The biennial Spill Festival returns to Ipswich this October half term families are being invited to experience something just a little bit different as part of this year’s event.
The latest Spill Festival of Performance runs from Wednesday October 27 to Sunday 31, bringing the strange, the striking and the surprising for the whole family to enjoy.
Youngsters can follow in the footsteps of astronauts when they visit the spectacular installation GAIA (Oct 27-31) – a seven-metre-wide model of the Earth, floating from the ceiling of Ipswich Town Hall.
Then they can head out onto the Cornhill to watch the strange sculptures of Chorus (Oct 27-30) as they spin and hum, whirling like a swarm of fireflies or planets in motion above the heads of the audience.
Also as a half-term treat everyone can get to explore an alien environment on the Waterfront as they step inside Luminarium (Oct 27-31), a maze of colourful domes and tunnels.
There’s also an opportunity to take a mystery tour with Here’s To Tomorrow (Oct 28) – an exciting adventure led by intergalactic tour guides which transports audiences to a world far away from Ipswich – which has been developed by the Spill Young Curators, all aged between 16 and 21, who have put together a selection of music, dance and other performances by talented young people.
Kids can have the chance to design their own custom play spaces with Kids Build The Future (Oct 28-30) at Ancient House. With the help of visual artists, architects and builders youngsters could design their own base, castle, maze or a future Ipswich – it’s like Minecraft come to life.
SPILL 2021 will also see the return of festival favourite The Pyre Parade (Oct 30). Head down to The Hold throughout half term and post your bad news from the last year into special boxes standing next to the Pyre Parade effigies.
While there you can learn about the history of black communities in Ipswich and there’s also an opportunity to create your own history and record memories by taking portraits in the Pop-Up Photo Studio (Oct 30), using professional equipment, props and costumes.
Visitors can also take part in one of The Hold’s Pyre-Parade-inspired family workshops before families will be invited to join the Pyre Parade as it noisily makes its way through the town to Christchurch Park. Everyone is welcome – wear black and bring something loud to bang, such as wooden spoons on saucepan lids – before the effigies are engulfed in flames and all of 2020’s bad news is sent up in smoke.
Find out about these events and everything else Spill Festival has to offer at their website, or call the Box Office on 01473 210169.
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