Children are taking over The Spark Festival, transforming your favourite cultural venues with fun, free activities for all the family!

Working with inspiring artists, children from four Leicester schools have let their imaginations run riot and are taking over here at Curve, as well as at Phoenix and Leicester Museum & Art Gallery on Saturday 18 February.

Join us from 11am – 3pm to explore a variety of free activities and performances across our Foyer, all curated by the students. Check out the full schedule for the day below.

You can also find out what to expect from the day in our Visual Story, which features show information about Palaver Party. Click here to view or download.

Make your own Musical Instruments | Studio Theatre
Come and make your own sustainable musical instrument using a range of recycled and craft materials.

Make your own Puppets | Foyer Seating Area
Take a seat and learn how to make your own puppet using only coloured card!

Musical Moments with Gemma Fuller & Marcus Joseph | Across the Foyer
Following her appearance at last year’s Takeover Day, trumpeter Gemma Fuller returns to Curve for more fantastic pop-up performances throughout the day. She’ll be joined by saxophonist Marcus Joseph, last seen at Curve as part of our Black History Month 2022 events, to add a brass soundtrack to your day!

Bamboozle: Meet the Firebird | Across the Foyer
Once you’ve made your own puppet look out for Curve Associate Company Bamboozle, as they will be showcasing puppetry on a giant scale as they fly their enchanting Firebird around our Foyer at moments throughout the day.

Comment Corner | Alcove 3
Got something to say about our Takeover Day? Share your thoughts at Comment Corner between 11am – 12noon and 2.30pm – 3pm, and they might be featured in Spark’s festival evaluation podcast!

Selfie Station | Alcove 4
Dress up and strike your best pose at our Selfie Station opposite the Box Office!

Schools Gallery | Foyer Windows
Check out fantastic artwork by students from schools across the city in this pop-up gallery space.

Pledge Bunting | Foyer Windows
Share the causes close to your heart by attaching your own activism pledge pennant to our growing string of bunting.

Sit-In-Kitch-en | Green Room Café
Time for a break! Enjoy a range of hot and cold drinks, snacks and combo deals at our cafe, specially curated for the day by the schools behind the day.

Short Films: Celebrating Spark Festival and Venta Centre | Foyer Digital Screens
Watch two special short films on our digital screens. Celebrating Spark Festival marks 20 years of this annual event and other work The Spark Arts do throughout the year. Venta Centre features young people from a local primary school who have been working with local artists Ty’rone Haughton to create spoken word pieces about the things that matter to them. These films are presented with open captioning.