Staff from Southgate’s Chickenshed theatre will head off on an Olympic tour this summer, crossing the river to the Chelsea theatre to lead a selection of workshops for children exploring the Olympics in an original and inventive way.
Funded by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the inclusive workshops are available for children who live or go to school in the borough and will be led by professional practitioners from the Chickenshed theatre.
The summer season of workshops opens from 30 July to 1 August with the fittingly titled Opening Ceremony Workshop. Suitable for children aged five to seven years old, the workshop will take attendees on a whistlestop tour around the Olympic world using play, music and movement with places costing £60.
For older children aged eight to 12 years old, the World’s End 2012 Heroes Workshop takes place from 31 July to 1 August. Drawing inspiration from personal heroes, participants will explore and create an original piece of theatre to be performed for family and friends. Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance.
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Harry Potter, Yoda and The Queen of Hearts were opponents in the 200m hurdles then Let The Games Begin – A Play in a Day Workshop is for you. Suitable for children aged eight to 14 years old, the workshop takes place on 2 August, costs £40 and draws inspiration from participants’ favourite characters to create an Olympics to remember.
Bringing the workshops to a close on 3 August is the Closing Ceremony – A Dance Show in a Day Workshop for children aged eight to 12 years old. Costing £40, this day long activity will use a range of dance styles from Street Dance to Bollywood to help the group create their own unique closing ceremony.
To book a place on any of the workshops, call the Summer Academy team on 020 7938 8017 or Chickenshed Kensington and Chelsea on 020 7351 9298. They can also be booked on Chickenshed theatre’s website or by calling the box office on 020 8292 9222. As part of Chickenshed’s drive to make all its activities open to everyone, if the cost of the workshops prevents you from booking, please call 020 7351 9298 for more information about its financial support scheme.
At the theatre’s Southgate home, its favourite interactive storytelling show Tales From The Shed continues to run until 14 July, with a mini festival Tales Big Day Out taking place on 21 and 22 July with performances from the Tales team, stalls and creative activities for all the family.