24 Stories of Family Arts

Northern Stage
Best Summer Ever

Best Family Arts Activity Winner

“I’ve tried like a thousand new things – Normally I spend all day on the phone to my friends” – Young Participant

Best Summer Ever was a free, month-long, summer festival for young people aged 8-15 and their families, primarily in Byker, focusing on addressing holiday hunger and the lack of safe, local activity.

Young people engaged in workshops in clowning, stage combat, dance and storytelling, alongside a range of drop-in activities and Northern Stage provided opportunities for free play alongside the workshops. These were led by experienced professional practitioners.

Northern Stage is the largest producing theatre in the North-East of England. Their work is informed and transformed by the region so that they are an essential part of everyone’s lives, making vital pieces of culture for the North-East of today and tomorrow.

They produce, co-produce and support the production of great theatre for regional, national and international audiences in live and digital forms. Touring regionally, nationally and internationally with work that is popular, accessible, politically relevant and culturally diverse.

They provide life-changing experiences for people who would not normally have access to such opportunities. Empowerment is at the heart of what they do, constantly evolving and collaborating with artists, practitioners and communities in the North-East and beyond. They have commissioned and are actioning a poverty proofing report which has highlighted barriers for families and ways to overcome them.

You can discover all 24 Stories of Family Arts here. If you’d like to discover more fantastic organisations that meet our Family Arts Standards or Age-Friendly Standards explore the Fantastic for Families Directory.

Northern Stage is a Fantastic for Families Awards 2023 Winner in the category:
Best Family Arts Activity

Awards Shortlist

24 Stories of Family Arts
Discover the shortlist and their 24 stories of arts engagement. Find out who is nominated for Best Family Arts Activity, Best Age-Friendly Outreach, and Audience Impact & Innovation.

Directory

Fantastic for Families
From festivals and theatre companies to galleries and museums, in our directory you’ll find 1000+ organisations bringing eye-boggling creative events, activities and initiatives to life across the UK.

Sector Support

Family Arts Campaign
Work in the arts industry? Find out more about our work to support you. Dive into our resources library, commit to the Family Arts Standards or create a Family Arts Network in your area.