Its Play Time in the Ouseburn Valley, Sunday 23rd June

Sunday 23rd June 10-5pm Ouseburn Vallery, part of the Festival of the North East, Toffee Factory, Seven Stories and 36 Lime Street take part in the celebratory events, with a visit from Its Play Time!

The doors are open

It’s Playtime is an interactive family activity that takes place aboard a double-decker bus. It is an activity for children, young people, adults and families. The story of the event is that the International Ministry of Play have come to the North East to run a region-wide play survey. On the bottom deck Ministers of Play encourage visitors to add their memories of play to the ‘North East Map of Play’. Every 20 minutes a Minister of Play will take up to 36 people onto the top deck for a ‘play health check’. This takes the form of a series of play challenges – from I-Spy to Hoopla to inventing a dance routine. The play health check lasts approximately 15 minutes. Outside the bus, at 2 points in the day (provisionally 11am and 3pm) the Ministers of Play lead a group game (for example, Grandmother’s footsteps or musical statues). The bus will close for 30 minutes at lunch time (provisionally 12.30-1pm). It’s Playtime is a project run by Unfolding Theatre for Festival of the North East.

Setting up in the gallery @36 Lime street

Setting up in 36 Lime street the exhibition presents work by Stevie Ronnie with the chance to write a secret letter to the Angel of the North with Susannah Pickering as part of the Dear Angel project.

Stevie Ronnie

Jim Edwards

Also on display is work by Jim Edwards who will be in the gallery working on his paintings recording the iconic Ouseburn Bridges while Fiona Gray displays a series of boat clocks. Fiona will be in the gallery 12-5pm Sunday demonstrating collaged clocks.