What do you get when you invite hundreds of families to come together and have as much musical and creative fun as they could wish for?
At Bristol Beacon, the answer is Hoo-Ha! – our hullabaloo of music, mess and merry-making.
Last week (17 – 19 Aug) Hoo-Ha! Festival returned for three days of free music, dancing, and creativity for little people and their families. With activities spread over the five floors of our Foyer, family fun and the joy of music could be found around every corner.
Main Stage
Across all three days of the Festival the lower ground main stage was a hubbub of music, dance and storytelling.
Young visitors and their friends were encouraged to dance, play percussion or just chill and listen on our comfy sofas, with a pirate adventure from Ready Sheddy Dis-Go! and singalong favourites from TJ Band.
And it wasn’t just music – Flamingo Chicks, the award-winning inclusive dance community, joined us to provide dance sessions for children of all abilities, with little ones practicing their pirouettes across the Foyer!
Much needed downtime was also provided by authors Moira Butterfield, Gwen Millward and Molly Oldfield, who set imaginations alight with their stories and quizzes.
Relaxed Day: Making Hoo-Ha! more inclusive
Wednesday 17 August was our first Hoo-Ha! Relaxed Day: a more gentle atmosphere for disabled and neuro divergent people, or families who benefit from a more relaxed environment.
The day was created to ensure all families feel welcome attending Hoo-Ha!. We made some changes to the set up and programme to ensure a more calm experience, but still with all the family fun.
Numbers were limited in the building, reduced lighting and noise levels, as well as having designated quiet areas to rest and reset between activities.
Our Relaxed Day this year was programmed to ensure the festival was inclusive of everyone.
We were delighted to welcome so many new families to experience music, crafting and play in an accessible and sensitive way, for those who benefit from a gentler environment.Julia Roderick, Head of Community Engagement, Bristol Beacon
Activities and Workshops
All floors of the Foyer were bustling with creative energy and discovery throughout the three days, as activities and workshops provided opportunities to learn new things and get crafty.
We saw the creation of brilliant plasticine characters during workshops from Aardman Animations, we witnessed attendees marveling at the solar system in the Explorer Dome, and we were struck by the curiosity and creativity on display as guests participated in activities such as Noisy Toys, Conductive Music and Scribblebots from We The Curious.
Excellent range of physical fun and sit down interactive crafts, experiments etc. Thank you!
Visitor
Start a musical journey
If your little one is in the mood for more music, our award-winning Music Education Hub offers a range of lessons and ensembles to spark a lifelong love of music, including Baby Friendly Choir, Mini Singers and more.
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Mail A Musician returns with free concerts for Bristol residents
- Bristol Beacon News
