Family Arts

In addition to making family theatre, we design and deliver many other kinds of creative activities for families to enjoy together. Here's just a selection. We are very open to creating bespoke family arts offers to fit in with an event's theme.

Interactive Outdoor Trails

Not only do most of our family theatre shows work outdoors, we also design outdoor interactive trails, which are then animated with playful walkabout characters.

Outdoor Art Gallery

We can install a stylish, robust outdoor art gallery with up to 12 stations. Families respond to open-ended prompts at each station to help them enjoy the art together. We can theme the art collection in response to an event if required.

This trail is animated by high-energy, colourful and eccentric walkabout characters Agents Kahlo and Dali from The Company of International Artists.

We can build a password-decoding element into the trail if required. The password unlocks a short celebratory film featuring the characters Agents Kahlo and Dali.

Halloween Trail

A quirky, hand-made Halloween themed trail encouraging imaginative play and and puzzle-solving.

This trail is animated by walkabout characters Gourdon and Melonie, two activist pumpkins who's main aim in life is to ensure pumpkings aren't thrown in bins.

Christmas Trail

This trail has been made to the same quirky, handmade standards as the Halloween trail but due to pandemic regulations changing at an inconvenient time, we've not had a chance to take it out yet! It is inspired by the 12 days of Christmas and has, yes, 12 stations!

This trail is animated by walkabout characters Holly and Noel, a pair of novice event planners who have, let's be honest, bitten off more than they can chew but are determined to see it through.

Enquire about any of our trails

Family Art Workshops

These are just a taster. We are able to devise bespoke workshops to reflect a specific event's theme. Our workshops are a blend of drama, music, storytelling, dance and arts & crafts.

songwriting

We help families explore initial ideas, develop lyrics, find some rhythms and add a simple tune.

We like to make a recording of these new songs which we can share with the families afterwards.

We've taken our family songwriting workshop to several family-friendly events including Knowle West Fest, Priddy Folk Festival and Bristol Ukulele Festival.

Dotty's Disco

A mobile disco with a difference, Dotty hails from the disco halls of the 70s. And she's on a mission to get everyone dancing.

Can't think of a move? Don't worry! Dotty's got a giant dotty dice to help you choose your disco grooves!

"Dotty had everyone from little tots to teenage boys and even dads dancing!”

Keynsham Hour, Somer Valley FM community radio

superheroes

Craft a cape, perhaps add a mask, and whizz yourself up some seriously cool superhero gadgetry to enhance your superpowers, step into our giant cartoon frame and there you are, you've found your inner superhero!

“You were a great hit today with everyone! My child went to bed with their superhero outfit on!”

Make Sunday Special event organiser

framed

A fun way for families to explore fine art together. Choose a picture, recreate the look, and step into the frame.

“This is my favourite thing! You’ve inspired me to make a dressing up box for my children now I’ve seen how much they love it!”

Parent, Southbank Bristol Arts Trail

“Such an effective idea!”

Art in the Park' organiser
Entertaining Local Knowle

PlaySparks

To help families through the summer of 2020, we posted PlaySparks every week here and on our social media.

PlaySparks are ideas for imaginative and active play and require no special creative resources.

PlaySparks include ideas suitable for preschool children up to children aged around 12 years.

Bristol Kindness Wave & MShed commissioned some additional PlaySparks from us. Do get in touch if any children would like to show us what they made with inspiration from our PlaySparks!

Gill Simmons · Kitchen Music PlaySparks audio guide

During the summer of 2022, we filled Withywood Park, Elvard Road green space and Willmott Park with 11 uniquely decorated willow frames made by local families at a free workshop we ran at Hartcliffe Community Centre.

We invited people who live in BS13 to take a moment to celebrate a beautiful view in their neighbourhood.

This project also invited people beyond the postcode to think again about how they view our area.