Annual Children’s Festival
The 2012 Children’s Festival took place on Saturday 21st January. This is an annual event, which is an important aspect of the cathedral’s mission work to parish groups in the diocese, and an opportunity for small Sunday Schools to be part of a bigger event in their mother church.
The Festival is organised each year by the Cathedral Education Officer, Miranda Young, Diocesan Children’s Advisor Jane Tibbs, and Deanery Youth Worker Angela Fraser.
The 2012 event welcomed over 350 participants from 22 groups.
During the day the participants experienced six workshops of contrasting activities:
- Drama, led by David Pollendine from London Christian theatre company SceneChange explored the Olympic values of Respect, Friendship and Excellence
- Reflection, led by Jane Simmonds, made a paper chain of the Olympic colours, each of the 5 rings representing an aspect of Christian life
- Crafts, making medals, and flame coloured flags
- Flag dancing – using the flags made in the previous workshop to a choreographed song, which was reprised in the closing service
- Games – in the cathedral Nave traditional playground games like hopscotch; parachute games, and an inflatable assault course and ‘Bungee Run’ !
- Face-Painting, badge-making and Play-dough
Participants were guided round by cathedral stewards.
The opening and closing services had a flavour of the ceremonies of the Olympics; there was a procession of banners, the Chancellor lit the Festival flame, and extinguished it at the end of this year’s festival.
If your group missed out on this event, send an email to education@wellscathedral.uk.net to ensure that you are on the mailing list for next year.
