Here are some tips to have a little creative fun over half term and later.
If you are doing an Arts Award at Bronze, Silver or Gold go to an event or performance and it will go towards your award – I’ve labelled these ARTS AWARD. Try to get into a quiet space where you can hear and see properly. Maybe use headphones. Popcorn? Maybe not.
I’ve also divided everything into age group interests.
Young families (early years)
Z-Arts in Manchester have a busy half term programme of children’s theatre & activities:
https://www.z-arts.org/see-whats-on/?category=childrens-shows&dm_i=4V00,GKDT,10ISZL,1YIHE,1#whats-on
Unicorn Theatre, London for online show (‘digital theatre’):
https://www.unicorntheatre.com/whatson
Children / young teens (or young at heart)
When ANYTIME (50 mins long)
Cost FREE
Who London Symphony Orchestra
Title Space! But not as we know it
Description ARTS AWARD
Billed as age 7 – 12 (but I think it sounds good, and I’m 45)
Find out what happens when an orchestra has to keep its distance!
Rachel Leach explores the separation of sounds, how music travels around an orchestra and what you can hear between the notes.
Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=814XZU32bRo&list=RD814XZU32bRo&start_radio=1&t=0
When ANYTIME
Cost FREE
Who Home Mcr / Oldham Coliseum
Title Poetry Health Service
Description ARTS AWARD
It’s a web app, asks you questions and then prescribes you a poem to hear and keep and you can write a haiku in response. Lovely.
Link
When Friday 19th February 12.30pm (45 mins)
Cost FREE
Who London Symphony Orchestra
Title Friday Lunchtime Concert
Description ARTS AWARD
Orchestral music – live-streamed
Link
https://lso.co.uk/whats-on/icalrepeat.detail/2021/02/19/1901/-/free-friday-lunchtime-concert.html
When Thursday 18th Feb, 10.30am
Cost FREE (booking required)
Who Buxton Opera House
Title Intro to puppet making and puppetry
Description
Introduction to puppetry and puppet making, a hands-on session starting by looking at a variety of basic paper puppetry techniques and styles. It’s a practical workshop, so you will need to prep some basic materials beforehand.
Link
https://buxtonoperahouse.org.uk/event/sam-wilde-workshop
When From 12th – 21st Feb – Various events, mostly evenings
Cost FREE
Who Northumberland National Park
Title Dark Sky Festival
Description
Various events including Astrophotography for beginners, Stories of the Skies, Escape Velocity (about using a mobile phone to photograph the night sky)
Link
https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/whats-on/
When ANYTIME
Cost FREE
Who Chester Zoo
Title Virtual Zoo Days
Description
Meet the animals!
Link
https://www.chesterzoo.org/virtual-zoo-2/
When ANYTIME, various
Cost FREE
Who Zooniverse
Title Citizen Science projects
Description
The Zooniverse enables everyone to take part in real cutting edge research in many fields across the sciences, humanities, and more. The Zooniverse creates opportunities for you to unlock answers and contribute to real discoveries.
Link
When ANYTIME
Cost FREE
Who Explore Buxton
Title Capturing a Moment
Description
Do your own stories and drawings to contribute to a outdoor projection show. Deadline 28th February.
Link
When ANYTIME until 21st February
Cost £2.50 or pay what you feel
Who Cambridge Junction
Title The Snow Queen
Description ARTS AWARD
Drama performance – brand new family adventure straight into your living room!
Join Gerda on her quest to save her best friend Kaj from the Snow Queen in the frozen north.
From the makers of Snow White and Beauty & the Beast, a special online adventure featuring music, storytelling, action and animation.
Featuring a broken mirror, wild woods, a Mongolian yurt, helpful crows and a reindeer or two!
Get involved and play along with the film using the accompanying downloadable activity pack.
Suitable for ages: 5+
Link
https://www.junction.co.uk/the-snow-queen
When ANYTIME
Cost FREE, suggested donation £2
Who Little Angel Theatre, London
Title The Girl and The Raven
Description ARTS AWARD
Age 6+. A short adaptation of the Icelandic folk legend of The Girl and The Raven. The story is based on events surrounding a huge landslide in Vatnsdalur, Iceland in 1545, laying waste to the farm of Skíðastaðir. Thirteen people died, but tradition says that one girl survived in an extraordinary manner…
Link
https://littleangeltheatre.com/online-shows-and-activities/watch/the-girl-and-the-raven/
When Monday 15th, Wednesday 17th, Friday 19th February, 11am, 1 hour
Cost FREE
Who Kindred Drama
Title Introduction to singing.
