Bristol Beacon will host a free family-friendly event later this month. The Hoo-Ha! Festival will run across three days and feature music, dancing and activities for children of all ages.
The festival will kick off on Wednesday, August 17, with a Relaxed Day for disabled and neurodivergent people, or anyone who would prefer a gentler environment. With reduced lighting, lower noise levels and a maximum capacity of 150 visitors, families can enjoy performances from Kid Carpet and sing along with TJ Band on the main stage.
For kids looking to get crafty, workshops run by Let’s Make Art and Aardman Animations in the Stalls Bar will spark their creative sides with a range of artistic activities. Visitors can expect to make their very own plasticine characters with the creators of Wallace & Gromit, and get creative with a supply of recycled fabric to make carnival headdresses and masks.
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Attendees can even jump into an out-of-this-world adventure by travelling across the solar system inside the Explorer Dome. Curiosity is encouraged as children are welcome to ponder the stars, learn about the legends behind each constellation and consider the possibility of life beyond Earth.
Children will also be able to bring their ideas to life through a host of scientific activities, including learning how to make their own scribbling robot using motors and switches, experimenting with sounds in a Noisy Toys workshop and controlling digital music by simply just plugging a cable into an apple with Conductive Music.
A range of quieter activities will also be running throughout the three days, including an illustration workshop by Lucie Sheridan, who is returning to Hoo-Ha! Festival for her third year with her Live Art Booth, drawing “Rubbish Portraits” of her visitors.
Independent harbourside bookshop BookHaus will also be taking up residence on the Terrace Bar, inviting listeners to explore magical realms and fictional worlds in their storytelling sessions. Workshops will take place throughout a variety of spaces in Bristol Beacon.
The main stage on the lower ground floor will become a lively hub of activity, with Disco Shed raising the roof and getting bodies moving to the groove. The ground floor will transport visitors through a portal into outer-space, while level one becomes a creative centre for all things arts and crafts.
The Terrace Bar on level 3 will welcome a calmer environment too, with a range of activities encouraging the ultimate zen, including tranquil music making and children’s yoga. Throughout the day, visitors can indulge in daily breakfast and lunch menus provided by the Bristol Loaf.
Matt Aiken, Programmer at Bristol Beacon, and Julia Roderick, Head of Community Engagement, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming people of all ages from the local community into Bristol Beacon this summer for three days of family fun. We know that entertaining the kids during the summer holidays can often be a challenge, which is why we’ve curated a programme of events bound to appeal to everyone involved, from whacky science experiments, to creative workshops and out-of-this-world adventures.
“We hope that Hoo-Ha! Festival has something for everyone, and we can’t wait to see smiles from far and wide hosted in Bristol Beacon’s multiple creative spaces.”
The Hoo-Ha! Festival at Bristol Beacon runs from Wednesday August 17 to Friday August 19.
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