Happy New Year, folks!

We’ve already hit the ground running here at The Spark. Here’s a look ahead to the first half of the year and some of the exciting things we can’t wait to share with you. It’s going to be quite the year.

Kicking off with an exciting project funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, we are thrilled to embark on the Building Brave Spaces project. This initiative will explore trust, vulnerability, and bravery in teaching and learning over the next two years, working with a lead artist whom we’ll be announcing soon!

It’s a key period for the Music Champions working with five artists across five partner settings, developing Early Years Child-led practice. These artists will have the opportunity to explore, play, and test—an amazing opportunity for them with mentor support from Nicola Burke.

In March, we have The Vital Spark Symposium. A big and bold industry event for us to come together and look at the Performance for Young Audiences sector and how we can make it truly inclusive and relevant. It’s also an opportunity to check in with the brilliant Vital Spark Artists to see what they’ve been up to since we announced them back in September.

We’ll also be continuing to work alongside the Mega Bosses of Spark, our critical friends. This group of children has already been working hard behind the scenes to shape how we do things at The Spark, and they’re already making waves. We can’t wait to share more about what they’ve been up to. Watch this space!

Oh, and one more thing. Get ready for the 21st Spark Festival in Leicester from 18 to 26 May. Save the dates for a celebration of world-class art. Stay updated through The Spark Newsletter and our social channels @thesparkarts for real-time updates. It’s going to be brilliant.

And that’s just the first half of the year! We’ve got so much to show and share with you. Thanks for being part of The Spark Family.