25 Mar FREE Holiday Fun returns to Firstsite Colchester and Harwich Arts Heritage Centre this spring school holiday
Colchester’s Firstsite are once again running their Holiday Fun programme at the award-winning gallery and at Harwich Arts & Heritage Centre, giving families from across North Essex the chance to keep children active, connected and inspired with a variety of fabulous free activities throughout the Spring school holidays.
Beginning on Monday 4 April and running through to Thursday 17 April (on weekdays only), the two locations are providing a variety of outdoor sport and art sessions for children to take part in, complete with a delicious hot lunch for all the family. All activities and meals are entirely free for local families who require additional support during the school holidays, including those that qualify for benefits-based free school meals.
Each of the activities has been designed for youngsters aged between 4 and 11, but all ages are welcome.
At Firstsite, artist Jacques Nimki will be leading a series of free drop-in creative sessions for children (from 4th to 8th April, 10am-2:30pm), based around the beautiful and traditional seasonal flower, the iris. From drawing them to making collages, creating delicate origami flowers and using other materials, Jacques will be inspiring budding artists to really express themselves while learning new skills.
The following week (11th to 14th April, 10am – 2:30pm) sees local artist Tristan Howe demonstrate how to make a shadow puppet theatre, draw a fantasy world, make a hanging mobile and create masks in free drop-in sessions.
And each weekday throughout the holiday, children can also enjoy sports sessions including street dance and multisports on Firstsite’s large Berryfield Lawn at 10:45am and 12:00pm. Families can then sit down to a freshly cooked meal served at 11:45am or 1:00pm in the Firstsite Canteen.
Over at the Harwich Arts & Heritage Centre free drop-in art sessions will also be running from 10am- 2:30pm each day. On 7,8,11 and 14 April local artist Sarah Gunn will be showing children how to make cardboard bunnies, butterflies, an exploring sketchbook and a spring collage on four different days. Artist Iris Gunnarsdottir will also be running two brilliant hands-on drop-in sculpture sessions, using plasticine and paper straws (4th and 13th April).
More free creative fun is offered by Olivia Solanke, another local artist, who will be showing how to create a stunning bouquet of paper flowers (5th April), paper portraits of friends, families or the family pet (6th April) and delightful busy birds’ nests (12th April).
Children can let off steam at outdoor multisport sessions running each weekday at 10:45am and 12pm. Families in Harwich can also enjoy delicious free hot meals served at 12pm and 1:15pm in the Canteen at the Harwich Arts & Heritage Centre.
Booking is essential for sports sessions and family meals at both venues.
Early bird tickets for both venues are available from Monday 21 March through to Thursday 31st March. Further tickets will be released three days in advance of each session. Bookings can be made (for Firstsite and Harwich Arts & Heritage Centre) by calling 01206 713700 or online at www.firstsite.uk
There’s no need to book for art sessions, just turn up!
Free transport will also be available to and from Harwich Arts and Heritage Centre, if required. Please contact Harwich Festival on 07425 145022 or via [email protected] to book. This service is provided by Connexions, social distancing and mask wearing will be required.
Sue Hogan, Programme Manager, Learning and Education at Firstsite says: “Holiday Fun is a really special part of our programme, we always look forward to meeting new families and catching up with families who have been before and providing a really inclusive and enjoyable day for everyone. We have fantastic local artists delivering lots of art activities at both venues, and children can have a great time running around in our sports sessions whilst adults can relax at the side lines and chat. Our popular canteen will also be serving hot meals for all the family to sit down together and enjoy. If you haven’t come along before we’d love to see you, it’s a great day out where your family can get involved in lots of different activities and meet other local families too. Please do book early to avoid disappointment, as these events are always popular.”
One of the organisations generously supporting the Holiday Fun Programme in Colchester this holiday is the Rotary Club of Colchester, whose incoming President, Nigel Hildreth, was keen to support a local charity with benefits for children and families. He says: “We made a decision that the fun activities at Firstsite would closely fit these criteria and so we are delighted to be able to support the provision of food to the families attending.”
The Spring 2022 Holiday Fun programme is also made possible thanks to East of England Co-op Cares, the Mersea Homes Charitable Fund and Colchester Fund, which are managed by Essex Community Foundation: along with funding from The Hervey Benham Charitable Trust, Essex County Council, Active Essex and the Department for Education.
