Culture Guides
Destination Guides
The best music, theatre, dance and other creative shenanigans to do and book now.
Here are our picks
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1. Pi: Your Amazing Ears at the Museum of Science and Industry
Science Museum Group Pi: Your Amazing Ears at Museum of Science and Industry, Castlefield, 28 April 2018, free entry - Find Out More
Ear wax, giant cochlea and ossicles, sign language and singing – it’s all about the science of our ears this Saturday.
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2. Art, Games and Play: Don Pavey and other Collections at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Art, Games and Play: Don Pavey and other Collections at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 24 March–2 September 2018, free entry - Visit now
Visit this exhibition celebrating the close relationship between art, games and play then let loose in YSP’s incredible parkland.
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3. Swallows and Amazons at Storyhouse and Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre
Swallows and Amazons at Storyhouse, Chester, 26 May–26 August 2018, from £19.50 - Book now
Experience the stage revival of this tale of outdoor summer childhood adventures in the magnificently redeveloped art deco Storyhouse building or in Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre.
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4. My First Ballet: Swan Lake at Blackpool Grand
ASH My First Ballet: Swan Lake at Blackpool Grand Theatre, Blackpool, 5–6 May 2018, from £13.00 - Book now
You would be hard pushed to find a more magical introduction to ballet. A special version of one of the most famous ballets in one of the most beautiful theatres in the UK.
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5. The National Festival of Making 2018
Karen Mathison The National Festival of Making 2018 at Blackburn Town Hall, Blackburn, 12–13 May 2018, free entry - Find Out More
Head to the National Festival of Making in Blackburn to unlock your hidden talents and discover your untapped creative potential.
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6. Seek, Find, Speak; A Conjuring Told in Gold at Timber Festival
Courtesy Jackie Morris -
7. Just So Festival 2018 at Rode Hall Estate, Cheshire
Pillow Fight at Just So Fesival courtesy of Chris Payne Just So Festival at Rode Hall, Cheshire, 17–19 August 2018, from £20 - Book now
The best family festival in the UK? We think so. Adventure together into a wonderland of the best outdoor theatre, music, comedy, literature and other curious creative escapades. With midnight feasts, pillow fights and the bonkers Tribal Tournament be sure to snap up a ticket fast.
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8. RNCM Young Company and The Circus House present Letters at the RNCM Theatre
RNCM RNCM Young Company and The Circus House present Letters at Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), Manchester, 25–26 May 2018, from £10 - Find Out More
RNCM Young Company combines with The Circus House to present Letters – a new work featuring music, dance and acrobatics, which examines the shared experiences of Mancunians and Parisians over the past century.
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9. Soyuz TMA-19M: Tim Peake’s Spacecraft at the Museum of Science and Industry
Dan Prince courtesy Science Museum Group Soyuz TMA-19M: Tim Peake’s Spacecraft at Museum of Science and Industry, Castlefield, 10 March–13 May 2018, free entry - Visit now
Be among the first to see the Soyuz capsule that brought Tim Peake back to earth alongside his historic Space Suit as the Museum of Science and Industry becomes Mission Control this spring.
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10. Lark Hill Place 1918 at Salford Museum and Art Gallery
Salford Museum Lark Hill Place 1918 at Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Manchester, 6 February–31 December 2018, free entry - Visit now
Investigate the brand new 1918 setting for atmospheric street installation Lark Hill Place, then let loose in Peel Park.
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More in Families
Roll Up, Roll Up at Just So Festival
Celebrating 250 years since the first circus in the world was formed by local lad Philip Astley this new lakeside area celebrates the circus and seaside. Daring high wire walks, a Custard Catwalk and curious characters galore.
Leeds International Festival 2018
Leeds International Festival, the UK’s leading metropolitan festival of new ideas and innovation, is back for its second year, this time featuring more than 50 events and 40 speakers over 15 days.
Digital Natives at 34 Boar Lane, Leeds
Part of Leeds International Festival 2018, Digital Natives is a unique exploration into the way in which indigenous communities in north east Brazil have been using digital technology to fight prejudice, lobby for rights, increase cultural visibility and provide a means of creative expression.
Sarah & Duck’s Big Top Birthday at Waterside
The enchanting world of Sarah and Duck is brought to life in a brand-new stage show, featuring the wonderful characters from the BAFTA award-winning CBeebies show.
Geronimo Festival at Arley Hall
With everything from Cbeebies superstars to BMX stunt shows, Geronimo Festival 2018 at the stunning Arley Hall is a sure hit for the whole family.
The Good Life Experience 2018 at Hawarden Estate
Exclusive 10% discount for Creative Tourist readers. Co-founded by Cerys Matthews, The Good Life Experience returns for its fifth outing, in the shadows of two castles on the Hawarden Estate in Flintshire. The festival features music from the likes of Gwenno, Bill Ryder-Jones and Norman Jay, as well as campfire cooking, spoken word, a 1930s fairground and dozens of activities for all ages.
The Jungle Book at Blackpool Grand
Head to the coast for a fresh and fun new Jungle Book for our times which celebrates diversity and the adventure of growing up.
Paint Your Wagon at Liverpool Everyman
Join Liverpool’s Everyman Company for their musical revival of Paint Your Wagon – it’ll be a sensational foot-tapping hoedown.
Lakes Ignite 2018, The Lake District National Park
A giant, fluorescent pink and orange striped inflatable, a shoal of Ice Age fish, and a VR encounter with the depths of the earth; six contemporary artists explore the less commonly-observed wonders of the Lake District.
Culture Guides
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