Special Guest Northern Highlight - Z-arts, Manchester

SPECIAL GUEST NORTHERN HIGHLIGHT

Can you tell us about Z-arts?

Z-arts is a Manchester-based arts and theatre venue for children and families. We celebrate the magic of brilliant children’s theatre with an inclusive programme of shows for different ages each season. This includes programming and commissioning high quality, imaginative theatre through our Big Imaginations network. We also run weekly participatory classes in all art forms for children aged 0 to 16, through our Bright Sparks programme. We consult with Bright Sparks members to evaluate the activities we offer, the shows we put on, and what we can do to help make Z-arts even better for them.

 

Our exciting Creative Learning programme also allows us to work with Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools to deliver workshops and projects in dance, drama, music, creative writing, digital and visual arts. Access is at the heart of everything we do, and our Z-access family fun days encourage safe, supported exploration and creativity through interactive activities like arts and crafts, music, drama, and dance.

During lockdown, we have moved our creative classes online. We have also developed a dedicated range of inclusive arts opportunities for children and young people with additional educational needs and disabilities as part of our Make & Believe sessions. Alongside our programme, we have set creative challenges through our social media channels and provided art packs to children across Manchester to ensure they have the tools to stay creative from home. 

Z-arts is a place to express yourself, to celebrate your imagination, to have fun, be entertained and dream big! We believe that theatre and the arts are for everyone, and we want to share the joy of creativity, imagination and storytelling with children and families in Greater Manchester and beyond!

Whereabouts are you in Manchester and what are the advantages of being based there?

Z-arts is based in Hulme, on Stretford Road. It is easily accessible from Manchester city centre. Because of this, we can inspire and bring creativity to many children and families across Greater Manchester. We also have close relationships with local schools nearby further education establishments. With links to North and South Manchester, we can engage with families from many backgrounds, particularly children and young people at risk of social exclusion, and we regularly offer work placements to university students. 

 

We are situated in a prime location overlooking Hulme Park, which has previously been used as a performance space. Hulme also has a significant industrial heritage, which we embrace and celebrate. Our building is one of the oldest buildings in Hulme, initially built as a congregational Church for Zion Institute. In 2019, we created a family adventure around Hulme’s history with our Magic of Christmas Past Extravaganza. 

Can you tell us about the fabulous The Tiger Who Came to Tea exhibition?

Our exciting 3D exhibition brings the books of Judith Kerr to life in an immersive experience which involves storytelling, exploring imagination and creative play. It begins with a performance of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, then you are invited to go through a doorway into a magical world which celebrates Mog and other Kerr stories. Children can dress up as various characters, interact with scenes from the books, and play in a town set up with a vets, bookshop, fishmongers, greengrocers, and hardware store. There are also displays of Judith Kerr’s brilliant illustrations and some engaging facts about her life, as well as a quiet area if you want to read any of her books. The exhibition is accessible and multi-sensory, allowing children with additional needs to fully participate as well. 

Schools who book can also take part in a one-hour creative workshop where key themes from the exhibition and Judith Kerr’s writing & illustrations are explored through a choice of visual arts, drama and movement, dance, creative writing, or music.

What are you key children’s performances and sessions for 2021?

Behind the scenes, we have been supporting Touched Theatre with their new, exciting show The Gift, and are working on ways to bring it to our audiences in the future. The Gift will be a magical and moving puppetry experience for very young audiences (aged 1-3) that shares the story of a lonely man, at the farthest edge of the universe, who is sent the gift is of friendship, in the form of quirky young robot Zee. It's a show born of our experience of lockdown and the pandemic, and we are really looking forward to bringing it to our audiences at some point in the future!

Online, our 'Make and Believe' family classes allow the whole family to come together for weekly sessions ranging from drama and creative play to arts and crafts. We will also continue to host our Bright Sparks classes online, which include: Art Stars, Drama Stars, Yoga Stars and Z-arts Young Performers (ZYP). 

We’re planning some outdoor theatre in the summer, using Hulme Park and other areas across the North West with the Big Imaginations network, and hopefully the theatre will be up and running with some great new family shows from the artists we’ve been supporting, in the autumn.

Unfortunately, due to current restrictions, we are still reviewing how best to reopen our 'Tiger Who Came to Tea' exhibition. However, the exhibition will now be with us until December, so you won’t have to say goodbye to it as soon as you might have thought!

Can you tell us about your Big Imaginations network in the North West?

Big Imaginations is a network of 22 arts organisations, dedicated to providing high quality, imaginative and affordable theatre to children and families across the North. From grand auditoriums to rural village halls, it is our mission to ignite the imaginations of children and young people aged 0-13 years old, through the wonder of theatre. The network has commissioned artists and companies from across the North to help create new, exciting, and engaging work for children and young people.

Z-arts is the lead organisation of Big Imaginations, with CEO Liz O’Neill as Chair of the network and Zoe Pickering as Head of Programming. The network has quarterly meetings with representatives of all the member organisations invited and we have subgroups to discuss and make decisions on programming, commissions, artist development, and other aspects of Big Imaginations.

We are pleased to be currently working with Action Transport Theatre, Burnley Youth Theatre, Cheshire Rural Touring Arts, Citadel Arts, Creative Scene, Culture Tameside, Kirkgate Arts, Lancaster Arts, Manchester Libraries, Oldham Libraries, Spot On, The Boo, The Dukes, The Grand, The Turnpike, The Old Courts, Theatre Deli, Touchstones, Unity Theatre, Waterside, Wild Rumpus, and Z-arts.

What for you is the 'spirit of the North’?

For me, it’s community, warmth, togetherness, and resilience. 

Why is it so important that we continue to support the arts industries in Manchester?  

We see the importance and impact of art and culture every day at Z-arts. We recently collected feedback from our Bright Sparks classes and 100% of children we asked said that said they always or nearly always felt healthier when attending Z-arts. 93% of them said that they always or nearly always felt happy and cheerful when at Z-arts, and 86% of them said they felt they were always or nearly always active when taking part at Z-arts.

One parent commented: “Z-arts has been an essential part of a puzzle of helping my daughter deal with a complex mental health programme. The staff's willingness to support her and adjust to her needs and capabilities has been essential. There have been times in the past year where the ONLY time I think she felt happy was at Z-arts activities. It has been at times the only thing that kept her positive and engaged with the outside world.” 

Art industries play a significant part in empowering those whose voices normally go unheard, and creating thriving communities. Not only that but Manchester’s cultural heritage and reputation increases the prosperity and profile of our city as well. 

What would you like to see from the creative industries in Manchester?  

A commitment to nurture and support underrepresented voices. More creative risk-taking and more crossover between artforms. Affordable, accessible theatre which reflects the diverse world we live in today. 

 

Find out more about Z-arts:

Twitter: @Z_arts_mcr

Insta: @z.artsmcr

https://www.z-arts.org/