Creative children, stronger families

This is the story of Let’s Play, a creative innovation that – according to people smarter than me – improves outcomes for children and their parents. Theatre Hullabaloo is pleased it is kicking off a conversation about creativity and childhood in the arts, health, research and early years sectors. 

It is a conversation shaping a new National Centre for Children’s Creativity. More on that shortly, but first I invite you to spend a moment being a bit more child and a little less grownup. 

One thing children do brilliantly is imagine. They dream, all the time. Remember when trees said hello, a bit of glitter was a fallen star, and a change of hat gave you a whole new identity? I’m not asking you to go that far, not quite. But imagine this…
 
A future where every child has access to fantastic creative play. Where they engage creatively with their grownups in supportive joy-filled environments. A world where relationships thrive, learning is accelerated, and wellbeing flourishes. A place where artists, and those who think art is for ‘other people’, meet with their families in venues that make them all welcome.

It’s not the world most families are living in this Christmas.

Tough times for families

Children’s charities tell us 29% of under-10s in the UK will spend this festive season in poverty. In some areas, including the one around our theatre in Darlington, that figure is 47%. 

Arguably, it’s families with children in their early years who are suffering most. In the wake of the pandemic and amid of a cost-of-living crisis, our friends in Family Hubs tell us children’s speech and language skills are suffering badly and ‘school readiness’ is down around 30%. 

Parents aren’t finding it any easier. Research shows the number of new parents with postnatal depression has soared to 47%. It was 26% in 2020. These are tough times for families, and they aren’t getting better. 

National forum

Like many arts charities – we run a theatre, a festival and make and tour shows, but we are a charity at core – Theatre Hullabaloo knows it can’t answer every social challenge. But we can do something. We must. Because those families matter, and because they are our audiences, our future makers and creators.

So, back to that conversation. It feels more urgent than ever. For us, it began in earnest in November 2023, when leaders from arts, health, early years and local government sectors joined politicians, policymakers and academics at our Creative Children, Stronger Families national forum. 

Professor Simon James of Durham University opens the Creative Children, Stronger Families conference

More than 100 delegates came to hear about new research, discuss the importance of creativity and play to family wellbeing, and consider how we can scale and spread Let’s Play. 

Let’s Play is a socially prescribed, weekly creative session for parents, or carers, and their young children. Researchers from the British Academy and York St John University say it is the only programme of its kind in the country. It has been running for a couple of years, putting families in a room with artists skilled in early years engagement and pedagogical theory. The results are profound.

Children who take part hit developmental milestones faster. Grownups have reduced depression scores. Family attachments grow. Parents become more confident.

Letting imagination catch fire

The first 1,001 days of a child’s life are the most important, they say. They’re also crucial for parents and carers – the time when imagination can catch fire. Let’s Play is one way of bringing creativity to the party. As a director from a local hospital put it: “This should be the next vaccination programme.” And he isn’t just talking about play on prescription.

Let’s Play families thrive on the child-centred theatre performances and participation activities, specialised Baby Play Packs, and family friendly festivals we provide. We haven’t yet realised the dream of a world where every child has creative experience on tap, but we have a small window on doing that for large parts of our community in Darlington. 26,000 of them a year.  

All of which cost less, per person, than medical intervention, prescription medication or speech and language therapy. Which might explain why we plan to take the concept to parliament in 2024, with a simple message: creative children make stronger families. We won’t go alone.

Start of a shared dream

Creative Children, Stronger Families was attended by leaders from Arts Council England, Tees Valley Combined Authority, Darlington Borough Council, The National Centre for Creative Health, York St John University, Leeds University, UCL, the British Academy, the National Academy of Social Prescribing, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, a dozen local authorities and many more.

This is the start of a shared dream, a shared conversation. One that can help build a powerful National Centre for Children’s Creativity, with the mission of enriching all children’s lives and improving family outcomes. 
 
Creativity is the essence of humanity. It shaped the world we live in, and it will help us overcome the challenges we face in the future. Play is the engine of learning and the joyous instigator of family connection. We can’t wait to bring both together with you and start talking about how to make the biggest difference we can. 

Ben Dickenson is Chief Executive Officer of Theatre Hullabaloo.
 theatrehullabaloo.org.uk
@HullabalooTweet | @benjitoon