What can we say about Pandemonium! our children’s festival?
Kids love it (and so do the parents) and we have great fun creating an amazing weekend of music, dance, song, drama and crafts for children aged from birth to 10. Pandemonium! grows and changes every year with a different theme and new activities and workshops to enjoy – and it’s all free!
From its hub just off the main area, the kid’s zone is close to the village stage and perfectly positioned for parents and children to have fun together, safely tucked in an area of the site, but close enough to the action for it to be a real part of the event. We also have our Wee Folkies area which has a baby changing and feeding area, as well as a whole programme of activities for the under fives.
It all culminates in performances on the village stage and a magical lantern procession around the site on the Sunday night, where musicians, children and parents proudly parade around the site displaying the fruits of their labours!
Pandemonium! 2019
Oh we do like to be beside the seaside! This year Pandemonium! is taking a trip to Shrewsbury On Sea, celebrating the great British seaside and all the wonderful creatures that live along our coast.
Come and meet the Mermaid, the Sand Dragon and the Donkey and have a go at making a lighthouse or giant jellyfish lantern. Our favourite artists are back, teaching us how to sign and sing sea shanties, embroider beautiful mermaid scales, and dance like pirates.
The wee folkies, our revolutionary programme for the under 5’s, will be a beachside haven of sensory delights and stories, and our popular 8-10’s sessions will be back, even bigger and better. Keep an eye on the page for updates, and do watch and share our wonderful video. We can’t wait to have you party with us on the beach!
Lantern Making – (Pandemonium Craft Tent, suitable for all, young children will require adult help)
Friday
15:30 – 16:30
16:45 – 17:45 8-10’s *
Saturday
10:30 – 11:15
11:30 – 12:15 8-10’s *
12:30 – 13:15
Sunday
13:00 – 13:45
14:00 – 14:45 (with decorate my wheelchair/pushchair)
Come along to the craft tent and make a willow lantern with the Pandemonium! team. The theme for this year’s lanterns is the seaside, I’m picturing some amazing underwater creatures and huge boats!
Lanterns need to be made over two days because of drying times. Our wonderful lantern procession is on Sunday evening and therefore all lanterns must be finished by Sunday. Plan your sessions as follows: Friday and Saturday, or Friday and Sunday, or Saturday and Sunday. Please come early, these workshops are very popular.
Collect your lanterns between 7pm and 8pm on Sunday night from the Pandemonium! tent setting off at 8.30pm).
Dance and Drama with Highly Sprung (Pandemonium! Activity Tent
Friday
18:00 – 19:00 (all ages)
Saturday
14:30 – 15:30 (8-10’s*)
16:00 – 16:45 (4-8’s)
Sunday
17:00 – 17:45 (4-8’s)
17:45 – 18:30 (8-10’s*)
Monday
12:00 – 13:00 (all ages rehearsal for performance at 13:45 on village stage)
A performance making opportunity for any brave sea-faring adventurer. With fun and games at every turn, led by experts in imagination, play and physical performance, we promise activities exploring tales of wild seas and magical mer-people to both challenge and inspire, resulting in a brilliantly ’salty’ performance to family and friends.
Highly Sprung offers unique and high-quality creative experiences to young people that build on their confidence, develop their self-expression and allow them to have fun in a safe and well supported, professionally led environment.
Up With the Sun Family Yoga (Pandemonium! Activity tent, age 3+)
Saturday, Sunday and Monday
09:30 – 10:00
Start your day the yoga way with Sue Davies from Believe-In Yoga. The whole family can take part in this fun session, what better way to wake up your body and mind.
8-10’s Yoga (Pandemonium! Activity tent, 8-10’s*)
Saturday
18:00 – 18:30
Sunday
18:30 – 19:00
In these evening classes we will explore areas around the theme of dinosaurs, around their qualities, what makes each of them different, unique and special skills. Sue will help you to bring that back to yourselves to help build confidence, who you are and your special skills.
Time For Me Mindfulness (Pandemonium! Activity Tent, age 6+)
Saturday
18:30 – 19:00
Sue from Believe-In Yoga leads this mindfulness session which helps to focus children’s breathing and thoughts, the perfect antidote to the busyness of the festival. You will explore the world around you now and your relationship with that world.