Description
Workshops with warm-ups and exercises. Free.
Link
When Thursday 18th Feb 2pm
Cost FREE (booking required)
Who Showtown: Russ Brown
Title Magic Workshop
Description
Suitable for age 5+. Award winning magician Russ Brown is your host as he teaches you step by step how to make things transport, vanish and even float on a card’s edge!
Link
When Friday 19th Feb 11am.
Cost FREE (booking required)
Who Stamford Arts Centre
Title Children’s Creative Writing Workshop
Description
Release your imagination and find your voice, confidence and enjoyment throughout the process.
Link
In fact there is a lot of stuff on Fantastic for Families – organisations all over the country post their events and activities there.
For events (ARTS AWARD) to watch:
https://fantasticforfamilies.com/online-events
For activities to do:
https://fantasticforfamilies.com/home-activities
Also much recommended this Youtube Art Club, from Olaf Falafel (is that his real name??)
https://www.youtube.com/user/OlafFalafel
Older teen / young adult:
When ANYTIME
Cost Various, pay as you feel, (if you are doing silver or gold Arts Award, HPCA can pay for tickets)
Who Home, Manchester
Title Homemakers Festival
Description ARTS AWARD
Homemakers is series of new commissions inviting artists to create new works at home, for an audience who are also at home. Various topics and genres, including 2 featuring sign language.
Link
https://homemcr.org/event/homemakers/
When Feb 25th (and for 7 days after, on demand)
Cost £7.50 (if you are doing silver or gold Arts Award, HPCA can pay for tickets)
Who South Bank Centre, London
Title Raven Leilani in conversation
Description ARTS AWARD
The debut novel from Raven Leilani has won plaudits across the board – hear from the author in a broadcast conversation with novelist Diana Evans.
Link
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/literature-poetry/raven-leilani-luster?eventId=864144
When March 4th (and for 7 days after, on demand)
Cost £7.50 (if you are doing silver or gold Arts Award, HPCA can pay for tickets)
Who South Bank Centre, London
Title Skin in conversation
Description ARTS AWARD
‘You’ve got to keep moving forward, keep striving for everything you want to be.’ Skin
The lead singer of rock band Skunk Anansie, solo artist, LGBTQI+ activist and all-around trailblazer launches her memoir in a broadcast event.
I’m going to this – Skin was my total hero in the 1990s.
Link
When March 19th, 7.30pm
Cost £10 (if you are doing silver or gold Arts Award, HPCA can pay for tickets)
Who South Bank Centre, London
Title London Contemporary Orchestra
Description ARTS AWARD
The innovative ensemble presents orchestral versions of new electronic masterpieces and a UK premiere.
Link
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/gigs/london-contemporary-orchestra?eventId=864197
When Various 28th March – 4th April, generally 7.30pm
Cost £7.50 (if you are doing silver or gold Arts Award, HPCA can pay for tickets)
Who South Bank Centre, London
Title Out Spoken Festival
Description ARTS AWARD
Bringing the cream of UK writing talent to you, our resident poetry and music night goes online for the very first time.
Link
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/literature-poetry/out-spoken?eventId=863518
When 1st – 7th March, anytime (35 mins long)
Cost From £7.50 (if you are doing silver or gold Arts Award, HPCA can pay for tickets)
Who Oldham Coliseum / Thickskin
Title Petrichor
Description ARTS AWARD Immersive Theatre in VR.
Welcome to Petrichor.
Thousands applied and you have been selected.
This is a new beginning, a clean slate, a second chance.
You are an important part of this machine,
And that’s all you need to think about.
Step into a new world.
“PETRICHOR is a 360-degree experience with action happening all around you. The experience can be viewed on smartphones and tablets, with or without a VR headset and you can move your device to follow the action around the space, for this reason we do not recommend you watch on a computer, laptop or smart TV. We also recommend wearing headphones as PETRICHOR uses sound to direct you where to look. This means it’s best to watch individually rather than as a group.”
Link