Rams Captain is new Family Arts Patron
Thu 9 Oct 2014
Here at Derby LIVE we like to ensure that our programme provides something for everyone and that includes 100% family friendly events suitable for all members of your brood to enjoy! We've teamed up with and become part of the Family Arts Festival and have two shows that are both part of the festival taking place within October - Flutter and Fly and Curious Creatures.
We're pleased to be able to announced that Derby County captain Shaun Barker has become Patron of this year’s Derby Family Arts Festival. We've worked with partners Sinfonia Viva, Déda, Derby Theatre, Derby Museums and Quad to compile a packed programme over the half term period (with events taking place between Sat 18 Oct - Sat 1 Nov)
Shaun Barker was invited to be the Patron of the festival in Derby in recognition of his support for the arts and community in the city, he said:
“The place that the arts can play at the heart of families is really important to me. Having fun, using your imagination and sharing a cultural experience can unite generations and bring communities together. I am delighted to be Derby’s patron for the 2014 Family Arts Festival and really looking forward to enjoying the many great family events taking place across the city later this month.”
Other organisations in Derby are also winning national acclaim for their ambassador scheme, by recruiting ambassador families from a range of local communities and backgrounds including inner city areas and families who have children with a disability. The families will be invited to various performances during the fortnight and will feedback their views on how events and venues can be made more appealing to families.
Sinfonia Viva Chief Executive Peter Helps is a member of the project board for the national Family Arts Festival, representing the Association of British Orchestras.
He said: “We are delighted to have Shaun Barker on board as Patron for the Derby Festival.
“Derby is renowned for working together and developing arts and culture in its widest sense – from sport and outdoor activities to music, dance, film and theatre.
“The Family Ambassador Scheme in Derby is creating a lot of interest nationally in recognition that we are all working together to break down any barriers that families face in participating in the city’s thriving arts and culture scene.
“The kind of areas that we will be looking at with the ambassadors includes transport issues, break out areas in a concert environment for children and the information that they need before and during a performance.
“Events are taking place across Derby and indeed the whole of the UK throughout October and early November as part of the Family Arts Festival and we will be sharing our work with other areas to help them follow our lead.”
National Family Arts Campaign Manager Mari O’Neill added: “Derby’s Family Ambassador Scheme is a leading example of organisations working together as a Family Arts Network, enabling them to achieve more than they can working alone.
“Encouraging more families to experience high quality arts activities is at the core of the Family Arts Campaign’s aims, and we’re really excited to see and share the learning from the Family Ambassador Scheme with organisations across the UK.”
For more information on all the Derby Family Arts Festival programme, please visit www.familyartsfestival.com/derby