Beeline Storytelling Festival, Saturday 19 October 2019
The festival is a celebration of stories and storytelling in all their wonderful forms. Now in the thirteenth year of Beeline, we’re excited to welcome you to our family day.
Events will take place at The Hive and the University of Worcester’s City Campus in the wonderful Workshop Marquee, the Festival Theatre and the magical Story Telling Yurt. All venues will be clearly signposted throughout the day.
What's on
Nigel Auchterlounie - Dennis, Gnasher & Beano - Workshop
Join Nigel, Beano author, writer and illustrator, and creator of Dennis in Jurassic Bark, for a drawing masterclass where he’ll share tips on how to write and draw your Beano favourites, including Dennis and Gnasher. Nigel will also reveal his drawing ‘cheats’ to help you with your own drawing!
10.30am and 2pm, age 7-11
Book tickets for Nigel Auchterlounie
Sophie Dahl - Author
Sophie brings to life the grand tradition of books that celebrate the alliance of old and young... There’s a strange new guest at the Mermaid Hotel, a very old lady with a growly voice, bags stuffed with jewellery and coins and curiosities, and a beady-eyed pet tortoise. Is there a supervillain at large? Julia Eccleshare MBE joins Sophie to host for this event.
12.30pm, age 7-11
Book tickets for Sophie Dahl
Cat Weatherill - Storyteller
Children are searching to find their own special place in a world that can be strange, challenging and frightening. Cat reassures and shows children beauty and wonders to make them laugh! Stories are a precious gift to humanity, and gifts are always more wonderful when shared.
10am and 12.30pm, age 4-7 | 11.15am and 1.45pm, age 7-11
Book tickets for Cat Weatherill
Sarah McIntyre and Phillip Reeve - Author and Illustrator
Do you love ponies? What about roly-poly ponies who can fly? Come meet Kevin, the four-legged, two-winged hero of The Legend of Kevin. Join Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre for story fun, games and live drawing, and take home a drawing of your own! Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre are the best-selling duo behind Oliver and the Seawigs, Pugs of the Frozen North and The Legend of Kevin. Join them to celebrate their newest Roly-Poly Flying Pony adventure; Kevin’s Great Escape.
11.30am, age 7-11
Book tickets for Sarah and Philip
Lydia Monks - Author and Illustrator
Join author and illustrator Lydia to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the ‘What the Ladybird Heard’ and the next in the ‘Twit Twoo School’ ‘Rabbit Races Ahead’.
Be part of the adventure in this interactive, storytelling and illustrative session and watch as a whole host of glittering characters come to life.
3pm, age 4-7
Book tickets for Lydia Monks
Mumblecrust - Theatre
Mumblecrust reimagine Wells’ thrilling Sci-Fi classic with lashings of humour, award-winning puppetry, music and storytelling. A Victorian scientist invents the world’s first Time Machine. Everything is perfect, or so it seems… but in the future, monsters are very real indeed…
10.30am and 2pm, age 7+
Book tickets for Mumblecrust
Tale of Baba Yaga - Theatre and Puppetry
Lurking somewhere outside human understanding is the Baba Yaga, a creature so foul even the most noble of beings fear its name! Using storytelling and puppetry we delve into the world of the Baba Yaga.
12.45pm and 3pm, age 7+
Book tickets for Baba Yaga
Tracey Corderoy - Author and Making Workshop
‘The One-Stop Story Shop’ is a celebration of the power of the imagination, both silly and suspenseful! Make your own space rocket and blast off with Bounce Test Bunnies, apprehensive hamsters and giggles galore!
10.30am and 1.45pm, age 4-7
Book tickets for Tracey Corderoy
Bhangra Tots - Dance, Storytelling and Puppetry Workshop
Journey to India on a magical carpet ride with dancer Sohan. Fly around the world using your imagination, then journey across the Himalayas to the Punjab to learn the colourful dance of Bhangra - a joyous farming dance... dig soil, plant the seeds, grow vegetables. Take a train journey to Mumbai and dance like a Bollywood Star!! Meet Bhangra bunny (glove puppet) amongst other colourful friends.
10.30am, 12.30pm and 2pm, age 4-7
Book tickets for Bhangra Tots
Theatre Workshop ‘TREAD through a bear hunt’
Drama works company ‘Tread’ lead you in a theatre workshop based on the famous story ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’. Using soundscapes, movement and characterisation, explore new ways to tell favourite childhood stories. Can you squelch and squerch through the mud? Can you make the swishing sound of the long grass? Or even…dance like the bear?! Come and join the fun with the Tread family and find new exciting ways to enjoy your favourite stories.
10am, 12.45pm and 2.45pm, all ages
Book tickets for the Theatre Workshop
Rat-a-tat Tales and Story Book Characters
Pop in for Rat-a-tat Tales at the Hive. Story book characters will be around all day including the Bear Hunt bear and the Tiger Who Came to Tea.
11am and 1.45pm, all ages
No booking required
Festival bookshop
The festival bookshop where you can purchase your favourite books, meet the authors and get your books signed.
Prices
Our festival passes include access to all shows and workshops, or you can buy tickets for an individual show.
- Family Festival Day Pass* = £30 (two adults and two children)
- Individual Festival Day Pass* = £7 (child), £12 (adult)
- Single Show Ticket* = £4.50 (child), £7 (adult)
*all children should be accompanied by an adult.
More about the festival
Some of you may have joined us in previous years for storytelling, author visits or theatre at The Hive as we have featured some public events for many years. These have included visits by exciting authors such as Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Rosen.
This year we’ve increased the number of family events to focus on one exciting day full of fun and inspirational stories.Venues will include a two hundred seat ‘Festival Theatre’, the magical ‘Story Telling Yurt’ and a ‘Workshop Marque’, alongside activities taking place in The Hive. In addition to the main programme, there’ll be plenty of other activities including Story Time; Rat a Tat Tales. Book characters from ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ and ‘The Bear Hunt’ bear may even pop in for a visit!
As in previous years, much of the Beeline Festival is aimed at schools. This year is no exception - with two full weeks of exciting events and over four thousand school children booked to attend. Our 2019 school programme is bigger than ever and features some of the country’s leading storytellers, illustrators, musicians, authors and puppeteers. With a wide range of projects, events, and performances planned, the festival promises to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, creating fun, inspirational experiences for our audiences and participants alike.
We very much hope you enjoy the programme and have a great story-packed day!
For photos and videos from previous events see our Facebook page.