Happy Roald Dahl Day! We could think of no better time to announce our first show as we begin to reopen after the lockdown period and transition into a slightly different way of running as we continue to provide brilliant opportunities and shows for the children of Manchester!
Roald Dahl and the Imagination Seekers will come to Z-arts on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October, with tickets going on general sale on Tuesday 22 September
All around the world Roald Dahl’s words are disappearing not only from books but children’s minds too!
Now only a Secret Organisation known as The Ancient Guild of Taletenders can save the stories and they need your help…
Especially made for ages 6 and up, the show is an immersive and interactive performance, involving games and imaginative play, while exploring Roald Dahlʼs extraordinary stories, including The BFG and The Twits along the way.
The cafe will be closed during these performances, but you will still be able to purchase ice creams and drinks from stewards as you enter the space.
Make sure to rediscover your love of Roald Dahl and share it with your little ones this October half term. Also, keep your eyes peeled – we’re working on an extra-special Christmas show for you all this year, and will be announcing this as soon as it is confirmed!
Due to lockdown, we’ve also had to delay our launch of of our renamed Renaker Theatre. With this new show we’ll be able to launch the space, with our amazing new seats in October, so many thanks to our sponsor Renaker Build Ltd and Foyle Foundation for funding the seating unit.
For safety reasons, we will be reducing capacity in our auditorium and we will be using allocated seating, which we have not done previously – we know some of these changes may take a little getting used to, but we’re asking you to help us with implementing them so that we can carry on bringing you and your families the shows that you love in a safe and secure environment. We’re installing hand sanitiser stations, Perspex screens, and are putting in place a new environmentally-friendly cleaning system, and staff will be wearing visors, so we may look a little different when you return, but we’re still the same old Z-arts underneath!
In addition to this, we are beginning a phased restarting of our participation programme and two blocks, both bookable for Bright Sparks members from 22nd September. The first will last from 6 weeks from 28 September, and the second will run for 6 weeks from November. Places will be limited, and in order to remain Covid-secure, children will be able to choose one weekly session across the six week block so that we can keep classes as 6-child bubbles, and minimise the number of people each child comes into contact with. We’ll be releasing more information about these classes before they start, including our new health, safety and hygiene measures for participation, so keep an eye out for these. As we’re aware that some children may not be able to participate due to capacity, we’re also looking at creating a digital alternative for children who are unable to get into their chosen class.
Classes can be booked by calling box office from Tuesday 22nd September 3pm – 5pm (if you’re unable to do this, you can email boxoffice@z-arts.org, though we do ask you to phone if you can), and we can book you on.
If your membership has lapsed between 1 March and 29th September, then you will be asked to renew your membership. The membership fee will be waived for this, but if you would like to and are able to donate your £15 membership to Z-arts, during this difficult time for the arts, we would greatly appreciate it. Due to social distancing, we will be unable to operate in the way we once could for a while, and this will impact how much income we are going to generate to help us to keep going after a long period of closure.
Unfortunately, due to current restrictions, we are still reviewing how best to open The Tiger Who Came To Tea and The Adventures of Mog the Forgetful Cat. We are reviewing this on a weekly basis as more information becomes available, alongside government announcements. However, we will now be extending the run of the exhibition with us until August next year, so you won’t have to say goodbye to it as soon as you might have thought!
All of our staff have missed seeing all of our wonderful young people, children and families, and even though we’ve been keeping in touch online, we can’t wait to reopen our building at the end of this month and start to welcome you all back in a safe way. We’ll be releasing more information about the changes we’re putting in place to keep you all safe in the upcoming weeks, but in the meantime here’s our CEO, Liz O’Neill to talk you through our reopening plans and the exciting things we have planned!