Get ready for a season of family fun and creativity. We have a fantastic lineup of events to engage and inspire our younger audiences. From interactive workshops to captivating performances, join us, discover something new and create some memories. It’s all free, book your places now as capacities are limited. We’ve picked out some highlights for family audiences below.
The Sticky Dance
by Second Hand Dance
Sat 1 Mar | 10am–12pm*, 2pm & 3.15pm**
Crawley College
Explore this tactile, interactive dance performance, where the rules are turned upside down. If you like to stick things, and most children do, this is the show for you.
There are two versions of the show. The morning show begins at 10am and lasts until midday. You can book an entry time (slots available every 15 minutes) and stay for as long as you’d like. We recommend . The afternoon shows last 60 minutes and have been adapted to be more suitable for a neurodivergent audience.
*For neurotypical children aged 3-5
**For neurodivergent children aged 3-7
Super Normal, Extra Natural
by Requardt & Rosenberg
Fri 28 Mar, 5pm | Sat 29 & Sun 30 Mar, 1pm & 3pm
County Mall
Suitable for all ages
Experience County Mall from a new perspective as seemingly normal day at the shopping centre begins to merges with a surreal world. Dancers and singers will be joined by Crawley locals as the audience listens in on headphones. Watch the trailer for a taste of the incredible music in the show.
Requardt & Rosenberg are returning to Crawley after bringing Future Cargo to Memorial Gardens in May 2022.
Play Interact Explore
by Leap Then Look
Sat 29 Mar–Sun 6 Apr | 11am-5pm
County Mall
Suitable for all ages
Everything in this exhibition is interactive, this is art you can play with. You’re invited to create sculptures, take photographs, get in front of the projection, rock, roll and stack things. Come along and explore all the possibilities.
Sat 10 May
County Mall
Settle in for a day celebrating the creativity of Japan. From 10am until 6pm, watch some of the most magical and exciting anime films on the big screen, in a free anime movie marathon. Stay for one movie or dip in and out throughout the day.
At 11.30am and 2.30pm professional manga creator Chie Kutsuwada will be leading workshops on how to create your own manga character. Suitable for ages 5+, a must for any manga fans.
Closer To My Dreams
by Chad Taylor
Sat 7 Jun, 12pm & 2.30pm
Charis Centre
Ages 8+
Weaving together poetry, rap and hip hop choreography, Closer to my Dreams is a playful, heartfelt take on family and friendship as two young, Black brothers from inner-city Hulme pursue their artistic dreams.
Explore our full programme here.
The Creative Village is a partnership between Creative Crawley, Theatre Centre and AudioActive to develop and support creative industries and infrastructure in Crawley, West Sussex and Surrey. Funded by Arts Council England, Crawley Borough Council, Sussex Community Foundation and London Gatwick.
Creative Playground is a Creative People & Places proramme funded by Arts Council England.
The Sticky Dance and Super Normal Extra Natural are part of DaM Fest, Crawley’s Festival of Dance and Movement 2025 running across March and April 2025, powered by our friends at DanceHub CIC.
