The annual arts festival for families will return once more from the 18th to the 23rd February.
It has been announced that the Southbank Centre’s Imagine Festival will return next year, with details of the programme also being confirmed.
Transforming the venue into a vibrant cultural playground for the February half term, the festival will feature a wide range of events for both children and adults to enjoy.
Now in its 23rd year, the event aims to help inspire and allow children from 0-11 years to express their creativity, explore their artistic potential and to celebrate their unique talents. The Imagine programme offers unbeatable cultural experiences, from music to storytelling, comedy, poetry, dance, visual arts and a range of free events.
Highlights of next year’s festival will include:
- Performance: There’s a Bear on My Chair (18-23 Feb) is the first ever stage adaptation of Ross Collins’ much-loved books. The award-winning puppeteer Toby Olié (Spirited Away, Animal Farm, War Horse) brings to life the characters from Bear and Mouse through loveable, life-sized puppets creating a show bursting with joy and surprises. Strap in for The Rollercoaster (21-22nd Feb), a show filled with electro beats and spinning plates. The highly acclaimed juggler Wes Peden shares his cutting-edge tricks inspired by corkscrews, adrenaline and high-tech seatbelts.
- Events: Dr Ronx, the award-winning non-binary emergency medicine doctor and TV presenter returns to the festival with their latest book How to Save a Life (23 Feb), an essential guide to handle any emergency situation. This interactive, high-energy event features Dr Ronx’s trademark balance of facts and fun, real life examples and inspiring stories.
- Books/Talks: Dav Pilkey, the creator of the global phenomenon DOG MAN arrives at the Royal Festival for an inspirational morning filled with stories about friendship, love, bravery, empathy and epic adventures (22 Feb). Watch the space for BIG JIM BEGINS, the newest book in the series out in December 2024, and the first DOG MAN film hits UK cinemas in February 2025.
- Activities: REPLAY– Move, change and create with an endless world of play and invention in a limitless recycled playground for children and their grown-ups. A space built entirely out of waste materials repurposed for fun by The Herd Theatre (Tue 21 Jan – Sun 1 Jun 2025).
- Music: CBeebies friends and animals join the BBC Concert Orchestra for a spectacular celebration of the natural world with joyous music and song. Meet new wildlife friends at the Wildlife Jamboree (23 Feb).
Ruth Hardie, Head of Public Programming at the Southbank Centre, said: “The
Southbank Centre was built for the nation’s enjoyment and to provide everyone of all ages and backgrounds access to arts and culture. Imagine embraces that idea wholeheartedly, providing a place for children and their families to explore their creative potential together and be inspired by world-class arts. Families can meet and feel at home at the Southbank Centre, making lifelong memories for both children and grown ups to cherish.”
To find out more visit: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/events/imagine/imagine-festival/