Photos: Matt Cooper, Stewart Baxter
Wardrobes
Co-Produced by ARCADE and KIT Theatre
SUMMER - AUTUMN 2021
The award-winning KIT Theatre & community producers ARCADE brought theatre and fun to Eastfield's More Than Books Community Library - a wheelchair accessible entry venue - kicking off the Summer holiday in style.
An Overview
3 primary schools taking part over 5 weeks, over 180 pupils & 10 teaching staff
2 artist-led workshops in school for 180 children
75% participating schools have higher than national numbers of pupils facing multiple disadvantage
9 performances
135 audience members attended
Immersive theatre and workshop experience
In Summer 2021 we called upon all daring 6+ year olds and their grown ups, especially those who enjoy adventures. We needed their help to solve clues and welcome someone from the past in an immersive theatre and workshop experience.
It turned out that C.S Lewis was onto something with the Narnia books: Wardrobes really are portals between worlds. What dear old C.S might not have known is that most of these accidental time-travelling wardrobe explorers ended up in Scarborough: and it was down to the town’s children to help them out.
180 primary school children from Gladstone Road Primary, St Peter's RC and St George's RC Schools have experienced an interactive, time-travel adventure show, taking place in their classrooms, local library and art gallery in summer term 2021. Children became heroes, solved problems by writing and performing, gained confidence and skills throughout.
The Performance
The experience culminated in an electric theatrical finale where children met their time-traveller, who burst through a magical bookcase, to listen to the children’s performances and guidebook creations about modern life in Scarborough. Wardrobes was a relaxed performance open to all families.
And the adventures didn’t end there. In September 2021, two mysterious guests from afar spent a week at Springhead School exploring music, drama and stories with pupils and teachers.
Co-produced by KIT Theatre & ARCADE, commissioned by North Yorkshire Library Services & Scarborough Museums Trust and supported by the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Eat Me Cafe & National Literacy Trust.
With many thanks to project funders Arts Council England, Inspire Fund and Scarborough Children's University.
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