest for children and families.
“It stops all the traffic in the city centre, it causes tail backs on the A259, buses come to a halt but not a word of complaint is ever heard about the Brighton Festival Children’s Parade. From its small beginnings more than 25 years ago this annual event has become a celebration which lies at the heart of our community,” explains Smith. “For just one day each year our children claim the streets as their own and melt our hearts. Praise must go to all the teachers who give up their Saturday to turn out with their classes and work so hard from Christmas until May creating costumes and spectacular puppets and constructions. This years’ theme is The Story Of Stories – from Cave Painters to Game Designers – and 5,000 children will illustrate and celebrate the narratives with which we try to make sense of our precious world.”
“This year’s offering of events for families is as eclectic as ever too,” continues Smith. “There is a brand new, multi-sensory theatre show about bees from Tin Bath Theatre Company called The Bee Detective (5-7 May); a bird-based concert and workshop where you can learn to tweet (in the traditional sense of the word!) with Brighton favourites Britten Sinfonia called Tweet Chirp And Flap (19 May) and a one man rock and roll musical from Kid Carpet, who has a huge adult following and recently turned his attention to younger audiences with the riotous Kid Carpet And The Noisy Animals (19-20 May).”
Additionally there are family shows including Gandini Juggling’s ground-breaking Smashed (22-23 May) and a plethora of outdoor shows which families can dip their toes into or submerge themselves at will!
“Look out for C12 Dance Theatre and Shaun Parker with Trolleys (figuratively and literally) and Company Chameleon with Push – both at Marina Square, Brighton Marina (19 May). The Marina is the place to be on that day, as at 1pm The Boat Project’s vessel arrives. This extraordinary boat, constructed from wooden artefacts donated (with their stories) by members of the public, is stopping off at the Festival on this, the very first leg of its maiden voyage [visit www.theboatproject.com for more information],” concludes Smith.
“Families and children of a literary bent can look forward to the 26 Letters programme. Celebrating as it does the amazing things we can all do with just 26 alphabetical icons, this annual celebration of writing for young people features authors like Julia Donaldson (The Gruffalo) and Andrew Lane (Young Sherlock),” explains Cooke.
“It’s not just the writers who get a look in – there are illustrators galore from Polly Dunbar to Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. You can also expect Graphic Novel workshops, a Tea Party Quiz with Enid Blyton and a new “green” take on a classic with a Tarzan event complete with survival quiz with Andy Briggs (Villain.net, The Greystoke Legacy). All this means there really is something for everyone.
Additionally there are family shows including Gandini Juggling’s ground-breaking Smashed (22-23 May), amazing aerial theatre from Circus Klezmer (25-26 May) and a plethora of outdoor shows which families can dip their toes into… or submerge themselves at will! All in all, this year’s programme looks to be a cache of treats and surprises to entertain and enthral!”