Weaving and Spinning with Rakhee (Pandemonium! Craft Tent, age 4+)
Saturday
13:30 – 14:30
Sunday
15:00 – 16:00
Try your hand at weaving on Rakhee’s giant loom or on the smaller roving looms. These fun workshops are suitable for all children over 4. Write your wishes or worries on recycled plastic before weaving it into the loom. Help us create a magical work of art over the weekend.
Shimmery Shiny Mermaid Stitch and Craft workshop (Pandemonium! Craft Tent, all ages)
Saturday
14:30 – 16:00
Create your own shimmering scale to adorn the tail of our beautiful mermaid with artist Hanny Newton. A range of sewing and paper craft activities are available to suit all ages and abilities
Shimmery Shiny Mermaid Embroidery workshop (Pandemonium! Craft Tent, 8-10’s*)
Sunday
11:00 – 12:30
Come and learn the beautiful art of hand embroidery with artist Hanny Newton and create your own shimmering scale to adorn the tail of our beautiful mermaid. No experience necessary.
Underwater Crafts with Off Our Trolley (Pandemonium! Craft Tent, suitable for all)
Garry, who has been with us at Pandemonium for 10 years now, will be helping you all to create amazing seaside inspired crafts. These sessions are first come first served and suitable for all ages (except Paper Fishes which is especially for 8-10s). All materials are supplied
Saturday
16:00 – 17:00
Paper Fishes 8-10s
Make an amazingly realistic, moving paper fish, especially for the older children.
17:00 – 18:00
Mermaid Trolley
Off Our Trolley are known for their huge trolley creations, come and help Garry get the mermaid dressed for the procession.
19:00 – 20:00
Off Our Trolley 10 Year Birthday Party
Come and help us celebrate Garry’s 10th year at Shrewsbury Folk Festival, bring your own picnic and enjoy badge making and games.
Sunday
09:45 – 11:00
Underwater Worlds in A Box Part 1
16:00 – 17:15
Underwater Worlds Part 2
In this really fun 2 part workshop, Garry will help you create a whole ocean in a box to take home. You need to do both parts of this workshop to complete your world due to drying time.
Monday
09:30 – 11:00
Costumes and Crowns
Will you be a merman or mermaid, a pirate or a jellyfish? Create amazing crowns and costumes to wear in the procession and performance on the Village Stage
12:00 – 13:30
Jellyfish
What colours will your jiggling jellyfish be?
Sunday
09:45 – 11:00
Underwater Worlds in A Box Part 1
16:00 – 17:15
Underwater Worlds Part 2
In this really fun 2 part workshop, Garry will help you create a whole ocean in a box to take home. You need to do both parts of this workshop to complete your world due to drying time.
Monday
09:30 – 11:00
Costumes and Crowns
Will you be a merman or mermaid, a pirate or a jellyfish? Create amazing crowns and costumes to wear in the procession and performance on the Village Stage
12:00 – 13:30
Mermaid Trolley
Off Our Trolley are known for their huge trolley creations, come and help Garry get the mermaid dressed for the procession.
Hands Up for Singing Choir (Pandemonium! Activity Tent, age 6+)
Saturday
13:30 – 14:15
Sunday
12:30 – 13:15
Monday
10:00 – 10:45
At our ‘Hands Up for Singing’ Makaton signing choir you can learn to sing and sign three hearty sea shanties, and will have a chance to perform them on stage with a real live band! This is a three stage progressive workshop, please come to all 3 if you can.
Big Band Workshop (Pandemonium! Activity Tent, age 6+)
Saturday
17:00 -18:00
Sunday
13:30 – 14:30
Monday
11:00 – 12:00
Bring along your instruments and help us create the Pandemonium! Big Band. There’s no need to read music as the tunes will be taught by ear, although we can write notation for you if you need it. You will have the chance to perform the tunes you have learned in the children’s big finale festival show on Monday at 13:45pm on the village stage.
Shanty Workshop with Exmouth Shanty Men (Pandemonium! Craft Tent, age 6+)
Monday
11:00 – 12:00
Join this one-off shanty workshop with the excellent Exeter Shanty Men to learn some traditional sea shanties.
The Sand Dragon Puppet Show (Pandemonium! Activity Tent, suitable for all)
Saturday and Sunday
10:00 – 11:00 Show
11:00 – 12:00 Puppet workshop (£1 charge)
While on holiday Edie and her Daddy find a magical pebble that can grant you one wish. Can you guess what Edie wished for? Well why not find out by watching Theatrix Arts perform this magical story with songs and music, loads of puppets, changing scenery, and a magic trick or two. Then meet the puppets and create you very own Sand Dragon Puppet.
