14.06.2010
14 June 2010
The Red Queen, Snarks and Mad Hatters all to make appearance at Oxford's Alice's Day, Saturday 10 July 2010: full programme details now online
A surreal Snark Hunt in Oxford University’s Botanic Gardens, a children’s tea party in Christ Church Cathedral, and a Jabberwocky celebration are just a few of the new events planned for this year’s Alice’s Day in Oxford on Saturday July 10.
The full programme is now available online at www.storymuseum.org/alice and also features some new locations: families can see the Red Queen and playing-card sentries perform in Oxford Castle’s Market Square, and Wonderland Illusions at Science Oxford.
Back by popular demand is theatre performance group Curious Company who will be popping up in all over town – if you don’t manage to spot them they will be reenacting the Mad Hatter’s tea party in cabaret style on the front lawn amongst artist Angela Palmer’s Ghost Forest – a series of giant rainforest tree stumps on the front lawn of the Museum of Natural History.
The Story Museum’s Esther Browning, who is coordinating Alice’s Day said: “With more than 15 historic and popular venues across Oxford city centre, this year’s Day has plenty to interest and entertain families of all ages. We’ve introduced more events for adults, from talks on the Dodo to a river pilgrimage walk.”
Adults will be especially interested in an exhibition of Salvador Dali's illustrations of Alice's adventures at The Bodleian Library and a specially adapted performance of The Real Alice by Nick Mellersh about the life of Alice Liddell. The city also welcomes Kristian Scheiblecker from Sweden to perform his new musical interpretations of Lewis Carroll's poetry at the Church of St Michael at the Northgate.
Families are invited to come in fancy dress and bring a picnic. Most events are free.
The following is a summary of the main events. For more information on each event visit the Story Museum website where you will also be able to download a map and timetable before the event. All information is correct at time of going to press.
University of Oxford venues:
Ashmolean Museum
Fun things to discover, make and do inspired by Alice.
Bodleian Library
Salvador Dali’s illustrations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, plus a selection of the earliest editions of Alice. Spot the Curious Company’s Alice and the White Rabbit
Botanic Gardens
Family activities, games and entertainment, including The Hunting of the Snark: a huge surreal game of hide and seek by the Mad Dogs Theatre Company, an amazing adventure where anything can and will happen...Bring a picnic and enjoy the garden where Lewis Carroll used to meet the Liddell family.
Christ Church
Visit the college where Lewis Carroll lived and worked and the Dining Hall, with its many Alice associations, plus a rare opportunity to take part in a mad hatter's tea party in the cathedral (£12 for an adult and a child; £6 for each additional child).
Museum of History of Science
Children’s drop-in trail, best suited for those aged 5 and up.
Lewis Carroll was an excellent photographer at a time when few people had cameras. His photographic chemical box, with his initials “C. L. D.” on the lid, is on display
Museum of Natural History
See the remains of the Dodo, enjoy family activities including The 30-minute Alice from Story Museum storyteller Adam Guillain, a cabaret-style Mad Hatter’s tea party from Curious Company on the front lawn amongst the Ghost Forest.
The Real Alice by Nick Mellersh, a performance about the life of Alice Liddell. This has been specially adapted for Alice's day from a script written for and first performed at the Lyndhurst Alice festival.
Other venues
Alice Shop
Visit Alice Liddell’s favourite sweetshop, the ‘old sheep shop’ in the story, and collect a free bookmark.
Binsey Church
Visit the famous treacle well in the churchyard.
Blackwell Bookshop
Jabberwocky Celebration. Recite, draw, and act out The Jabberwocky and enter the Jabberwocky competition! Juggling, a unicyclist, fancy dress, live music, and activities for children and adults. Contemporary Alice art in the coffee shop by Tigz Rice.
Curiouser and curiouser
Oxford Playhouse offers three workshops across the city (at Blackwell Bookshop and the Museum of Oxford), crammed with games and exercises to get 7-10 year olds exploring and having a barrel of fun. Sign them up to spend a magical hour following in Alice's footsteps as they take a tumble down the rabbit hole and discover their very own wonderland. (£5 per child)
Central Library
Drop in Wonderland storytime session and craft activity.
Museum of Oxford
Wonderland Imagined: a hands-on interactive exhibition. Make an Alice character hat or mask, follow the rabbit down the rabbit hole on a trail around the galleries, or even make your own Alice puppet show!
Alice in Waterland: a free guided walk by local historian Mark Davies around Christ Church Meadow starting from the Museum of Oxford.
Storytelling: The 30-minute Alice by Adam Guillain.
Oxford Castle
Physical comedy from Curious Company: The Red Queen and her playing-card soldiers in the Market Square.
Science Oxford
Wonderland Illusions: come down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass....
St. Michael at the Northgate
Oxford welcomes Kristian Scheiblecker from Sweden to perform his new musical interpretations of Lewis Carroll's poetry.
The Perch Inn, Binsey
Complimentary Victorian strawberry lemonade and spot the Alice memorabilia in the Wonderland garden.
Ends
Note to editors: Please contact Cath Nightingale 07798 665629 cat@studionightingale.com or Esther Browning 01855 821090 for more information, interviews and photo opportunities. For existing pictures please visit http://www.storymuseum.org.uk/the-story-museum/familyevents/alice/alice-gallery
Alice’s Day and The Story Museum
This is the third Alice’s Day held in Oxford, the home of Lewis Carroll and the real Alice: Alice Liddell. Alice’s Day celebrates the first telling of Alice's adventures, a turning point for children and children’s literature.
