Health & Wellbeing

FREE children’s storytelling + den-making workshops | 15-18th August, 2021

Manchester’s modern-day Monastery is very excited to present a wonderful 4 x day series of interactive, performing arts workshops for children and their families, brought to you by the incredibly talented Round the Twist performing arts collective. And what’s more, admission is completely free.

Mums, dads, kids – come on down!

When are these events?

Starting on Sunday, August 15th from 11am, this series of fun, educational events will run daily until Wednesday 18th August. Please scroll down for full details and timings for each day.

Why are we SO excited?

The covid-19 pandemic has been especially hard on children, who like all of us, have been locked up, bored and anxious. Mental health issues have impacted children at unprecedented levels and it’s here that the fabulous folk at Round the Twist offer a wonderful antidote.

This amazingly talented and professional performing arts team are absolutely brilliant at engaging, entertaining and re-inspiring children using a wide range of arts – from puppetry to dance to arts and crafts.

They run acclaimed workshops in schools and private venues all over the land, bringing imagination and creativity into the lives of the young people they engage with. These fantastic workshops are not usually free, so we’re absolutely delighted to be able to offer these 4 sessions on the 15, 16, 17 and 18 August to local children and their families – completely without cost – to already hard-stretched parents.

We REALLY hope you can join us for this fantastic family fun week – and by family we mean all of you – mum, dad, siblings and grandparents – the more the merrier!

Which age groups are catered for?

On Sunday 15th and Monday 16th, these 45-minute drama & movement infused, storytelling workshops are for children aged 5 and under and include extended, themed, arts and crafts activities so the kids (and you!) can roll up their sleeves and get creative. Sunday’s fun theme is LIFE ABOARD A PIRATE SHIP (oooo aaaarr!!) whilst Monday’s theme is THE TEDDY BEAR’S PICNIC (teddy bears can also come to the event, oh yes!). Both of these workshops are repeated, with the first session starting at 11am, and the second starting at 1pm. You can choose whichever time suits your schedule best.

On Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th, these 4-hr storytelling and den-building sessions (11am-3pm) are recommended for children between the ages of 3-11, but children of any age are welcome as long as they are accompanied by an adult.

The full 4-day programme

Sunday 15th – Storytelling for Under 5’s:

11.00am with optional extended arts and crafts activity afterwards.

This activity REPEATS at 1pm for anyone who can’t make the earlier session.

LIFE ABOARD A PIRATE SHIP!

Round the Twist presents; Life Aboard a Pirate Ship! Ahoy, friends of the Monastery! Join us for a fusion of interactive storytelling sent straight from the seven seas. Scarlett MacGrath kept hidden treasures upon the Black Pearl and cast them far and wide – but what secrets do they store? Meet the Captain and join the crew, but be careful not to walk the plank! Mysterious twists and turns may occur when encountering Scarlett, as your senses will be stimulated, your ears shall be entertained and your eyes will be engrossed. Discover your inner pirate!

————————————————————————————————————————–

Monday 16th – Storytelling for Under 5’s:

11.00am with optional extended arts and crafts activity afterwards.

This activity REPEATS at 1pm for anyone who can’t make the earlier session.

THE TEDDY BEARS PICNIC

Bring your best teddy and your teddy’s mothers and fathers, teddy guardians and teddy best pals and their teddy sized dogs and teddy sized cats to our picturesque picnic in the Monastery gardens to explore who really did eat all of the porridge… Join us for a magical morning in explorative play, singing, hunting, moving and shaking!

————————————————————————————————————————–

Tuesday 17th – Storytelling and Den Building: any age welcome (as long as accompanied by an adult):

11am – 3pm

Round the Twist Den Building Session:

CAN YOU HELP MISS BABBITY RABBIT HENRIETTA FLUFFLEHOP?

Pass by Henrietta Flufflehop, who’s lost in hole at a huge old Monastery! She’s hungry and in need of a home… and urgently needs helping hands or paws from some animal friends or maybe some human beans. Lost and lonely, Henrietta seeks to make some new friends to win back her sense of play, that’s she’s tragically lost down the rabbit hole… Can you help her build a new home through recycled and reusable materials in this mysterious yet magical Monastery? Can you teach her how to play again?

————————————————————————————————————————–

Wednesday 18th – Storytelling and Den Building: any age welcome (as long as accompanied by an adult):

11am – 3pm

Round the Twist Den Building Session:

A continuation from the previous day’s den building exploration, please come and join us for a full day using our gross motor skills and brilliant brains in building and shaping our very own dens outside with recycled and reusable materials. Form weird and wonderful structures whilst making new friends! Tipis, castles, robots, race cars…making something out of nothing is our favourite challenge!

Adventure outside with us with support from Sal to explore how brilliant and bizarre our dens can look and feel.

Join us for a fusion of interactive storytelling, where an imaginary world comes to life through role play, soundscape and den building skills. Children and adults welcome – build tipi style dens and get creative with cardboard boxes and pens… you’re never too young to engage in play!

————————————————————————————————————————–

Admission is free of charge. No need to book. We hope you and the children can join us!

Ps: There will be another series of awesome events from Round the Twist coming up at the end of August/beginning of September – we’re expecting those events to sell out quickly so don’t miss this opportunity to get your kids involved! We’ll be in touch with all the details soon – watch this space 🙂

For more details or any specific questions, please contact Round the Twist directly either by email or phone.

Email: [email protected]

Phone/Whatsapp: 07805 901 752