Shimmering carousels, pop-up poetry books and Britain’s favourite literacy lunatics

Spring into 2016 with Z-arts’ packed season of family entertainment including interactive robot performances and a comedy sketch show with a difference

Z-arts, 335 Stretford Road, Manchester, M15 5ZA

Magical, interactive worlds brought to life on stage are the order of the Spring season at Z-arts. From sparkling adventures around shimmering carousels, pop-up poetry books and Snow White’s unpolished mirror, Z-arts have a jam-packed season of family entertainment in store for all ages. Add to that there will be free Art Cart activities before and after all shows, it’s a season sure to get your creative juice flowing!

With Manchester set to become the European City of Science 2016 there is a science streak to the Spring season at Z-arts. Ever got terribly stuck on a problem? Ever made a stupid mistake and felt like a fool? Brilliant! Then this show is for you. Join us on a special adventure into the heart of a top secret research institute, where cutting edge scientists need your help tackling some extremely tricky problems starting with the We’re Stuck Fun Day  (Saturday 5^th March 2016) to launch World Maths Day (7^th March 2016) and National Science and Engineering Week (9^th – 8^th March 2016), followed by We’re Stuck Comedy Week (Mon 11^th – Fri 15^th April) and We’re Stuck performances (Tues 12^th – Sat 16^th April) – a special tour of a top research institute featuring scientists and robots!

Sleepover (Saturday 30^th January) will ease you into the season, as Louise The Poet and Lee the Music Maker help you to dance about in an interactive modern fairy-tale, a re-imagining of the Princess and the Pea. Join in the fun and come to Z-arts dressed in your pyjama’s from the 25^th January.

Waking from the Sleepover slumber, Sparkle (Saturday 27^th February) is a magical world under a shimmering carousel for ages 0-4 and their grown-up’s. Described by audiences as “Mesmerising for both children and adults”, Sparkle is an interactive play session around islands of objects to find the hidden treasures.

Z-arts resident LipService in collaboration with Engine House bring their hotly anticipated re-working of the Snow White (Saturday 19^th March) fairy-tale to the Z-arts stage.  With endless meals to prepare, a never ending pile of dishes to wash…not to mention that huge and ridiculous mirror that needs polishing morning, noon and night, life’s never easy for the royal servants downstairs at the palace. And why does the Queen keep asking for more apples?

Alongside the season of family theatre at Z-arts there will be free events and activities for all ages! On Saturday the 20^th February the ever-popular Haphazard will be taking over the building for four hours of cutting edge images and offbeat oddities, quickly followed on Tuesday 1^st March by World Book Day and there will be Free Film Screenings. Next up is World Storytelling Day and we will be celebrating Brother’s Grimm style with a Free Fun Day (Saturday 19^th March) for all the family. Come along and join in as we venture deep into the fairy-like land of the Z-arts Gallery for arts, crafts and drama.

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For further information, images, or for interview / press review ticket requests, please contact Laura Stevens at laura@z-arts.org or 0161 226 1912

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Z-arts – Z-arts is Manchester’s only dedicated venue for children and family theatre and the leading partner in Big Imaginations, a consortium of North West venues and promoters bringing world class family theatre to the region. Z-arts’ mission is to inspire young people through all forms of art and help them begin their creative journey.

Z-arts – Listings Information

The Sleepover

Sat 30 January, 11am & 2.30pm £6-£12

An interactive modern fairytale; a re-imagining of the ‘Princess and the Pea’. Follow the story of an adventurous girl, her sleepy dad and a pit-bull dog called Prince.

Sparkle

Sat 27 February, 10.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm £6-£12

Under a shimmering carousel, a magical world opens up. Join us on a sparkling adventure around islands of objects, have fun feeding the fish and keep a look out for hidden treasure

Snow White

Sat 19 March, 11am & 2.30pm £6-£12

With endless meals to prepare, a never ending pile of dishes to wash…..not to mention that huge and ridiculous mirror that needs polishing morning, noon and night….life’s never easy for the royal servants downstairs at the palace.

Year of the Monkey

Mon 15 – Fri 19 Feb, 10am – 12pm, Free

Celebrating Chinese New Year of the Monkey, Z-arts are running a Chinese themed art week! Resident artist Gill will be leading the week with help from Chinese artists and working in partnership with the Chinese Centre for Contemporary Art.

 Little Shop of Horrors

Wed 24 – Sat 27 Feb 7.30pm £15/£10

Manchester Musical Youth (MMY) return to Z-arts for their third production. In Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s musical we meet Seymour, a down-and out skid row floral assistant who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood!

Brothers Grimm Fun Day

Sat 19 March, 12-4pm, Free

This March Z-arts will be celebrating World Storytelling Day Brothers Grimm style! It’s definitely not grim up north but at Z-arts it will be all things Grimm!

We’re Stuck Fun Day

Sat 5 March, 12-2p, Free

Launching World Maths Day (7th March) and National Science and Engineering Week (9th – 18th March) we will be getting our brains in gear and looking at the links between Maths, Science and Art!

 We’re Stuck Comedy Week

Mon 11- Fri 15 April 10am-12pm daily, Free

Using our fab new show ‘We’re Stuck’ as inspiration we will be creating a comedy sketch show. Writing, performing, filming and having a really good laugh.

We’re Stuck Performances

Tues 12- Sat 16 April 11am & 2.30pm £6-£12

The Robots are coming to Manchester! Join us on a special adventure into the heart of a top secret research institute, where cutting edge scientists need your help tackling some extremely tricky problems. But beware: there may be unexpected dangers…. there may be numbers. And robots.

World Book Day Film Screenings

Tues 1 March 10.30am & 5pm, Free

For children aged 2+ and their families we will be screening Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at 10.30am. Our café will then be open for tea! Come after school, grab something to eat and settle back in our screening room for some on-screen entertainment with ‘Mirror Mirror: The Untold Adventures of Snow White’ (PG) (148 mins) at 5pm.

 Haphazard

Sat 20 Feb 12-4pm, Free

Intriguing images and offbeat oddities dotted around the historic Z-arts building. Playful, quirky, engaging and sometimes plain daft: this is for kids and their adults, adults and their adults — in short, anyone looking for a different day out. Turn up at any time and come and go as you please.

Verve

Fri 11 March 7.30pm, £12/£7

Four contemporary dance works choreographed by European artists Anton Lachky, Efrosini Protopapa, Renaud Wiser and Athina Vahla. VERVE promises an energetic, theatrical performance by twelve dancers trained at some of the world’s leading conservatoires.