Puppet show and bug hunts delight Warsop pupils

The Learning and Aspiration Team at Mansfield Palace Theatre and Mansfield Art Gallery and Museum partnered with Vibrant Warsop CIC to create a memorable and inspiring experience for Year 3 pupils from Sherwood Junior School.

The youngsters walked from their school to the headquarters of Vibrant Warsop at The Vibrant Venue on Portland Street, where they took part in bug and butterfly hunts, planted seeds, and identified different vegetables growing in the community garden and polytunnel. They also got to take home a pot and seeds to grow their own flowers.

Later they watched Tales from the Wheelbarrow, a puppet show by Wayward Objects, a Welbeck-based theatre company that uses recycled materials to create the puppets and bring environmental messages to life. The children contributed by designing flowers for the show's set, and some were invited to join one of the puppets in a litter pick as part of the performance.

In the afternoon, the learning at the school where artists from Wayward Objects led puppet-making workshops, helping the children create characters inspired by animals, and the Learning and Aspiration Team led drama workshops in which pupils had to imagine what animals might say to humans about the importance of protecting nature.

Cllr Stuart Richardson, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Growth, said: “One of the highlights of the day came when a child turned to their teacher and said: ‘That was the best trip I have ever been on’.

“What made this comment even more special was knowing that the experience took place within the child's own community, alongside local residents and artists who live and work in the area. It was a powerful reminder of the impact that meaningful community partnerships can have on young people's lives.”

This project marked the beginning of a new partnership between the theatre and museum and Vibrant Warsop CIC to promote health, wellbeing, learning and creativity.