Take Flight: Ria Ashcroft tells us about her circus theatre show for 0-2 year olds which comes to Lakeside Arts this weekend...

When my kids were little, I took them to a few baby classes here and there. I bounced them half-heartedly up and down on my knee at the local library. I drank bad coffee whilst playing with wooden instruments at the methodist church. But the day I sat on a cold wooden floor at the community centre, as my youngest burst into tears as he was enveloped by yet another giant primary-coloured parachute, I made a decision once and for all. 

No. More. Baby groups. My kids were just not getting enough out of them to equal the number of miserable hours I was putting in. Now local theatre group Rebel Sparks are changing the game. And, all of a sudden, I wish my kids were babies again. 

I sat down with Rebel Sparks co-artistic director Ria Ashcroft to talk about forging a new frontier for babies and their grown-ups...

Hi Ria, tell us about your new show Take Flight…
Take Flight is an original, early years aerial theatre show for 0-2 year olds and their grown-ups. The story follows a mother and baby bird as the baby grows and explores, navigating making friends, overcoming challenges and eventually supporting them to leave the nest and take flight.

It’s multi-sensory and interactive, designed to ignite the imagination and curiosity of the babies but with a clear narrative for the grown-ups, too. 

Why an aerial show for babies?!
I’m an aerialist, so it was the first thing I wanted to get back to after having my daughter (I’m not a gym bunny!) I’d take my daughter along to my sessions and she was absolutely mesmerised by the lights, shadows, and the shapes of the aerialists dancing above her. It was like a giant human mobile! I wanted to share that wonder with other babies, so that sparked the initial idea.

I’m also really passionate about contemporary circus – the silliness, movement, expression. And that seemed to reflect the absurdity of motherhood and early parenthood. Bringing those two art forms together felt like a really good way to bring a unique show to life. 

What can babies and their grown-ups expect from the show? 
A bit of everything! The story itself really gets to the heart of what it means to be a carer and their baby, the day-to-day ups and downs of hunger, sleep, play, love and growing up. And it’s brought to life through live music and instruments, clowning-style performance on the floor and in the silks, and lots of interactive moments with props and the performers themselves. 

The show captures the chaotic mayhem of the madness and beauty early parenthood. At times it can be lonely being a new parent, it can feel overwhelming. We wanted the show to feel like a warm hug, a sanctuary for the babies and grown-ups to create a moment of calm, comedy, silliness and bonding.

How do you see babies and their grown-ups responding? Has anything about the way they've interacted with it surprised you?
We’ve rehearsed in front of newborns all the way to toddlers, and we’ve seen every reaction, from nodding off to slightly suspicious curiosity to howling with laughter. I never get tired of seeing the different ways they all respond, it’s fascinating!

I’m also always amazed by how much the children enjoy joining in, and how much wonder they have in experiencing something totally new. And I love seeing the grown-ups playing with their babies, seeing them discovering new things together. There’s always a look in the grown-ups faces that every parent recognizes, that all-consuming mix of love, pride, and contentment that come from these quiet, happy moments.  

Theatre is a notoriously non-baby-friendly place! How have you overcome this? 
It’s really important to create a space where babies can express themselves, so everyone can fully relax. Everyone sits around the performance space on cushions – no sitting in lines on rigid theatre chairs – and we have props to keep busy fingers (and mouths!) busy. 

The performers interact with the babies and are well prepared for all responses! No one is going to shush you, ask you to feed outside, or give you a side eye if your baby cries. It’s a non-judgemental space where you can just be with other like-minded families and relax.       

Then there’s a play session afterwards so any fidgety babies, or aspiring clowns and aerialists can come into the performance space and safely join in. 

Take Flight has been a while in the making. Tell us about the research, development and testing journey. 
We worked with developmental psychologist Dr Valentina Sclafani from Lincoln University to make sure the content is positive for the babies neurological and motor skill development, and to encourage a strong connection and bond between babies and their grown-ups. There were lots of things that I knew intuitively made sense, but it was important to have Valentina’s academic input to develop my understanding of why different types of play are so important and what’s happening cognitively. So that research and development took time. 

We also did a test tour a couple of years ago when we had hoped to launch, but getting the arts council funding was a real challenge. We applied four times! It is really tough out there right now for small theatre companies. We’ve been going for over fifteen years and this is the hardest it’s ever been.

Take Flight is for babies and their grown-ups, your last show Aidy the Awesome focused on a girl and her grandmother. Why is female-focused and family storytelling so important to you?
When Hannah and I set up Rebel Sparks (originally The Gramophones) many years ago, it was with that long-standing myth that ‘women can’t be funny’ in mind. We wanted to show women breaking the rules, being funny, creative. Being the full, messy humans that we are. 

And when we became mothers, we realised there was even more to us. “We contain multitudes.” And yet our stories aren’t always told. We wanted to take other women on that journey of discovery, share their stories, and encourage them to enter spaces they usually wouldn’t.  

The Take Flight tour begins at Lakeside Arts 9-10 May. Buy tickets here.

Rebel Sparks