Latest News

Spark Young Reporters Radio Newsroom

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:46:00 GMT

Takeover Radio and BBC Radio Leicester are joining forces to create The Spark Newsroom. As part of this year's Spark Children's Arts Festival, young reporters from Takeover Radio will be broadcasting daily festival bulletins on both Takeover and BBC Radio Leicester.

Gulliver's Travels at Curve

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:47:00 GMT

As part of Leicester's Spark Children's Arts Festival, a new adaptation of GULLIVER'S TRAVELS will premiere at Curve. The production is the culmination of more than a year's research and development work with local young people. Dragon Breath and Curve bring Swift's tale to life for modern audiences with their celebrated epic, visual performance style, in award-winning playwright Peter Rumney's funny and powerful play.

Arts Events Will Bring a 'Spark' to Schools

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:45:00 GMT

The Spark Children's Arts Festival brings arts events for ages 0-13 to venues across Leicester from 28 May until 10 June. The Spark's schools programme is central to the festival, taking performances and workshops into Leicester's primary and pre-schools and offering special theatre shows just for schools audiences.

Unmissable Spectacular Event to Celebrate The Olympic Spirit

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:41:00 GMT

The Spark Children's Arts Festival is delighted to be part of an unmissable large-scale outdoor spectacular stage show designed to celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic spirit - Games Time. Games Time will be at Southfields Park in Loughborough on Saturday 9 June at 9.30pm and is completely free of charge.

Celebrate The Jubilee With The Spark

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:35:00 GMT

The Spark Children's Arts Festival is celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with FREE activities for all the family on Sunday 3 June. Join in by getting creative, enjoying music, games and dressing up but most importantly having fun, making friends and being part of something special in the city.

The Spark Festival On Your Doorstep

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:22:00 GMT

The Spark Children's Arts Festival is back in Leicester between 28 May and 10 June. As well as large-scale productions at the city's well-known theatre venues, there are also fantastic family shows travelling into the heart of the city and local communities and most events are completely FREE.

Thanks to The Spark's touring On your Doorstep programme, festival fun can be enjoyed by everyone across the city.

Festival Fun Especially For Little Ones

Tue, 08 May 2012 13:51:00 GMT

The Spark Children's Arts Festival in Leicester is delighted to present a playful programme of arts events for the very young. First Spark features fun performances and activities for pre-school children and babies from leading UK companies. With shows, workshops and events which often blur the boundaries between performance and play, First Spark is a magical introduction to live performance for little ones...

'Come and Play' with The Spark this Half Term

Tue, 08 May 2012 13:47:00 GMT

Join The Spark Children's Arts Festival this half term for some fabulous family fun. The Spark is celebrating its 10^th birthday this year with events at venues across Leicester from 28 May until 10 June. With stunning international companies, aerial dance, creative activities, music and film workshops and quirky puppetry, there's something for all the family this Sparky half term...

Belmont Hotel offers Special Deal for ‘Sparky’ Families

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:33:00 GMT

The Spark Children's Arts Festival is celebrating its 10^th birthday this year as it returns to Leicester from 28 May until 10 June. A special offer from The Belmont Hotel is available to families going to festival events – a great opportunity to make your Spark experience extra-special.

Spark Festival- 2 Weeks of Inspirational Children's Arts

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:29:00 GMT

The Spark Children's Arts Festival starts on 28 May and runs until 10 June, including half term, at venues across Leicester. The festival is celebrating its 10^th birthday this year and promises a fortnight to remember with something for children of all ages - including award-winning international companies, stunning performances, hands-on workshops, free events, interactive activities and plenty of pre-school fun.

New Gulliver’s Travels adaptation at Curve exploring themes of ‘transition’ with young people

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:26:00 GMT

An exciting project is taking place as part of The Spark Children's Arts Festival in Leicester. A new adaptation of Gulliver's Travels will premiere at Curve as part of the festival, and is the culmination of more than a year's research and development work with local young people. The project has been exploring the themes of transition and citizenship with schoolchildren as they move from primary to secondary education – from 'being big in a small place - to being small in a big place.'

