Celebrating children’s theatre

Like many in the children’s theatre sector, we’ve been working for some time to achieve more for our children and families, both locally and as part of our national sector.

Work in the arts for children is not always given the recognition it deserves, so as Theatre Porto enters its fourth year in Whitby Hall, we are pleased to be recognised with two major accolades for excellence in Planning for Heritage and Culture.

It’s an important moment to celebrate what specialist theatres contribute to the arts and our communities, not least given The State of Us report presents clear evidence that the bonds holding society together – civic participation and a shared sense of belonging – are under increasing strain.

This erosion is leaving the UK more fragmented, fragile and less resilient. The work of organisations like ours – arts led but understanding community need – is the way forward.

Our story

The transformation of Whitby Hall in 2022 was born of a vision to position an inspiring theatre at the heart of our town and build a community around children.

Leading up to the capital work, things were critical. The roof was leaking and some parts of the building were not safe. The job isn’t finished yet and the work to achieve the necessary funding is increasingly challenging.

Critically, this venue was seen as an opportunity to strengthen our position locally, raise our profile and embed resilience, while providing ‘forgotten about’ Ellesmere Port with a much-needed cultural asset. We were lucky that Cheshire West and Chester Council leadership shared our vision and, despite the challenging economic climate, invested in the idea.

We wanted a building to match our artistic ambition. Having a new fit-for-purpose building had been in our planning for many years but it wasn’t until the consultation for a much bigger regional venue in Chester – Storyhouse – was underway that wheels were put in motion. It started with a snatched conversation with the architects and a tour of Whitby Hall, and things grew from there.

Theatre Porto. Image: Sam Hutchinson

Big kids

It’s a simple idea – curate a beautiful, cared-for space for people to gather, which feels person-centred and welcoming, and create a big impact. The theatre is a space for community, and it has resurfaced the discussion about why we need cultural buildings and how they can be as important as the artists that run them.

The decline in civic spaces, and the economic and social challenges we face, has resulted in division and fragmented communities making spaces like ours hugely important. At the centre are children and young people, who need their own spaces and art made especially for them.

Importantly, the space we provide is based on shared experiences for children and adults. It is central to our mission because children belong to families, and families to communities. It assumes that tapping into your inner child is good for you: “The building isn’t for everyone, you need to be a child or young person to be welcomed here… OR, you need to have been one.”

That’s our invitation. If we can remember what it is like to be open, curious, compassionate, and to be present in the now, we can remember who we are.

Big Kids is a new project which invites parents to play for their own enrichment, inviting them to remember what it feels like to be present in a space, to connect with others and tap into joy.

Collaboration and partnerships

A similar project pairs artists and teachers, encouraging a creative impulse outside the formal curriculum. Our connection to schools continues to deepen as we position ourselves as long-term collaborators and partners in learning. The creation of a Cultural Learning Exchange regularly brings us together with teachers to talk and listen.  

We have adopted the mantra ‘inclusivity starts with childhood’ which underpins our artistic and strategic approach to partnerships which is cross-sector. Most children instinctively understand fairness, they ask honest questions, imagine better futures and remind us why being included matters. 

We connect with other arts companies, local organisations, youth and community services, and voluntary groups to understand what local need is and to further an inclusive agenda more widely, taking us back to the idea of creating a community around the child, which celebrates everybody.

Looking ahead

As we look ahead, our mission is clear: to keep deepening our work, which requires understanding the world we live in and finding ways to weave theatre and artistic experiences into the lives of children, families and communities.

At the centre is theatre making in its broadest sense: sometimes intimate and small, non-verbal, poetic, interactive, celebratory. It’s the beating heart from which everything else is born, based on experiences that allow us to go deep, seeking ways to create a broader impact

Given social need, it might be assumed that art isn’t as important or that social impact sits separate from artistic practice, but the opposite is true. We talk about ‘merging the playful and the political’ because the world of children is both things.  

In a crisis-ridden world, Theatre Porto holds on to the belief that theatre, centred on children and young people and the values of childhood, can change the world.