Families can dive into a day of art, music, theatre and making at the University of Leeds’ brand-new cultural open day, ‘play up’.
On Saturday 27 June, from 11am to 3pm, the campus will open up for the public to explore and take part in hands-on activities, workshops, and performances.
Wieke Eringa, Director of the Cultural Institute at Leeds, said: “We can’t wait to welcome people of all ages to our beautiful campus and experience ‘play up’ for the first time. Lots of activities are completely free of charge, with pay-as-you-can performances for as low as £2, thanks to the University’s dedication to making culture as accessible as possible.
“From arts and crafts to family yoga, the Cultural Institute is bringing creatives and organisations together to deliver an exciting and imaginative programme. Not only is this a brilliant opportunity for them to engage with the local community, but also a great way to inspire the next generation.”
Visitors will be able to enjoy the three ticketed performances with prices from £2, including Hoglets Theatre’s ‘The Tale of the Loneliest Whale’, a heart-warming puppetry show packed with original music.
Opera North is leading the audience on a fun, enchanting musical adventure through its production of ‘The Mini Magic Flute.’ The show follows a Prince’s search for a Princess, inspired by Mozart’s opera ‘The Magic Flute’.
Through the DARE partnership, collaboration between the University and Opera North has spanned nearly two decades, introducing thousands of students, staff, families, and the wider community to the joy of live opera.
Jacqui Cameron, Director of Learning & Engagement at Opera North, said: “‘play up’ is a great opportunity for people of all ages to come together and engage with the arts and we’re thrilled to be performing ‘The Mini Magic Flute’ as part of the event. The show was created especially for younger audiences, blending magic with adventure and a great storyline. We hope it will be the spark that leads to a lifelong love for opera, music, and drama.”
It’s great to see the University supporting research and experimentation across disciplines, whilst also creating dialogue across communities through initiatives like ‘play up’.
‘The Smalls’ is also not to be missed, as Izzy Brittain brings little ones and their grown-ups into close encounter with soil animals that are teenier than termites and weenier than worms. The interactive dance experience is an invitation to look deep down into the squelchy and mostly unexplored world of soil.
Izzy Brittain said: “We are so excited to bring this project to ‘play up’, and it's a particular joy to return to the University of Leeds, where our work was generously supported through a play: space residency last year. The residency was instrumental in maintaining the momentum to create ‘The Smalls’ at a time when funding can be hard to come by.
“As well as the unwavering support we received from the School of Performance and Cultural Industries, it's also been wonderful to work with Dr Gbotemi Adediran from the School of Earth and Environment, who generously shared his expertise in soil science with the team. It’s great to see the University supporting research and experimentation across disciplines, whilst also creating dialogue across communities through initiatives like ‘play up.’”
‘play up’ is the latest event organised as part of ‘open up’ – a new website for all cultural activities taking place at the University of Leeds. To be first to hear about new events like ‘play up’ taking place across campus, you can sign up to a new mailing list on the ‘open up’ website.
To book tickets and view the full programme, visit the ‘open up’ website.
Further information
Top image: ‘The Mini Magic Flute’ by Opera North. Credit: Mark McNulty
For more information, please contact Heidi Tam at the University of Leeds via C.H.Tam@leeds.ac.uk.