Curiouser and curiouser!
A mad hatter's party for the Umbrella Club
This October the inclusive ballet dance company Flamingo Chicks ran a workshop as a part of our Umbrella Club programme. Brighton Dome’s Creative Learning department invited members from the South East-based charity Forward Facing to enjoy an imaginative Alice in Wonderland themed workshop and tea party. The guests experienced the story through immersive ballet, props and songs, followed by tea and cake in our foyer. The children were thrilled at the unique, engaging and inclusive delivery. The workshop even gave opportunity for members of staff and for parents to get involved which allowed the adults to blow off some steam and have some fun too!
The session included group activities, which allowed children who were unfamiliar to dance to feel confident to try something new. The hand ballet exercises were accessible for everyone and were a great way to introduce technique to the children before they started to take part in full body moves.
Flamingo Chicks have delivered two fantastic workshops for Brighton Dome. They have contributed hugely to our Umbrella Club Project, which provides free tickets and workshops for children with life-shortening conditions and their siblings and carers. Flamingo Chicks seamlessly adapted their style to a local hospital ward and to the Founders Room in our venue, teaching a range of different participants with various additional needs.
'The dancing was fab, I love how we followed along with the story of Alice in Wonderland and all the props we got to use’ Billie, Parent
'The session was really engaging and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed joining in too' Parent
‘It was a delight to have such a mixture of ages and abilities and everyone really worked together to create an atmosphere where we could all enjoy the dancing!' Jayne, facilitator
'The facilitator did a great job of ensuring that the session was inclusive for children who have been dealing with challenging circumstances' Parent
Find out more about Umbrella Club
We look forward to seeing our Umbrella Club members at one of our upcoming shows and workshops - look out for the umbrella!
Images © Pippa Heath