Chesterfield Children's Festival Delivers Joy and Inclusion

Strategic Insights -

The two-day celebration of arts, culture, and creativity brought together families from across the region for a weekend of free, family-friendly entertainment. The festival featured live music, theatre, storytelling, dance, circus skills, art workshops, beatboxing, and comedy, among other activities designed to spark imagination and bring people together through play and creativity. A highlight of the weekend was the immersive performance "Story Chefs" by Derby-based theatre company Maison Foo, which took families on a globe-trotting adventure filled with puppetry, music, and interactive theatre.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Chesterfield Children's Festival provided a weekend of free entertainment and fun for families of all ages, featuring live music, theatre, storytelling, dance, and art workshops.
  • The festival was organized by Junction Theatre Arts and included activities such as beatboxing, comedy, and interactive drumming sessions, as well as a mass dance-along developed in partnership with students from Spire Junior School and professional choreographers.
  • The event celebrated young musical talent through performances curated by The Noise Academy, with young DJs and artists showcasing their skills and running beatboxing masterclasses.
  • The festival included accessibility features such as BSL interpreters, an audio version of the festival programme, and a newly introduced Wellness Tipi funded by Children in Need to support visitors who needed a calm retreat.
  • The festival also included a Post Office of Possibilities (P.O.P.), an immersive theatre experience created by Buxton's Babbling Vagabonds with young people from Boza Youth Club, where visitors were encouraged to write positive postcards and letters to their future selves.
  • The festival's project manager, Jemma Burton, stated that the event was "all about inclusion, joy, and imagination" and that it was wonderful to see families spending quality time together, exploring, playing, dancing, and laughing.

Jemma Burton, project manager at Junction Arts, [said: "It was wonderful to see families spending quality time together, exploring, playing, dancing and laughing. This festival is all about inclusion, joy and imagination, and we're so proud to offer an event that is completely free and accessible."](https://junctionarts.org/)

Statistics:

  • The festival was organized by Junction Theatre Arts.
  • The festival featured a weekend of free entertainment and fun for families of all ages.
  • The festival included accessibility features such as BSL interpreters and a Wellness Tipi funded by Children in Need.
  • The festival also included activities such as beatboxing, comedy, and interactive drumming sessions.
  • The festival featured performances by Derby-based theatre company Maison Foo, The Noise Academy, and Buxton's Babbling Vagabonds.
  • The festival was attended by families from across the region.

Sources:

  • Junction Arts: [www.junctionarts.org](http://www.junctionarts.org)
  • Image store: [https://imagestore.jpimedia.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmE4YjMxNWEzLTM0YTctNDhiZC04YjA1LTA0NTEyYjg5ODMzMjo0ZDZiMzQ0NS0zZjk2LTQ4NWYtOGExYS0zOGFhMmYyOGMwOGI=.jpg](https://imagestore.jpimedia.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmE4YjMxNWEzLTM0YTctNDhiZC04YjA1LTA0NTEyYjg5ODMzMjo0ZDZiMzQ0NS0zZjk2LTQ4NWYtOGExYS0zOGFhMmYyOGMwOGI=.jpg)
  • Image store: [https://imagestore.jpimedia.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmRmMzA1ZDg5LTU1NDAtNGQzMS04YTkyLWZhMzY5M2JlYmZkZjo1Y2U5ODQyYy0yZDg0LTQ0MzAtOTBjNy1lZDZkNzBjODMzNTc=.jpg](https://imagestore.jpimedia.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmRmMzA1ZDg5LTU1NDAtNGQzMS04YTkyLWZhMzY5M2JlYmZkZjo1Y2U5ODQyYy0yZDg0LTQ0MzAtOTBjNy1lZDZkNzBjODMzNTc=.jpg)