Over 430 young people from 44 different schools and community groups attended the Christmas pantomime performance of Jack and the Beanstalk for free, with accompanying parents/ guardians offered a significantly reduced ticket price.
Young people and their families were welcome to attend any of the performances including a BSL-signed performance and a relaxed performance, where adjustments were made to sound and lighting to support those with SEND.
Whilst priority was initially given to SEND and young people from Erdington and Sutton Coldfield due to the easily accessible public transport links, there were also attendees from across Birmingham including Balsall Heath, Shard End, Edgbaston, Stechford, Small Heath, Northfield, Handsworth, Yardley, Lozells and Selly Oak.
Collections for local foodbanks offered further support over the Christmas holidays and the performance programme contained additional information from Sutton Coldfield’s Early Help Team – Our Place. All young attendees were even gifted a bag of ‘magic beans’ to plant, one HAF club are going to grow their beans as a group project on their allotment.
Sutton Town Hall Community Trust described this offer as ‘the best community project they have been engaged in.’ Theatre became accessible and affordable for parents and families who thought it would be out of reach and provided a unique opportunity for families to spend time together and have fun over the Christmas holidays.
Further projects are now being planned including a theatre workshop at Youngstars, Castle Vale, pop-up cinema nights (including further relaxed and adapted performances), behind-the-scenes tours, youth theatre productions and much more!
“Thank you, I have never been able to go to a Panto in my life, now I get to bring my little girl to something I always dreamed of doing at Christmas”
“I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity. It would never have happened for any of our families without your help”
” I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity, the show was so fun. I told them as a Christmas present that we were going and they talked about it all day for the days before and they loved it”