Tag: Family

Find your sea legs aboard HMS Belfast

Published on 28th February 2023

Ahoy shipmates! It’s time to find your sea legs. Take charge of HMS Belfast in this interactive family activity and complete fun tasks around the ship. It’s 1942 and HMS Belfast is ready to set sail. The only thing is we’ve misplaced where we are supposed to be going! We need your help to plot the course for the upcoming mission and make sure everything is shipshape and ready to go. Hop on the balance board to test how steady you’ll be on choppy seas. Figure out just how to feed 950 men on board with limited rations and even find out what kind of supplies you’ll need along the way. Get to grips with the science and skills needed to survive on HMS Belfast, solve nautical puzzles and discover for yourself what life was like for the ship’s company during the Second World War. Find out more  Find your Sea Legs has been developed with TV Presenter Ben Shires, host of Officially Amazing and Match of the Day: Kick About. This is a drop-in activity recommended for families with children aged 7+. This activity directs you around different areas of the ship and lasts approximately 45 mins. Part of IWM’s new family programme of activities created specifically to explore how STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) has impacted real people and the causes, courses and consequences of conflict.

Pinocchio

Published on 22nd September 2022

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A LONELY CARPENTER, A CURIOUS CAT, AND A LITTLE WOODEN PUPPET WHO ONE DAY CAME TO LIFE… This Christmas join us for a spectacular new version of the much-loved classic tale as Pinocchio discovers why it’s best to always tell the truth. With a touch of magic from the blue fairy, enter a world of gingerbread villages and snow-capped mountains in this adventure of friendship and family. With special thanks to Charles Holloway, Christmas Production Partner. A family show for everyone 7+. TICKET INFO Sun 6 Nov – Sat 31 Dec Under 18s £13 – £21 / Adults £19 – £29.50 Previews: Under 18s from £11.50 / Adults from £14

Summer by the River: Fiya House Hip Hop Weekender

Published on 07th July 2022

Saturday, 6 August 2022 12:00 – 22:00 Sunday, 7 August 2022 12:00 – 22:00 The Scoop, The Queens Walk, England, SE1 2AA A totally FREE programme, featuring interactive workshops for all the family – learn your top-rock from your Bart Simpson and your two-step from your cabbage patch! Watch pop-up performances from world-renowned dance artists, youth crews and incredible live DJs, bringing together local people to celebrate community spirit. Saturday is Family Day and Sunday is Social Dance Day. Sign up on the day for workshops, watch a dance battle or join one if you dare! All beside the most famous river in the world. PLEASE NOTE: All events are free – no tickets are required. Just turn up and enjoy yourself but be aware that capacity may be limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Presented by Fiya House, commissioned by Team London Bridge, and supported by London Bridge City.

We Were There

Published on 06th July 2022

Fridays from 29 July to 26 August Free (included in price of admission at IWM Duxford and HMS Belfast) Meet eyewitnesses to conflict and gain first-hand insight into the impact of war on people’s lives. Visitors to IWM this summer will find special guests across our sites and have the unique opportunity to hear their personal stories – ranging from driving a tank, to being evacuated from the place they called home.

