The Secret Gardens
The Egg at Theatre Royal Bath marks 20 years with a year-long arts programme inspired by The Secret Garden.
The Egg at Theatre Royal Bath has announced a major year-long arts programme inspired by The Secret Garden, marking the venue’s 20th anniversary this month and celebrating two decades of transforming theatre for young audiences in Bath and across the UK. Created to put children at the centre of cultural life, The Egg continues to champion the rights for children to be seen, heard and creatively empowered.
The centre piece of the Secret Gardens programme is a disability-led production of the novel, adapted by Tom Wentworth, and around it will be a series of experiences and learning tools aimed at babies, hospital in-patients and school children.
Directed by Steph Kempson, with music and sound by Ben Osborn families next summer can expect music, magic and a beautiful celebration of nature and childhood, as The Egg itself becomes a living, breathing Secret Garden — a place to sit, dream, reflect and discover.
Over the next twelve months, The Egg will blossom into a network of Secret Gardens where children and artists will collaborate through performance, storytelling and sensory exploration, using the following initiatives:
- Eight three-day durational performances in primary and secondary schools created and delivered by Aurora Theatre and Kilter theatre respectively
- I Take My Imagination Everywhere: a creative arts project working remotely with hospital in-patients aged 6+
- The Imagination Garden Experience for Babies: a touring pop-up sensory pod for pre-walking little ones and their adults.
- The Feelgood Factor: A new learning technology tool which will allow children to interact with characters in a story.
- A short documentary which will be a manifesto for wellbeing.
The year-long celebration will also include a filmed version of the main production, ensuring access for audiences unable to attend in person, and a short documentary amplifying the voices of the children and young people at its heart.