Families will be invited to embark on an ‘out-of-this-world adventure’ when the SPARK family festival returns to the Villa Marina this weekend.
Now in its third year, the festival will take place on Sunday (October 4) with activities running from 9am to 5pm across the Villa Marina and Gaiety Theatre complex.
This week’s event will take inspiration from the theme of space, with a programme designed to encourage children and their grown-ups to get creative, explore and take part together.
The day will feature a mixture of live music, theatre, interactive experiences, creative workshops, cinema and storytelling, with activities aimed at a range of ages.
One of the festival’s highlights will be ‘Reach for the Stars’, a production by London-based Little Angel Theatre, which is inspired by the life of Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel into space.
The production will use puppetry to tell Jemison’s story in what is described as a heart-warming and inspiring show for families.
Music will also feature, with Manx Family Concerts presenting Holst’s The Planets Suite in a family-friendly performance designed to bring the orchestral work to life.
Young visitors will also be able to take part in their own astronaut training at Active Souls’ Astronaut Training School, where budding space explorers will be challenged to put their skills to the test.
Meanwhile, Wood ‘N’ Craft will give children the chance to build and decorate their own spacecraft to take home.
For younger children, Up Above will offer a sensory experience aimed at babies and toddlers, using light, sound and movement to explore the changing sky from day to night.
The space theme will continue at Broadway Cinema, where families can watch Muppets From Space.
The Manx Family Centre will also be bringing its mobile library to the festival, with a selection of space-themed stories for children to enjoy.
Families will have the chance to round off the day with a space-themed disco led by the Manx Family Centre’s Graeme Jolly.
Face painting will also be available throughout the festival for children wanting to get into the spirit of the theme.
Sean Kenny, the VillaGaiety’s events and programming development manager, said the festival was designed to give families opportunities to experience creativity together.
He said, ‘SPARK is all about bringing children and their grown-ups together to experience and celebrate creativity.
‘Now in its third year, we’re delighted to be returning this Autumn with a new theme and a programme packed with opportunities to get involved, get creative and try something different.
‘This year, we’re taking families on a journey into space, with everything from astronaut training and rocket making to music, film, storytelling and live theatre.
‘We hope families will come along, explore the festival at their own pace and make some brilliant memories together at Villa Gaiety.’
Prices for tickets, which can be found on the Villa Gaiety website, vary for ages and individual events.
More information about the festival and the full programme can be found online at villagaiety.com/spark