Family Dayz Festival

Published on 11th June 2022

A weekend of fun and adventure   FREE Where: Potters Fields Park, 189 Tooley Street, SE1 2UD. Start at the Festival Info tent on the lawn outside the Bridge Theatre to begin your adventure Recommended age: All ages, especially 5 – 12 years and their adults Summer has arrived, and Team London Bridge is looking forward to bringing a weekend of family fun to Potters Fields Park, and it’s all free to join in. Whether you enjoy great shows, like to get hands-on with workshops or love to explore with guided adventures, there will be plenty to entertain you across two days dedicated to children and their families. Here’s a snapshot of a weekend you won’t want to miss: Plot 17 –  Join underground hip-hop hero Kenny Baraka, AKA The Green Man and his DJ, Conrad Kira with their mobile block party as they work to save the environment one sick track at a time. Times:  23 and 24 July, shows at 12.00 and 15.00 Booking available Midsummerland – Plug your headphones in, grab your partner and set off on an extraordinary adventure where a magical midsummer festival is in full swing.  Using their trademark mix of comedy, dance and theatre, Anatomical take you on an interactive journey of the imagination. Times: 23 and 24 July 11.00, 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 15.00, 16.00 and 17.00 Booking available Poetry Takeaway – Would you like a new poem that’s all about you? Come and meet our brilliant poet chefs at this mobile poetry emporium and watch the magic unfold. Times: 23 and 24 July, 12.00 – 16.00 Booking not required. Please note Poetry Takeaway has specific opening times.  No booking required. Just turn up. The Tallest – Created by Mamoru Iriguchi with Robbie Synge and Hannah Venet. Collect your special cloak and become a Tallestian to experience the world from up high. Come and roam around the park with your parent/guardian and discover what you can see in the wondrous green canopy. The Tallest is a participatory interactive activity where children (3yrs+) and adults work together to create Tallestians, very tall children. It simply invites a child to sit on their parent/guardian’s shoulders, then wraps them with a specially designed cloak (don’t worry, grownups, you can still see through the cape!). Commissioned by Tate Early Years & Families, supported by Imaginate. Booking not required. Times: 23 and 24 July, 12.00 – 16.00 Dogs of London – Dogs of London is a celebration of the community around the dogs and dog owners of London, and the joy and tenderness that can be found in these relationships of mutual care. Artists Nigel Barrett and Louise Mari spent last summer talking to people in the parks and streets of London about their dogs. The recorded conversations were mixed with the profoundly beautiful music of composer Lewis Gibson, to create Dogs of London – a soundscape to watch dogs play by in your own local park. We invite you to put on your headphones, press play, and let the everyday act of dog walking be transformed into something poetic and playful. Dogs of London is available to stream and download now on Spotify and Soundcloud. Spotify: click here.  Soundcloud: click here.  Commissioned by LIFT and Artsadmin and supported by ACT (Art, Climate, Transition) through the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. Booking not required.  Times: 23 and 24 July, 11.00 – 17.00  Attack of the Wolf Dogs – London Bridge’s famous family venue the Unicorn takes you on an imaginative and interactive audio adventure to save the city. You’ll need to sneak past frightening Wolfdogs, listen out for the Bears and get ready to battle the Shapeshifters. Created by Nigel Barrett & Louise Mari with Nicola T. Chang. Times: 23 – 24 July 11.00 – 17.00 Booking not required. Attack of the Wolf Dogs is an online experience – available to download at all times. You will need to bring headphones and a mobile phone to enjoy this show. The Enchanted Cinema – invite you to create a live score to award-winning international film animations alongside versatile musicians from The Cabinet of living Cinema. Times: Sat 23 July 13.00 – 14.10 Booking not required. Performance at The Scoop Rock n Roll Nature Revelation – join vaudevillian upstarts Timberlina and Dan de la Motte for a musical scavenger hunt to find the intricate patterns and designs in the natural world around us. This silly yet entirely informative show uses impromptu interpretative dance, spontaneous social exploration and song to discover the delicate balance, especially where Mother Nature meets Father Fabrication in our local urban surroundings. Times: 23 and 24 July 11.00, 14.00 and 16.00 Booking available Explosion of Colour Walk –art historian Shauna Isaac, takes you on an exploration of the amazing colourful art dotted around London Bridge. Times: 23 and 24 July 14.00 Booking available Let’s Look at Art – if you enjoy photography and drawing, come along to this practical workshop with local artist Kay Walsh. Times: 23 and 24 July 12.00 Booking available London Bridge Discovery Tour – join our Blue Badge Guide Alan Read and find out the stories and the secrets behind the vibrant city we have today. Times: 23 and 24 July 11.00 and 13.00 Booking available Family Dayz is commissioned and produced by Team London Bridge with Potters Fields Park Management Trust and London Bridge City.     

Chimps are Family

Published on 16th May 2022

Public artists and activists Gillie and Marc‘s latest exhibition is coming to the UK – ‘Chimps Are Family’ – bringing to life the expectation that 80% of the 150,000 chimpanzees across the world will face a population decline of 80% over the next 30 years. To coincide with World Endangered Species Day on Friday 20 May 2022, the free public exhibition located at London Bridge City will feature 28 chimps demonstrating 18 different behaviours such as love, grief, and tool use, illustrating the vast similarities between us and the animals with which we share 98% of our DNA. Well-known in London for their recent public sculpture, ‘The Orphans’, a project that brought awareness and much-needed funds to orphaned baby elephants. Gillie and Marc are now moving the spotlight onto chimpanzees and giving the people of London the chance to get up close and personal with our cousins and save them, before it’s too late. The sculptures are designed to be interactive and engaging and the you are encouraged to get as close as you want, touching their faces, examining their hands, and even giving them a hug. Each of the chimps will be displayed with a QR code where you can learn all about the individual chimpanzee and find important information surrounding conservation. You also have the option to donate funds, or even adopt one of the individual statues, to go directly to saving chimpanzees. WWF are working alongside Gillie and Marc to highlight the importance of working together to protect our one shared home. The sculptures will be celebrated with the hashtags #LoveTheLast and #ChimpsAreFamily to raise unparalleled awareness about the exhibition’s cause across the globe. To help protect the great apes, you can support the work of WWF by donation to the campaign: WWF Chimps are Family.

