Birthday Party: Schedule

Daytime Programme

School workshops

• 11am to 4pm
• Rotherham Minster / All Saints Square

During the daytime, local schools will gather at Rotherham Minster for a special choir workshop before heading to All Saints Square to meet The Baby, a breathtaking 30ft puppet representing the 13 babies that are born on average each day at Rotherham Maternity Services.

School children will present handmade birthday cards, sing to The Baby and enjoy a lively performance of the theatre show the Queen of Hearts as The Baby’s toys burst into life through the magic of puppetry and theatre performance.

If you have questions about the baby sculture, check out our FAQs

Minster Exhibition

• 11am to 6.45pm
• Rotherham Minster

Throughout the day, Rotherham Minster will host exhibitions celebrating the borough’s transformative Children’s Capital of Culture year. Work by land artist James Brunt, created with children across the borough using natural materials, will be displayed alongside poetry inspired by the artworks.

An original soundtrack by musician Caro C, developed with pupils from St Ann’s Junior and Infant School, will fill the Minster with the hopes, dreams and birthday wishes of Rotherham’s young people.

Lunchtime concert

• 12:00pm to 12:30pm
• The Stage - College Street

Join us at the stage for a family-friendly lunchtime concert with Rotherham Music and talented young musicians from across the borough.

Evening Programme

Fire Garden

• 6pm to 9:00pm
• Minster Yard

Get ready for a dramatic Fire Garden installation, featuring flaming sculptures, burning bushes, giant lotus flowers and extraordinary fire-powered kinetic artworks including The Fire Bird and Bubbles of Love.

Minster Exhibition

• 6pm to 6.45pm
• Rotherham Minster

Missed our Minster exhibition during the daytime? Our brand-new exhibition will be open until 6.45pm in the evening with additional workshops, face painting, and an exciting stage act!

Explore work by land artist James Brunt, co-created with children across the borough displayed alongside poetry inspired by the artworks. An original soundtrack by musician Caro C, developed with pupils from St Ann’s Junior and Infant School, will fill the Minster with the hopes, dreams and birthday wishes of Rotherham’s young people.

Walkabouts

• 6.45pm to 7.15pm
• Rotherham Town Centre

Keep your eyes peeled as a cast of lively walkabouts roam the town centre! From a pair of bouncy kangaroos, to one giant (and very slow) tortoise, to sheep with a pram full of lambs and more, our playful walkabouts will animate the heart of Rotherham.

Flowers and Friendship Bracelets

• 6pm
• The Stage - College Street

Sing along to Flowers and Friendship Bracelets, the ultimate pop concert with hits from superstars Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Sabrina Carpenter & Chappell Roan.

OneDa Performance

• 7pm to 7.20pm
• The Stage - College Street

Building up to our grand Birthday Party show, head to the stage for an incredible performance by internationally acclaimed rapper OneDa. OneDa will be debuting a brand-new anthem about Rotherham, co-written with local young people, who will perform alongside her.

The Birthday Party

• 7.30pm to 7.55pm
• All Saints Square

The main show begins in All Saints Square from 7.30pm onwards! The Birthday Party has been created by artistic directors Walk the Plank, a multisensory show that centres on a fantastical bedtime tale, ‘Dreaming Up A Story’, journeying through a magical version of Rotherham.

Featuring large scale puppetry, it has been written by young people working with Grimm & Co and conceived by creative director Bev Ayre and Richard Babington. Accompanied by original music by Patrick Dineen with projections from Illuminos and pyrotechnic effects from Peter Finnegan.

Ozymandias

• 8.00pm to 8.20pm
• The Stage - College Street

Get ready for live music from alternative rock band Ozymandias, bringing the show to a dramatic close!

Sheffield MC KDOT

• 8.30pm to 9pm
• The Stage - College Street

Get ready for live music from Sheffield-based grime and bassline MC KDOT, bringing the show to a dramatic close!