The Chit Chat Chalk Show was a Big Imaginations show that visited Z-arts in January 2018. We grabbed Simon McElligott, Director of The Knotted Project, to have a little chit chat about all things Chit Chat Chalk!

The Chit Chat Chalk Show is a magical, chalky adventure for 3-8 year olds and their families. It is a multi-art form experience, packed with interactive moments and fun, made with young people at the very heart of it!

When looking at other shows available to young children and families, we felt that they are often focused on one art form; a dance show, a theatre show, a puppet show. We thought it would be really fun to embrace lots of art forms into one fantastic show; so we took this idea into the rehearsal room.

We wanted to create something that made children feel empowered, comfortable and confident to engage and interact. To help us do this, we developed an tactile and adaptable set, using over 120 foam mats which we dance, draw, build and create a story with.

Throughout The Chit Chat Chalk Show, our main character Kiko learns how to express how she feels. Supported by her new friends (including you, the audience), she expresses herself through dance, rhymes, drawing and much more chalky fun!

We know that each child engages and learns in a unique their own way, so created a show that gives every young person the opportunity to connect with Kiko’s story. We love how unique and varied every performance is as a result of this interaction. We invite the children to engage by joining us on stage, jumping on stepping stones, drawing with chalk, the list goes on.

The Chit Chat Chalk Show is a wonderful way to help children begin to understand their feelings, to learn that being made up of lots of different emotions is perfectly normal and simply what makes you, you!

– Simon McElligott, Director – The Knotted Project