The Lost Flock - show in a day
SEND and VI friendly event for Families
Sun 13th April 2025
Blackfriars Priory, Gloucester
Join us this Easter half term for a performance event made by YOU!
Transform the beautiful Blackfriars Priory into a magical land of storytelling, song, puppetry, costumes, dance and creative audio description. All based on a story of a mythical bird who has lost her flock!
This event is part of our programme for families with a visually impaired child or parent which has been running for 3 years, as well as our new SEND friendly family programme.
This is a SEND and VI family friendly event. It is recommended for young people aged 5-14 years, with SEND and/or with visual impairment. Young people who have a VI parent/s are encouraged to join too. Participants can bring a friend or have their sibling involved if they wish. The more performers the merrier!
The older members of the group have already started rehearsing the main parts for the show. our younger members & new recruits will form the chorus where they will create their bird puppets, learn a song and some movement choreography to make the whole story come alive!
Sound right up your street? Click below for the booking form.
how it all came about
Ideas for this show in a day & sharing event were created by our current group of VI young people during creative workshops last year.
After being involved in the co-creation of our professional work CRUNCH! in 2022/23, the young people decided it was their turn.
And so The Lost Flock was born!
Using the giant branch featured in CRUNCH!, the young people have created a story about a mythical bird who loses her flock. They co-wrote the initial story in Summer 2024.
The final script is a being created in collaboration between one of our longest standing participants and now young volunteer, Emily Arnold, and VI artist & lead-collaborator, Holly Thomas.
what can you expect?
- On the day, you will come to Blackfriars Priory in the morning.
- You’ll meet the artists and we will show you around. It’s a 13th Century medieval site so there’s lots to take in!
- Parents, you are welcome to drop your children off with us. Or you can stay on site if that’s better support for your children, we will have a tea station and space for you to be on hand as needed.
- You’ll meet the other children and take part in fun workshops in puppet making, signing and learning some dancing.
- If the weather is nice, we will be outside on the grass. We have an indoor space if it’s raining or cold.
- There will be time for breaks, snacks and chatting/playing with the group.
- You’ll bring all your creations together into a performance. We really are making a show in a day!
- At the end of the day, families and friends will be invited to watch what you have made.
- If you don’t want to perform, that’s okay – you can still take part for the whole day and support your new friends!
- At the end, everyone will enjoy a drink from the cafe & celebrate what you’ve achieved together.
- The video below shows a previous event so you can get an idea of the kind of things we get up to!
FEEDBACK FROM FAMILIES
“The audio description made the performance come to life more for her (child) but as a dyslexic adult it did the same for me too.”
“It was a very happy, relaxed day & a lovely opportunity meet other VI families in a pressure free setting.”
VENUE & pRACTICAL DETAILS
Date: Sunday 13th April 2025.
Timings: 10am – 5pm.
Full schedule will be shared nearer the time. It’s possible for younger children to arrive later if they day will be too long for them.
Venue: Blackfriars Priory, Ladybellegate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2HN.
Costs: Choose the amount you pay to take part, from £10 per performer.
Getting there: There are many nearby car parks and the train and bus station are 10-15 minutes walk.
Weather options: We will be in an outdoor green square within the grounds of the priory. We have an indoor space if needed.
Bursaries are available to take part for free and/or to support with travel costs.
Access: One parent/carer will be allowed to stay on site during the workshops for support purposes or access needs as required.
General public: the site is open during the day when the workshops are taking place. The performance element at 4pm will be private as the site will be closed to visitors.
Family and friends are invited to attend the performance. Donations will be collected on the day – all money raised goes back to supporting our community interest objectives.
First time with Hook & Loop? You don’t need to have attended any prior workshops or events with us before, new children and young people always welcome.
Help on the day: If parents or an older sibling would like to volunteer, we will be looking for additional help, so please let us know!
how to get involved
If you and your family are interested, complete this booking form and we’ll be in touch to confirm your place.
If you like, we can have a chat about what you can expect from the event so you can make sure it is right for you. Contact Michelle:
Phone: 07870 998481
Email: Hello@HookAndLoop.org.uk
We look forward to hearing from you!
more information
For more information, you can:
- Read a blog written by young volunteer, Emily
- Check out what else we’ve been up to this year
- Watch another video of one our previous projects here
this project is supported by