Summer by the River 2022

It’s been a long, hard winter, but better times are coming as Summer by the River returns to London Bridge City. Starting on 30 May 2022, it promises to revive weary workers, tourists and locals alike with three months of free entertainment set against stunning views of the capital. Running until 2 September, this year’s festival is bringing 1930s Miami vibes to the banks of the Thames over three locations – The Scoop, Hay’s Galleria and The Pier. At The Scoop, Art Deco inspired pop-up bar, The Riverside Terrace, will offer a little slice of South Beach complete with empanadas and piña coladas, while over at The Pier, Taqueria Garcia is bringing the heat with tacos and tequila. London’s largest free festival will celebrate Miami’s infamous party energy across all locations, with an eclectic programme of events that will put smiles on faces of all ages. The programme is themed by day and includes Gospeloke (a karaoke night backed by a live Gospel Choir), Dabbers Bingo (the much-loved game injected with music and performers), Hip Hop Weekender (interactive workshops and dance battles between world-renowned artists), Tears of Jenny Greenteeth (the London debut of a Ballet Folk performance), Twelfth Night (a modern take on the Shakespeare classic – set on Love Island), BBC Introducing (showcasing unsigned artists), Folk and Roots Stage (spotlighting grassroots music talent), Bunker (commissioned for the festival to bring to life WWII stories from local Southwark residents) and Swing Patrol (the well-known dance troupe). The opening week of the festival coincides with Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. London Bridge City is one of the Beacon locations, with its ceremonial lighting on Thursday kicking off proceedings. Over four days, the big screen in The Scoop will air all the official celebrations. Set against a backdrop of historic royal buildings, with entertainment including the Tower Ravens Rapper Sword Dancers, Lewis-Merthr brass band and a tea dance led by Swing Patrol, Summer By The River is the perfect place to mark the milestone. Heading into July, the festival will embrace another British institution – Wimbledon – with the screen in The Scoop showing all of the key matches. This is Summer by the River 2022… and you don’t want to miss a beat.

Enchanted Cinema, Animated Journeys: Summer By The River

Published on 13th May 2022

The Enchanted Cinema: Animated Journeys invites you to help two musicians create live FX to award-winning international animation. “It’s just so unique and in a world of CGI and flashy 3D animation, the beautiful, textual, thought provoking world you opened the children up to is very special and memorable.” (Róisín – audience/ participant) Kieron & Gareth will invite you to the front of the Scoop stage to present the sound FX you’ve brought – a forest growing, an ocean, gnashing teeth, a flying horse, a penguin, an owl and a snail (what does a snail sound like, you may ask) – to bring to life the programme of hand-crafted animation from as early as 1926 (as old as the Queen!). Don’t worry if you don’t have an FX instrument to hand, as you have the best FX maker inside you – your voice! 1pm – 2.10pm FREE

Family Activities: HMS Belfast

Published on 04th May 2022

There’s plenty of fun on HMS Belfast with free family activities to enjoy. Join in the interactive family activity Sea Legs and travel back to D-Day in 1944 with Family Mission: D-Day Edition. Take part in We Were There: Family Day on Saturday 21 May. From Bridge to Bakery the eyewitnesses and veterans will be sharing their memories of life at sea, and what it was like to grow up during the Second World War. More information here.  All activities are drop in and are recommended for families with children aged 7 and over. Activities vary daily, we recommend checking details on arrival. 

Jumping Buses

One of our favourite stories is when a bus jumped over an opening Tower Bridge in December 1952. This feat took place long before video cameras became common so we’ve never seen it on film, until now! Come and join in the family activities at Tower Bridge on Saturday 21 and Tuesday 31 May. Create your own stop-motion animation to take home. Family activities are free with admission, drop in and open to children of all ages but are particularly appropriate for those aged 6 to 10. Where: Inside the Engine Rooms Time: 10am – 4pm When: Saturday 21 and Tuesday 31 May