Press Release
A Summer season packed with family entertainment and new activities is in store at Z-arts including a celebrity bear hunt, an audience controlled cartoon and mobile sorting office in Hulme Park!
Continuing its reputation for the best in children and family entertainment after receiving the Best Venue award at the Family Arts Festival awards, Z-arts brings new theatre performances, digital stories, live animation and a robot orchestra to audiences across Manchester and beyond this Summer.
A mischievous treat for ages 3-5 kick starts the family season (Sat 7 May 2016). Boxy and Sticky is a theatrical adventure is full of mischief, dressing, up and giggle-inducing wordplay.
Ever wanted to control what happens in a cartoon? Digital storytelling continues at Z-arts with The Adventures of Walter Lemonface (Sun 12 June). Join the adventurer, fearless inventor and connoisseur of carrots, Walter Lemonface as he hunts for Rhubarb Ogres, battles ghosts and finds a new adventure around every corner in this live animation for children aged 3-9 and their families.
To keep your creative juices flowing, there’s free Art Cart activities themed around each performance taking place in the Z-arts Café before and after every show!
Hulme is Where The Art Is returns in June and with a brand-new show in Hulme Park as well as a post-bag full of free activities for all ages. The Last Post (Friday 3 June 2016) transports audiences to a world where snail mail reigns supreme. The pillar-box red van is brimming with vintage paraphernalia from a much-travelled life, with a thousand items of real mail. Meet Verity, the irrepressible heiress of an international pen-pal agency and Red, a redundant Post-Master and witness the unwrapping of a curious love story accompanied by “harmony-drenched, melancholy-tinged” live music, provided by Tomaz (who arrived one day in a jiffy bag).
June also sees the return of the annual Manchester Children’s Book Festival and a partnership with Z-arts to bring Into The West (Sun 26 June) to a new generation of audiences. To celebrate the play’s 20th anniversary Travelling Light will perform their internationally acclaimed story of grit and magic, love and loss, hope and discovery for audiences aged 7+.
Children can now experience the work of ex-children’s laureate Michael Rosen in the interactive experience Bear Hunt, Chocolate Cake & Bad Things as it’s brought to life at Z-arts. From the 17 September – 17 December 2016 audiences can step inside a humongous chocolate cake, explore a secret larder, swishy swashy and splash splosh through a Bear Hunt. And dare to explore the Bad Things in the Dread Shed! Before it opens in September, Z-arts will be giving audiences the chance to win tickets to the interactive experience and a chance to meet Michael Rosen himself with a celebrity endorsed campaign. Each month a photo of a celebrity bear will be released and the public invited to guess the owner, with Mr Bloom launching the campaign in March.
Alongside interactive children’s theatre, Z-arts provides a range of creative activities for Bright Sparks members, with even more activities launched this season! From children’s yoga, to developing new drama skills, streetdance and art classes to support the curriculum, there is something for all creatives!
Bright Sparks is a membership scheme that supports creative learning for children and families, giving access to the Z-arts programme of activities all year round. New members can join online, over the phone or in person at the Box Office.
For further information, images, or for interview / press review ticket requests, please contact Laura Stevens at laura@z-arts.org or 07715 976 388.
Z-arts – Listings Information
PERFORMING ARTS
Boxy and Sticky
Created and Directed by Sarah Argent
Saturday 7 May, 11am & 2.30pm, £6 – £12, Running Time: 40 Minutes, with an opportunity to stay and play after the performance
A mischievous theatrical adventure to entrance and delight 3-5 year olds (and their families). I’ve found a box. I’ve found a stick. This box can be whatever I want it to be. I can be – Inside it. Outside it. Under it. On top of it. This stick was the first toy in the world. I can tap with it, throw it and catch it. I can balance it on my head!
The Last Post
Friday 3 June, 11am & 2.30pm, £10/£6 Running Time: 75 Minutes, ages 7+
Step on board Mobile Sorting Office (MSO) 451 and be transported to a world where snail mail reigns supreme. Our pillar-box red van is brimming with vintage paraphernalia from a much-travelled life, with a thousand items of real mail.
The Adventures of Walter Lemonface
Sunday 12 June, 2.30pm, £6-£12 Running time: 55 mins, ages 3-9
Ever wanted to control what happens in a cartoon? Now you can in this fun-filled experience for the whole family – there’s no such thing as too much joining in! A fun-filled, interactive experience for the whole family. Join adventurer, fearless inventor and connoisseur of carrots, Walter Lemonface as he hunts for Rhubarb Ogres, battles ghosts and finds a new adventure around every corner.
Into The West
Sunday 26 June 2.3pm, £6-£12, Running time: 70 mins, ages 7+
To celebrate the play’s 20th anniversary, Travelling Light are bringing to a new generation of audiences their internationally-acclaimed story of grit and magic, love and loss, hope and discovery.
