Next week Big Imaginations Commission Sponge by Turned On Its Head will be performing at Macau Arts Festival. This will mark the first international tour date for both Turned On Its Head and a Big Imaginations Commission.

Following the successful early years outreach commission 1 in 2015, Big Imaginations’ second commission sought an artist or company to create a brilliant piece of theatre to engage families with children aged 0-4 years. This new commission would change the landscape of early years theatre provision in the region, be flexible enough to perform across the range of venues in the Big Imaginations network and also have the ability to earn money as a touring product. An open call-out was published in Autumn 2015 with shortlisting, interviews and final selection taking place in November 2015 with Sponge by Turned On Its Head selected as the successful applicant.

Originally intended for a five-week national tour in Autumn 2016, Sponge has surpassed all expectations. Following a sell-out Christmas run at Barbican Centre London, a five-week run at Battersea Arts Centre and four national tours including an eight-week run with Battersea Arts Centre’s Collaborative Touring Network, to date Sponge has performed 215 times across 57 venues to 9676 people.

After travelling to Macau, Sponge will stop touring to make way for the development of Turned On Its Head’s new show, Mrs Pockets. This show will be touring Big Imaginations venues and venues nationally in March 2019.