6 months of WONDER
We can’t believe it’s been 6 months since we changed our name and relaunched as Wonder Arts?
It’s certainly true what they say, “time flies when you’re having fun”, it’s been a super busy time for us and we’ve loved every second.
Since relaunching we have engaged a staggering 3,400 children and families from St Helens and beyond with fun and creative events and workshops.
We’ve brought a touch of wonder to both Earlestown and St Helens Town Centres, partnered with St Helens Libraries to lose ourselves in fabulous stories at a Wondrous Storytelling Festival and teamed up with Artist Led in St Helens to oversee an invasion of Aliens, Zombies and Monsters.
We’ve met so many wonderful families over the past 6 months, with people describing our activities and events as; “Extraordinary”, “hilarious”, “amazing”, “fabulous”, “incredible”, “brilliant”, “unexpected”, “beautiful”, “creative”, “vibrant” and of course “WONDERFUL”
“Everyone should know about you. You really do bring this place to life.”
Working with artist Michelle Wren, Heart of Glass, and Arriva North West, our Young Wonders put their artistic skills to the test; creating artwork to be displayed on a St Helens Bus and devised a series of monologues that explored topics which they felt were important, like the Black Lives Matter Movement, gender inequality, mental health and creating a safe, equal society for all.
We also had the pleasure of welcoming Zohab Zee Kahn and Half Moon Theatre to St Helens, exploring Toxic Masculinity with students from Hope Academy as part of a research and development period for an upcoming show; “Boys will be Boys”.
“That’s the best entertainment I’ve seen in St Helens ever”
The Next 6 Months.
As exciting as the past 6 months have been, the next 6 are going to be just as wonderful.
Poet, Dommy B is bringing Dommy B’s Best Adventure Ever! to St Helens Festival of Imagination on Saturday 23rd July.
We have Hold Your Own; free family workshops with All Ways Good Company on Thursday 28th July.
On Saturday 3rd September we’ll be filling Church Street with wonder for In the Street.
We’ll be partnering with St Helens Libraries to celebrate Black History Month with performances of Grandad Anansi taking place in libraries and keep your eyes peeled for a very special Christmas show for tiny wonders when we bring The Gift to St Helens this December.
Our Young Wonders will be continuing to work on a very special project which celebrates the mining heritage of the Sutton Manor Colliery Site and exploring the natural space surrounding the Dream as they continue to work on their Heritage Lottery Funded project; Dreams of Wonder.
We can’t wait to bring a touch of wonder to even more children, young people and families in St Helens.
Wonderful Partners.
Of course we can’t celebrate the past 6 months without mentioning all of the wonderful artists, partners and organisations we have worked with.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to; Big Imaginations, St Helens Libraries, Heart of Glass, St Helens Borough Council, Artist Led St Helens, Without Walls Consortium, CulturED, Aaron Blecha, Long Nose Puppets, The Egg, Little Seeds Music, Dizzy O’Dare, Bird in the Hand, The Fabularium, Ashley Peevor, Told by an Idiot, One Together CIC, Fluid Motion Theatre, All Ways Good Company, Half Moon Theatre, Zohab Zee Kahn, Forestry England, Northwest Miners Association, Claire Weetman, Michelle Wren, Sophie Tickle, Dominic Berry, Lucem House Community Cinema+, Sarah Klaveness and KL Studios.
Wonderful Funding Partners.
Thank you to all of our funders for being absolutely wonderful and supporting us to bring a touch of fun, creativity, inspiration and wonder to children, young people and families.
