Creative Shops to bring life to vacant sites across Mid and East Antrim
Big Telly Theatre Company, pioneers of immersive, site-specific theatre production and experts in creative shops, will be returning to Mid and East Antrim as three new Creative Shop Projects will be delivered in the towns of Carrickfergus, Larne and Ballymena.
Mayor Councillor, William McCaughey said: “I am delighted to be welcoming Big Telly Theatre Company to our borough. The company’s expertise in re-generational work and Creative Shop Projects has been bringing arts activities with proven social and economic benefit to Mid and East Antrim for many years with the projects giving people a reason to visit our high streets.
“Funded by Council, Story Cafe, Living Map and Bear Hospital will be led by Big Telly Theatre’s award winning Artistic Director, Zoe Seaton, and will be created by artists and the local community, which is just fantastic.”
Story Café is inspired by the award-winning production of The Worst Cafe (BIAF, 2019). Members of the public can drop in to 33 – 35 High Street, Carrickfergus and order a moment from this menu packed with local ‘dishes’, pieces of history, mystery and suspense, served well-done or rare and all with a side order of craic. There may not be any food on this menu but there is plenty to savour in this fun fuelled feast of comedy, circus and chaos. This interactive experience will run from Tuesday 1 February – Saturday 5 February at the following times: Tues: 2.30pm – 4.30pm | Wed – Sat: 11am – 1pm and 2.30pm – 4.30pm.
This experience is designed for adults and older children over the age of 11. If your family group includes a younger child, we also have a kids menu available.
Living Map will be taking place at 20 Main Street, Larne from Tuesday 8 February to Saturday 12 February at the following times: Tues: 2.30pm – 4.30pm | Wed – Sat: 11am – 1pm and 2.30pm – 4.30pm. It will take you into a giant walk through map of the world where you will discover new territories and tales from other travellers, whilst adding your own pieces to places you have already been too. Over the course of the week, the map will fill up with tales of travel – where people met, what places mean and how ports become portals to other places.
This experience is designed for adults and older children over the age of 11. If your family group includes younger children, you’re also very welcome.
Lastly, for the children, bring your bear along to Bear Hospital at Unit 72, Tower Centre, Wellington Street, Ballymena. Have it whisked away by hospital porters in the AmBEARlance, get it assessed by the BEARiatrics team of doctors and try not to end up in Intensive BEAR! This experience will run from Wednesday 16 February to Saturday 19 February. It is a 20 minute experience and will run at the following times: Wed – Sat: 11am, 11.30am, 12pm, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 3pm, 3.30pm, 4pm. Booking is advisable due to limited capacity. Tickets are free of charge and can be booked here https://buytickets.at/bigtellytheatrecompany. For ages 6+. This is a 20 mins experience.
What Zoe says about Creative Shops: ‘In 2011 someone offered the Company an empty shop on the main street and everything changed. After that instead of making large projects with a two year lead in we started employing actors to ‘make something happen’, and we made work that lasted 5 minutes and pieces which were durational, we were trying to create a space which people would walk past because something might happen.’
