Big Imaginations awards new Early Years Theatre Commission to Ruthie Boycott-Garnett.

‘The Adventures of Pom’ based on an enchanting age old myth for the brightest eyed of audiences.

Families across the North West are set to be enraptured and entranced by a new innovative and interactive sensory performance from one of the UK’s leading early-years performers and storytellers. Ruthie Boycott-Garnett’s “The Adventures of Pom” will be an intimate adventure adapting the Greek myth Persephone and incorporating puppetry, projections, soundscapes, storytelling and live music to engage the very youngest audiences and their families in a new theatre experience.

The Big Imaginations consortium of theatre venues, which specialise in bringing the highest quality children’s theatre to communities across the region, will premier this work at the Just So Festival in Cheshire on the 21-23 August before it goes on to tour to unusual non-theatre settings across the north west in the autumn including Sure Start centres, nurseries and libraries in conjunction with the eight venue partners Z-arts Manchester, The Citadel in St Helens, Live at LICA in Lancaster, The Atkinson in Southport, Waterside Arts Centre in Sale, Burnley Arts Centre, Spot On Rural Touring in Blackburn and The Boo, in Rossendale.

Liz O’Neill CEO of Z arts in Manchester who head up the Big Imaginations consortium said “We’re thrilled to have announced that Ruthie will be creating and delivering this incredibly exciting new and innovative performance for Big Imaginations. It’s so important to inspire babies and toddlers in the arts and to bring them something so visually spectacular, which heightens the senses and also entrances with a magical story.”

Ruthie Boycott-Garnett is already well known to many families as she has delighted and amazed audiences with her performances of ‘Cello Babies’ throughout the UK and regular workshops at the Bridgewater Hall, Horse and Bamboo Theatre and Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester.

Ruthie commented about the award “I am so excited about delivering the commission for Big Imaginations. It feels like all the elements of theatre that I am passionate about; including theatre for the very young, performing in unusual non-theatre spaces, using interactive workshops to bring theatre to new audiences and creating curious experiences for families, have come together in one big wonderful box and I can’t wait to get started.”

NOTES FOR EDITORS

• For further information, images, or for interview / press review ticket requests, please contact Laura Stevens at laura@z-arts.org or 0161 226 1912.

• Big Imaginations is a region-wide group of venues and promoters dedicated to bringing brilliant children’s theatre to the North West. From grand auditoriums to rural village halls and everything in between, our mission is to spark the imagination of children aged 0-12 with the wonder of theatre.

• Big Imaginations headed up by Z-arts has brought together 15 venues to make the North West’s children’s theatre offer bigger, better and more affordable. For a full list of venues involved and work programmed visit. bigimaginations.co.uk

• Big Imaginations is supported by Arts Council England through a 3 year Strategic Touring Grant. Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives.

• Ruthie Boycott Garnett is a freelance storyteller and performance artist who lives in Todmorden West Yorkshire.

• The performance will preview at the Just So Festival from the 21-22 August and will then begin its tour of 14 local venues across the North West from September-November.