2022 Awards
Shortlist
Celebrating the Fantastic for Families Awards with 30 stories
Now in its ninth year, the annual Fantastic For Families Awards celebrate the wealth of outstanding creative provision for families and older audiences across the UK.
On this page you’ll find the shortlist for the annual Fantastic For Families Awards, celebrating the nominees by sharing their 30 Stories of Family Arts engagement, from across the UK.
Find the very best arts providers to see, experience or visit as you explore the 30 nominees this year. You can also discover more fantastic organisations near you in the Fantastic for Families Directory.
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Discover 30 stories of inspiring projects
from across the UK
Best Family Arts Activity Shortlist
This award celebrates creative activities and events that have been developed for families.
Art At The Heart CIC
Holi Festival of Colour
Art at the Heart CIC ran their Annual Holi Festival of Colour with a range of immersive visual and sensory participatory experiences. Read more.
Aurora Theatre
Hidden Treasures
A game-like theatrical experience for any local park, using augmented reality and guided by a narrative voice and sounds triggered by GPS. Read more.
BLAST Fest
Black STEAM
What do you get if you combine the creative energy of the arts with the intellectual rigour of science and the richness of Black culture? Read more.
Halpern Charitable Foundation:
Nucleus Arts
Medway Fun Palace 2021
The biggest Fun Palace yet full of arts and science! Read more.
Imaginate
Family Encounter Programme
The Family Encounter Programme provided free theatre and dance in several outdoor locations across the city as part of Edinburgh International Children’s Festival. Read more.
MK Gallery
Sensory Exhibition Tours
Sensory tours have enabled families to connect with art using their own sensory language, through music, object handling, dress–up and play. Read more.
Opera North
Whistle Stop Opera: The Magic Flute
This interactive family show was a 45-minutes adaptation of Mozart’s opera with a twist, aiming to raise awareness of the climate crisis. Read more.
Peut-Être Theatre
Audiomoves
The Audiomoves Podcast opens magical worlds for young audiences and transports them to a wider world of unlimited ‘maybe’. Read more.
Sage Gateshead
Early Years Family Programme
From virtual music-making to their Big Family Gig series, Sage Gateshead has provided families with flexible ways to engage with music. Read more.
Scarabeus Aerial Theatre
Flying Families
A programme of aerial workshops for parents/carers and their children to bond, develop new skills and grow self-confidence in a supportive environment. Read more.
Taking Flight Theatre Company / LAStheatre
The Curious Case of Aberlliw
An app-based hybrid piece offering an engaging and inclusive cultural experience. Read more.
The
Lowry
Creative Families at The Lowry
From doodling to dancing, singing to storytelling, and crafting to creative play, The Lowry have regular workshops and a monthly SEND provision off site. Read more.
Wandsworth Arts Fringe
Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2021
An annual Fringe of free creative family days in public spaces across the borough that encourage intergenerational creative engagement. Read more.
Best Age-Friendly Outreach Shortlist
This category recognises age-friendly activities, events, projects and support for older people.
Age Exchange
Caring Together Service
The Age Exchange Caring Together Services are designed for older people who live with dementia, providing meaningful, sensory activity, music, movement, craft, and reminiscence. Embracing the universal joy of creativity. Read more.
Age UK Oxfordshire
Age Friendly Creative Ambassadors Group
A group of creative older people that influence the cultural sector to be more age friendly, provide peer-to-peer inspiration and raise the profile of creativity in later life wherever possible. Read more.
Artsdepot
Upstanding Citizens
In response to learning from older people how a bad fall can begin the unwinding of health and confidence. Artsdepot created a programme in liaison with the Falls Prevention Team and other partners. Read more.
Bristol Beacon
Our Music Club
A weekly music group for adults with dementia and their supporters, which forms part of Bristol Beacon’s age-friendly offer. The sessions start with a cuppa, then participants have an hour of music-making.
Read more.
Darts
Singing for Memory
Singing for Memory is a weekly group using the power of song, friendship, tea and conversation to connect people with dementia and their carers, with others. The group provides a regular, safe space for people to have fun.
Read more.
Leeds Playhouse
Armley Comedy Club
The Club is part of a three year Comic Relief funded creative outreach project for marginalized older people. Held weekly for older men to make new friends, have a free lunch and have a laugh.
Read more.
National Maritime Museum
Maritime Memories
Reminiscence resources for people living with dementia and their carers. As many British Musuems largely focus on the white British experience, in consultation with Caribbean elders, the All Aboard resources and workshops were also developed, aiming to address these gaps. Read more.
Oxford Playhouse
Tea Talks
A project created to combat social isolation with weekly phone chats on the themes of travel and adventure. The calls encouraged reminiscing, storytelling, companionship, non-digital participation and informal cross-generational conversations. Many of the stories then became part of a radio play. Read more.
The Whitworth / Unity Arts
Whitworth ARTivists
Unity artists worked with the ARTivists group and ran a series of creative workshops which the group then ran with local young people.
The project held an exhibition at The Whitworth to showcase the work produced.
Read more.
Audience Impact & Innovation Award
This award recognises the achievements of creative organisations or cultural event organisers who have demonstrated innovation and adaptability to reach and make a difference to families in need.
Barnsley
Museums
The Kindred Programme
Barnsley Museums Kindred Programme encourages families with complex and multiple needs to view cultural and heritage activity as something they can engage in positively together to raise aspirations, build skills, and improve wellbeing. Read more.
Can’t
Sit Still
Invisible Thread
Invisible Thread co-created activities focused on positively impacting the mental health and wellbeing of over 300 mothers directly and indirectly affected by Covid. All the activities were free and aimed to help keep mothers connected. Read more.
Colchester & Ipswich Museums
Joy at the Jobcentre
This project supported families from lower socio-economic backgrounds and those who were identified as especially vulnerable by Suffolk County Council. Activities included museum object handling, music workshops and more. Read more.
Collar & Cuffs Co
Toddington Village Sensory Trails
The trails provided a year-long programme of free sensory, inclusive, and socially distanced outdoor activities. They encouraged walking for wellbeing, creative engagement with natural spaces, and were intergenerational and accessible for people with complex needs. Read more.
Fabrica
Men Who Make
Men Who Make is a creative provision for this group to make social connections, learn new skills, share knowledge, build confidence, develop tools for self-nurture and improve mental health and wellbeing.
Read more.
Groundswell Arts
Sing Our Story
A bespoke music programme that works with families and professional musicians to co-write and produce a special song for their child based on their interests and personal story. The programme has also been delivered to families with children referred via Young Lives vs Cancer and foster families. Read more.
The Whitworth
Still Parents
The Still Parents exhibition, the first of its kind, opened at The Whitworth in September 2021, creating a platform to share personal stories, open conversations and break the wall of silence that continues to surround baby loss. Read more.
Tourette Scotland
Living With You
Tourette’s is a misunderstood condition, which drives those with it and their families into isolation. Living With You was created to give families living with Tourette’s the chance to tell their stories and see their lives truthfully portrayed. Read more.
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.