The Glorious Ghibli Workshop for Families, held at the weekend, saw children and their adults explore the grade II listed Theatre Royal, participate in loose parts play and partake in Ghibli-inspired art.
I have three children at home and two of them (ages 16, 11) are huge Ghibli fans.
However, both were busy (have barely seen the 16-year-old all summer) so I took my 8-year-old son with me, who loves Ponyo, but barely remembers any of the other films he has been forced to watch repeatedly by his sisters.
I needn’t have worried about his lack of Ghibli knowledge as the workshop was really great fun for everyone.
Certainly, the diehard fans went to town during the craft activity but there was no need to know every detail.
The session started on the main stage.
Children were encouraged by associate artist Abigail Horn, one of two artists running the workshop, to play with the items dotted around the stage, all of which had loose connections to Studio Ghibli films.
Children could fish in the orchestra pit for Ponyo or create a magical acorn, like in My Neighbour Totoro.
But the loose parts play meant that imaginations ran rife and, while some children stayed close to the theme, others played hockey with the branches, balls were rolled around, earrings were made out of shower hooks.
Peacock feathers were balanced on palms.
After the play time, the children explored the theatre further, climbing up each level “like Totoro’s tree”. The children could see how far up people could sit and wove in and out of previously unseen corridors.
Then, craft time. My son made a Ponyo comic, decorated a balloon and also, for some reason, a fossil out of air dry clay. A fossil with a cocktail umbrella.
Others created little croissants (from Kiki’s bakery) or made a Totoro out of cups and googly eyes. The air dry clay was a hit, with some very talented children making whole scenes.
The highlight of the workshop was when the children got to test their Studio Ghibli airships by running them down a string from the royal circle to the stalls.
The session lasted around two hours and the time flew by. My son said that he loved it, particularly exploring the theatre.
Look out for more workshops at the Theatre Royal as this was great fun for all.