Nick Cope Concert (Pandemonium! Activity Tent, suitable for all)
Sunday
15:00 – 16:00
Nick Cope’s charming family performances are legendary! He has a fanatical army of little and not-so–little fans from all over the world, if you haven’t heard his songs or seen his shows before come and find out what you’re missing.
Meet the Mermaid (Pandemonium! Activity Tent, suitable for all)
Saturday
12:30 – 13:00
Sunday
17:00 – 17:30 (in the wee folkies area)
Monday
11:00 – 11:30 (in the wee folkies area)
Come and meet Sal the landlocked mermaid, she is seeking real places in South Shropshire called Wagbeach and Snailbeach looking for rocks to bask on and starfish to plait into her hair. She’s never too busy to dip into her mermaid’s purse or share a song and a shanty with passers by, catch her quickly before she heads back into the river to wet her tail unless, of course, the rain wets it for her?!
The Call of the Waves Storytelling (Pandemonium! Activity Tent, age 6+)
Saturday
15:30 – 16:00
Have you ever wondered what the sea is whispering? Who it is calling to and why? Storyteller Vickie Orton will reveal the truth behind the call of the waves in a tale of mystery and suspense where things are not what they seem.
Lantern Procession
Sunday
On Sunday night, everyone who has created a lantern is invited to parade with them from the Pandemonium! tent to the dance tent. This is a real festival highlight, not to be missed!
19:00 – 20:00 – collect your lanterns from the Pandemonium! tent
20:15 – form up the procession outside the Pandemonium! tent
20:30 – procession from the Pandemonium! tent, around the village stage, past the food tent and finishing at the Dance tent where you can join in with the evening ceilidh
Selkie Treasure Hunt (meet at Pandemonium! Craft Tent, suitable for all)
Saturday
18:15 – 19:00
Sunday
17:30 – 18:30
Join Dawn and Vickie as they retell the time they made friends with a Selkie Merman. How things didn’t go quite according to plan and the Selkie lost his tail. Follow the treasure trail to see if you can help find him find his tail and make his way back to sea. Family event with prizes for all.
Children’s Procession and Performance
Monday
13:00 – 13:30 – form up procession outside Pandemonium! Tent (make sure you bring the costumes you’ve made and anything you would like to show everyone)
13:30 – procession around Village Area followed by a performance on the Village Stage (the performance on the Village Stage will be from 13:45 – 14:20)
If you have made anything or learnt any new skills over the weekend Monday afternoon is your chance to show them off to your friends and family! Process around the village stage with your amazing masks, costumes, fishes and creations then show off your new skills on the Village Stage.
The Wee Folkies area is drop-in, there is a changing area available and feeding parents are more than welcome, come and make yourselves comfy.
Seaside Sensory Play
Saturday and Sunday
10:00 – 11:00
Come and play in our ice cream shop and our beach themed tuff tray.
Ocean Playdough
Saturday
12:30 – 14:00
Sunday
14:00 – 15:00
What does the ocean feel like? Taste like? Smell like? This sensory session is suitable for all under 5’s including babies.
Rock Pools Water Play
Saturday
15:00 – 16:30
Sunday
15:00 – 16:00
Monday
10:00 – 11:00
Splash in the water, find creatures and shells. (Parents, bring some spare clothes)
Stick Merpeople Workshop
Saturday and Sunday
11:00 – 12:30
Build your own little merperson to take home. A fun craft, simple enough for tiny fingers using beautiful fabrics and yarns
Foil Fish
Saturday
14:00 – 15:00
Sunday
12:30 – 14:00
Monday
11:30 – 12:30
Create a shiny fish on a stick for our Pandemonium procession
Giant Underwater Canvas
Saturday
16:30 – 18:00
Sunday
16:00 – 17:00
Let your creativity loose on a giant canvas, decorate with paint, shiny materials and shells and help us create a giant piece of art.
Bedtime Lullabies with Josie Teacake
Friday and Saturday
18:00 – 19:00
Sunday
17:30 – 18:30
The tradition of singing lullabies exists in a great many cultures across the world and has been passed down from generation to generation. Josie Teacake will sing and teach a range of traditional lullabies, dandling and nursery songs incorporating gentle movement, puppetry and musical instruments.
Pandemonium! 2018
