Just bring your imagination…what children and young people think about Travelling Light’s work

Published on 4 June 2024.

During our 40^th year, we’ve been taking time to imagine new possibilities and plans for the future.

This thinking has been grounded in our conversations with children, young people, families and our wider community.

As a children's charity, we aim to ensure that children and young people's voices are at the heart of our work.

Over the last year we’ve been asking children and young people, families, as well as schools, artists and community groups, to help us shape our future plans.

Speaking with children, young people, families, artists, schools and community partners

Our busy programme of activities provided an ideal opportunity to speak to children, young people and families as well as our wider community of schools, artists and community partners.

Throughout the summer and autumn our wonderful evaluator Dr Elaine Faull visited our youth theatre groups, our holiday clubs, our school projects, our touring productions, and spoke to people who have experienced Travelling Light’s work - over half of those were children and young people. She asked questions about what’s special about Travelling Light, what people value about our work, about our impact, and understanding how our work can continue to respond to need.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before. That was amazing”.
(year 1 child who had not seen any theatre previously, after seeing When the Birds Sang)

What people told us

Children and young people told us in their own words about how taking part in Travelling Light’s activities has developed their self-expression, creativity, and confidence, providing safe spaces for them to be themselves.

This was especially the case with young people taking part in our Louder Than Words group for young people with additional needs, and many told us this is a unique group in Bristol.

“This is the first club I have ever felt I fitted in”- Participant, Louder than Words
 
Schools told us about the impact of our long-term work on their teachers and pupils, how it had helped their speech and language and engagement with learning, that a visiting Travelling Light show was the first experience of theatre for so many, and how the storytelling had captured imaginations.
 
Community groups told us about how we not only reached families facing barriers to accessing the arts but how “bringing the joy” was just as valuable as many of the other essential services offered in the Barton Hill area. Local families told us that holiday activities met an important need, and the lack of any other activities for creative play in the school holidays.

“We live in a high-rise block of flats and we don’t have any garden. If St Luke’s and Travelling Light weren’t running this holiday club, he wouldn’t have space to run and play. He gets to be a child, he has freedom to be himself, it’s what every child needs." Parent

Reflections

Reflections on what was special about the company included: producing high quality theatre with imaginative and emotional storytelling, providing children’s first experiences of theatre, creative safe spaces for children to explore their imaginations and develop their creativity, actively engaging children who would not be able to experience theatre as participants and audiences, taking work into schools and providing a unique local offer for children and families in the Barton Hill area of Bristol.

“It’s amazing and makes me feel great! I come to Travelling Light because I feel free when I act!" 7-10s youth theatre

Many people reflected on Travelling Light’s values, with themes including a commitment to social justice, commitment to children and young people and placing them at the heart of our work, commitment to care and the ethical approach of the company when working with others. Artists spoke about the role Travelling Light had in developing their practice.

Some of the findings confirmed what we already knew, and some were more surprising.

They allowed us to re-affirm our values - the foundations of our work, as well as challenging our practice and informing future plans.

Working with these findings has helped us ensure that the voices of children, young people and our communities are at the heart of our plans.

Our direction of travel

In our next blog we look to the future and share our direction of travel - read it here.