“Do you have a favourite show?” “What’s the most creative thing you’ve done?” “Do you like pizza?” Those are just a few of the questions that the new Festival Fridays cohort had for someone working in the arts.

Festival Fridays is our group of 15 Year 5 pupils from local primary schools, who come and spend every Friday with our LEAP team here at the theatre instead of going to school.

Each session begins with breakfast provided by UK Harvest (you don’t normally get that at school!). The group then spend their day taking part in a range of activities from acting, dance and movement through to understanding the many jobs in theatre, prop and costume making, and script writing to name just a few.

Their term is packed full of hands-on opportunities around the theatre that children wouldn’t usually have access to such as interviewing staff, backstage tours and wigs demonstrations.

Towards the end of the year, our Festival Fridays group will start working towards their own performance to share with family and friends to show off all of their hard work and demonstrate the skills they have learnt on and off the stage.

This fantastic scheme is now into its second year; last year’s Festival Fridays cohort were all offered places with CFYT and some have gone on to join the cast of Wind in the Willows.