A theatre project made possible thanks to National Lottery funding is to be showcased first at Mansfield Library.
Nottinghamshire County Council has received £82,477 — through Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts Libraries Fund — to develop the Children’s Pop Up Theatre Project for children aged five to nine, and their families.

The project included the commission of a new play tailored for library settings, a programme of performances of existing theatre productions based on children’s stories, and a series of theatre craft workshops that will provide opportunities for family members to produce their own artistic product.

The first of the productions is a play by Stewart Melton based on award-winning book A Boy And A Bear In A Boat, by Dave Shelton.

The play has been commissioned by The Spark Arts for Children on behalf of the council.

The Spark, a charity that offers children the opportunity to discover and enjoy the arts as audiences, as learners and as creators of their own art, will produce the new play and programme the theatre productions and workshops.

The play will debut at Mansfield Library on 25th July and tour libraries during the summer, including Kirkby, Mansfield Woodhouse and Sutton.

Coun John Knight, committee chairman for culture, said: “For some children this will be their first cultural experience, which must be excellent, enjoyable and memorable.

“We are particularly excited about Stewart Melton’s production. This is the first time the Library Service has commissioned a new play.

“It is an exciting, ambitious piece of family theatre bespoke for our library settings.”