As part of our LIFE vision, the Sharing our stories in new and different ways, including through digital media priority group, have formed a new and exciting partnership with Cheltenham Festivals. Over the next three years we will run a family tent at the Jazz, Science and Literature Festivals starting from this October. The idea is to create a colourful, informal and fun environment in the heart of the Festival village where children and families can gather and get creative with ideas and words, with a theme developed by us.
We will also sponsor key events, for which we will provide speakers and shape content and have the opportunity to curate our own events on issues we feel important.
This is a fantastic opportunity for the Church to showcase the best community engagement work, and to get exposure to new audiences; stimulating conversations and reaching out to families’ children and young adults and an opportunity to network with other organisations.
In 2017 alone the three Festivals’ sold 200,000 tickets and welcomed 16,300 children.
There is a strong link to building local relationships with families who attend the Festivals. 68% of families at the Lit Festival, 76% of families at Science Festival and 59% of families at the Jazz Festival live in Gloucestershire. This creates a huge opportunity for us to engage with thousands of families living across our Diocese.
The benefits of partnering for three years are to build relationships, as many families come back year on year to the Festivals.
The Festival’s take place in Cheltenham Town centre based at Montpellier gardens and the Town Hall.
Would you like to be involved?
We are looking for volunteers to come and help us manage the family tent. This would involve helping children and young people do arts and crafts and engaging their parents and guardians in conversation.
The Family tent will be named ‘The Chatterbox’ and for this years literature festival within that craft tent, there will be two activities; activity one will be the origami chatterbox with questions to engage in conversation. The second activity will be creating origami leaves, where by the children will write their hopes and aspirations and attach to a ‘hope tree’ in the centre of the family space. (The origami is in keeping with the Festivals East meets West theme).
The family space will start at the Literature Festival, which runs from 5-14 October. The tent will be open from 10am-4pm daily and will be hugely busy.
It will be a fun environment and inductions will take place to ensure that volunteers are clear and happy about their roles and responsibilities.
If you would like to be involved in this exciting opportunity and be engaged with thousands of families who attend the Festivals and be in the centre of the buzz and fun of the Festival village then we would love to hear from you.
Please contact Kerry Pateman for an informal conversation on 01452 835512 or email ku.gr1726408269o.coi1726408269dsolg1726408269@name1726408269tapk1726408269
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