Latest News
Festival Directors finding the extraordinary in the ordinary
Posted: Mon, 21 Jun 2021 09:30
Trina Haldar and Daryl Beeton begin preparations for The Spark Festival 2022.
The Spark Festival will be back in February 2022 bringing a simple curiosity to discovering who we are and a chance to find joy in truly being ourselves after a year of global turmoil.
The Festival will offer a blend of live and digital performances to ensure that everyone has the chance to experience them. It will include a programme of dance, theatre and music which invites children to reflect on themselves and others and provide much needed shared creative and cultural experiences for all. Read More »
Creating Community in a Digital World
Posted: Tue, 30 Mar 2021 10:16
The start of 2021 saw us in another national lockdown resulting in our 2021 Festival moving entirely online, presenting us with sudden and unexpected challenges that we have not had to navigate before. How do we produce a festival online that has the energy and vibrancy of our physical festival, and how do we support our regular communities? Read More »
The Spark champions learning through music for the under 5s
Posted: Mon, 19 Oct 2020 16:00
The Spark has been awarded £95,390 from Youth Music, using public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England to support musicians and early years practitioners to be 'music champions'. The project will promote the role music plays in the development of children aged 0 - 4 years through a newly created Leicester/shire Music Champions & Early Years Music Network. Read More »
The Spark appoint new Associate Directors
Posted: Wed, 07 Oct 2020 16:26
The Spark are delighted to announce the appointment of Trina Haldar and Daryl Beeton as Associate Directors.
October will be a bright and bold month as The Spark welcomes Trina Haldar and Daryl Beeton into their roles as Associate Directors.
The new Associate Director roles place artists at the heart of The Spark's decision-making processes, working closely with the Director and the rest of The Spark team, Stakeholders and children of Leicester. Read More »
The Spark Festival is moving
Posted: Mon, 19 Nov 2018 09:00
The Spark Festival is moving from its regular slot in May to February. Read More »
Among Ideal Friends Funding Success 2018
Posted: Thu, 22 Mar 2018 12:28
The Spark Arts for Children is delighted to announce our successful funding bid to expand Among Ideal Friends, a collaboration with five library services in the East Midlands- Leicester, Leicestershire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Rutland. It will create and tour high quality, family theatre performances and workshop activities, inspired by books and stories for children aged 5 to 11 years. With this funding we can provide and produce more fantastic shows like Sylvia South and the Word Catcher which toured in 2017 as part of the programme. Read More »
The Spark Arts for Children celebrates funding success
Posted: Tue, 27 Jun 2017 12:00
The Spark Arts for Children has received an uplift in funding as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.
The Spark will continue to run its annual Festival and to offer children the opportunity to discover and enjoy the arts as audiences, as learners and creators of their own art, throughout the year in schools, libraries and community settings. Additional funding for Vital Spark will enable The Spark to lead the conversation of diversity in the arts for young people and produce vibrant and diverse new work for children and families. Read More »
Beaumont Leys receives Big Lottery Funding – Big Celebration for Community event
Posted: Wed, 15 Mar 2017 16:37
Thanks to funding from the Big Lottery – Big Celebration and support from Leicester City Council and Arts Council England, Artist in residence Jayne Williams has been working with the local community to curate a Big Celebration event. The event for residents past and present will take place in Beaumont Leys Library on Saturday 18 March and will be a coming together of community groups, friends, family and neighbours for a programme packed full of creativity. There'll be music, dance, spoken word, poetry, stories, rap, brass band, free food and art exhibitions.
Among Ideal Friends upcoming tour
Posted: Wed, 15 Mar 2017 16:01
We're now into our fourth season of Among Ideal Friends and in just a few weeks the captivating and enthralling dance performance piece Where the River Runs will embark on a library tour across the East Midlands.
Kicking off in Nottinghamshire and ending in Leicester, this is a dynamic and beautiful family friendly piece that is ideal for audiences aged 5+.
Plans are already shaping up for season five, so look out for more unforgettable live theatre experiences in your local library.
The Spark receives Arts Council England Strategic Touring funding
Posted: Thu, 17 Mar 2016 10:40
The Spark is delighted to announce Among Ideal Friends has been awarded Arts Council England Strategic Touring funding.Among Ideal Friends is a new theatre touring consortium developed by The Spark Arts for Children in partnership with Libraries in the East Midlands. The Spark will be touring theatre performances and workshops to Libraries in Leicester City, Leicestershire County in partnership with Rutland, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County. Inspired by books and stories for children 5-11 years, the tour will give families and schools new opportunities to take part in arts and culture at venues on their doorstep. Read More »