BRIGHT SPARKS ACTIVTIES
Mondays
Paint Pots for Tots
10.30am – 12pm, ages 2+
Bring your preschool children down to join in with specially themed art and story sessions in our cafe. Each session is based on a popular children’s book and will end with story time, encouraging little ones to love reading as much as we do! Parents must stay with their children but can enjoy special offers from our cafe whilst getting creative. Limited places available, book online and check the website to see our chosen stories and submit requests!
Jitterbugs
10.30 – 11.30am, every 3rd Mon of month, ages 2+
Bring your preschool children down and boogie with Jitterbugs, a dance and movement class led by dance teacher Bridget Withycombe-Wharton. Like all our Monday preschool sessions parents and guardians must stay with their children and booking
Polkadots
10.30am – 11.15am, The first Monday of each month, ages 2+
Polkadots are fun music and movement sessions for young children, giving them the opportunity to make and experience music with others including singing, playing percussion instruments, moving to music, puppets and playing as a group.
Bright Stars
4pm – 5pm, Ages 6-10
Bright Stars drama club promotes communication, self-confidence and problem solving whilst helping develop imagination and creativity through fun activities each week. Sign up for
each half term, where we will focus on specific performance techniques or plays and work towards a performance every six months.
ZYP – Unusual Theatre in Unusual Spaces
Mondays, 5.30pm-7pm, ages 11+
Hone your performance skills working on an indoor devised piece for a performance. Our first major immersive performance is planned for summer 2016 and will be based on Alice in Wonderland.
Tuesdays
Baby Play
The second Tues of every month, 10.30am – 11.15am
Play is crucial for your child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth. It’s your child’s way of learning especially in the first years. What does this feel like? What does this sound like? We understand that exploration is the heart of play and we want to help your baby develop by providing an interactive session with a different theme each month for you and your baby to discover together. Limited places available, book online.
Allsorts Essential
Tuesdays, 4pm-5pm, ages 6-10
Learn play, perform, improvise and create music from around the world.
Urban All-Stars
Tuesdays, 5pm-6pm, ages 6-10
From beatboxing to breakdance and graffiti to grime, you’ll be able to give anything a go in a fun environment.
Wednesdays
Mix It Up Art Club
4-5pm, ages 6 – 10
This is a great activity for young people with creative talent and who enjoy making stuff. It’s also a fantastic way to make new friends! Only 15 places per workshop. Limited places available, book online.
Generation Z
Wednesdays, 5.45pm -7p, ages 11+
Workshop for young emerging artists interested in developing their portfolio, learning about contemporary artists and developing new art skills. Practical sessions will explore printmaking, drawing, painting and sculpture. Regulars have the opportunity to achieve Arts Award.
Thursdays
Beat Street Elevate
4.15-5.15pm, ages 7+
In response to popular demand we now have two levels of streetdance class and a brand new crew name, ‘Beat Street’. For those that are just getting started then Elemental is the class for you.
Beat Street Supreme
Thursdays, 5.15pm -6.15pm, ages 10+
Brand new for 2016! In response to popular demand we now have two levels of streetdance class and a brand new crew name, ‘Beat Street’. For those that are just getting started then Elevate is the class for you and those that are improving then try Supreme. If unsure head to Elevate and the
choreographer will help assess your current ability.
Saturdays
Children’s Yoga
Saturdays, 9.15am – 10.15am, ages 4+
Yoga is a great way to boost children’s health and wellbeing. These fun and creative sessions blend yoga and mindfulness practice with storytelling, games, singing and dancing.
Ballet Attitude Elemental
Saturdays, 10am & 11am, ages 4-6
Ballet with a funky fusion attitude. Elemental is our introduction class for our youngest dancers. Dancers can progress to the next level, Elevate, when instructed by the choreographer.
Beat Street Elemental
Saturdays, 10.30am & 11.30am, ages 4-6
New times and new format!
Join the Beat Street crew. Elemental is our introduction class for our youngest dancers. Dancers can progress to the next level, Elevate, when instructed by the choreographer.
Ballet Attitude Elevate
Saturdays, 12pm – 1pm, ages 4-6
Ballet with a funky fusion attitude. New class for dancers who have a bit more experience and concentration to learn some more advanced ballet technique.
Allsorts
Saturdays, 11am-1pm, ages 11+
Back for 2016! Z-arts are very excited to announce the new phase of Allsorts. For 2016 we are going to be live and Unplugged. Music-making at its best; learn new instruments in new genres and write music that represents your life.
Mix It up Families
Saturdays, 12pm-1pm, all ages
Our ever popular art class, this time in a family sized portion. Come down, muck in and make some art as a family. No skills required – just enthusiasm.
Film Club
3pm – 5pm, all ages
Come down every week to watch the modern blockbusters or widen your horizons with a more eclectic range of films. All films are chosen by our Film Club for our Film Club and families are welcome too!
Film Club: Sing along Saturdays
3.30pm-5pm, all ages
It’s the entertainment phenomenon that’s simply irresistible. Come down for some good wholesome family fun and sign your heart out!