Julia Donaldson's Much-loved Stories brought to life at Curve

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:23:00 GMT

The Spark Children's Arts Festival is celebrating its 10^th birthday and a highlight for this year is the marvellous Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales at Curve. This magical collection of some of Julia Donaldson's most popular titles will delight young audiences from age 3 upwards as their favourite characters take to the stage as part of this year's Spark.

The new Spark Brochure is out now

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:11:00 GMT

The festival's 10th Birthday looks sparkier than ever and is full of exciting events for all the family. The Spark returns to Leicester for its 10^th birthday year between 28 May and 10 June so get hold of a brochure today and start planning your festival.

Guthlaxton students looking for Choreographer for Spark project

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:48:23 GMT

5 students from Gutlaxton College have been choosen by Dance 4 to run a project to create a Celebration Dance for The Spark Festival's 10th Birthday.

They are looking for a young choreographer to work with 9 primary schools, to create a 5-10 minute celebratory dance piece loosely based on a Flash Mob.

This will be presented at The Spark Festival's anniversary celebrations at Curve on Saturday 9^th June.

For more information and how to apply please follow this link.

Spark Welcomes Business Partners for 10th Birthday Year

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:28:00 GMT

The Spark Children's Arts Festival is delighted to welcome new and longstanding business partners on board as it celebrates its 10^th birthday year. The annual festival for children returns toLeicester between 28 May and 10 June with an exciting programme of events for all the family.

Local Author to judge young writer's stories

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:26:00 GMT

A local author is to help judge stories written by young people in Leicester. Chris d'Lacey, author of The Last Dragon Chronicles series, will be helping to judge The Spark Children's Arts Festival's new storywriting competition.

A Feast of Fun, Inspiration and Adventure

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:16:00 GMT

Dancers swinging through the sky, opera for eight year olds and a show where the star is a potato (a real potato) - it can mean only one thing – The Spark Children's Arts Festival!

Spark launch 2012 storywriting competition

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:37:00 GMT

The Spark Children's Arts Festival is launching its annual storywriting competition with a chance for winning entries to be published in a book. Young people aged 7-16 are being asked to let their imaginations run wild and write stories on the theme of 'Arrival in an Unknown Land'.

GAMES TIME SPECTACULAR - LOOKING FOR 4 LOCAL DANCE CHAMPIONS

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:21:35 GMT

Games Time is a huge outdoor dance show, staged on a massive games board with extraordinary costumes and breath-taking fireworks. Games Time is coming to Loughborough on 9 June, Northampton on 7 July and Derby on 22 September.

The producers, Déda Producing, are looking for four individuals per location who can take on the role of Games Time Local Dance Champion. For this role they are looking for people who have a dance background who would like the opportunity to work alongside professional dancers from the Games Time Team, as well as be the key point of contact for local participants involved in the show. Candidates for this role may already be leading a group or company who have an interest in taking part in Games Time 2012. The fee for the Local Dance Champion role is £1,000. If you are interested in this exciting professional development opportunity please send a current cv and an expression of interest letter by 12th January 2012 to c.limb@deda.uk.com.

To find out more about Games Time go to http://www.gamestime.org.uk

Games Time lands in Loughborough

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:24:30 GMT

Spectacular live outdoor stage show to feature 160 local people.

Games Time, a spectacular outdoor stage show combining music, video, fireworks and professional dancers, will be performed in Loughborough as part of The Spark Children's Art Festival in June 2012 – and producers are looking for 160 local people to take part.

The show, which is inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Games, gives volunteers the chance to work with professional dancers and choreographers, costume makers and set designers as well as seeing how a large outdoor show is put together.

It made its debut in Skegness in July in front of more than 10,000 people, and after Loughborough will be performed inNorthamptonandDerbylater in the year.

Derby-based Déda Producing, in partnership with Charnwood Borough Council, Leicestershire County Council, Charnwood Arts, and Spark Children's Arts Festival, is looking to recruit volunteers to be part of the cast for Games Time, which is set on a stage designed as a giant games board, with the cast acting in four teams to win points.

More information about how to take part...