For ages 13+ | An opportunity to explore Children’s Writers and Illustrators for Stories and Literacy’s (CWISL) stunning Gallery @ Half Moon exhibition, Picture a Story, in the company of some of the UK’s much-loved and award-winning authors and illustrators, many of whose work is on display.

The event includes an industry panel event which will be particularly relevant for anyone interested in breaking into the children’s book illustration market.

For ages 3+ | with author Gareth P Jones and illustrator Loretta Schauer

A fantastical musical journey through the hilariously re-imagined fairy tales of Gareth P Jones and Loretta Schauer, including songs from Rabunzel: The Musical – a unique performance featuring live drawing, rapping and interactive songs played on a variety of instruments.

For ages 5+ | with author Alice Hemming

A hands-on creative opportunity to design your own book cover! Be inspired as you listen to bestselling author Alice Hemming read from her book The Thirteenth Vampire. Enter a world of vampires, scary creatures and creepy-crawly spiders.

For ages 4+ | with author-illustrator Bridget Marzo

Join award-winning author-illustrator Bridget Marzo for The Big Improvised Draw as she reads and draws live on stage some of the many human and animal characters in her books, This unique, interactive event culminates in an improvised draw where you, the audience, can share what you think the new characters might do.

For ages 7+ | with artist Anne-Marie Perks

Discover how to use clay to create small 3D characters with artist Anne-Marie Perks. Start to create the building blocks of your own animation in this interactive workshop where you’ll have the opportunity to sculpt your own characters using different materials.

For ages 2+ | with author-illustrator Nicholas Allan

The best-selling picture book Father Christmas Needs a Wee is brought to life by author-illustrator Nicholas Allan as he draws and tells this famous bearded man’s story on Christmas Eve.

For ages 4+ | with author Margaret Bateson-Hill

A paper-craft adventure! Listen to Margaret Bateson-Hill tell the story of Lao Lao of Dragon Mountain, inspired by the Chinese art of paper cutting. Start by learning how to make a simple geometric shape and then become more adventurous with your own unique snowflake, butterfly, flower or dragon mask.

All ages | Children, parents and author-illustrators come together to create a huge drawing laid out on a giant piece of paper on the theatre floor. Using the gallery exhibition Picture a Story as inspiration, this is the perfect opportunity to get creative and help create a huge communal work of art.

For ages 3-7 | End the day with a relaxing big-screen cinema event in the theatre. Chill out and watch a digital performance of Half Moon’s hugely popular show Party and let the warmth of a Portuguese summer take you to a place where difference is something to celebrate.

Fo ages 3+ | Join Little Bear and Dad Bear as they learn how there are many ways to communicate love and to find your place in the world. A retelling of a story by Raymond Antrobus and Polly Dunbar, Can Bears Ski? Draws on the author’s experience as a d/Deaf child in a hearing world.

This show is British Sign Language (BSL) integrated.

For ages 3-8 | One performer and a flock of shadow puppets tell an engaging and heart-warming story about friendship, laughter and flying the nest.

For ages 3+ | Join Gertie on her adventures through the Himalaya in this beautiful adaptation of the award-winning children’s book. With beautiful puppets, catchy tunes and an uplifting tale of self-acceptance.

For ages 5+ | Noise can be gentle, quiet, loud, lots of fun and full of feelings. Dommy B shares a surprising story about growing up, finding a brilliant (but naughty) imaginary friend, becoming ‘Junk the Punk’ and joining a great school band (Whizzkid and the Veggie Burgers)!

For ages 3-6 | Boxed In follows the journey of someone who can't make head nor tail of the unspoken rules that surround us all. Sometimes stop means go and go means stop. Are you supposed to go this way or that? Sometimes it's up and sometimes it’s down.

Boxed In is largely non-verbal. This makes it accessible to a wide range of people, including d/Deaf, hard of hearing, BSL users and non-English speakers.

For ages 2-7 | Two snowmen are on a mission not to melt when they discover their perfect home, an ice arena. It’s cold, the music’s great and the slushies taste delicious. They just need to remember one thing; they can’t be discovered by the humans.

Snowmen is largely non-verbal. This makes it accessible to a range of people, including d/Deaf, hard of hearing and non-English speakers. All performances are BSL integrated.

For ages 4-11 | Join poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko for a family show full of poems, raps and songs about all your favourite prehistoric protagonists, and some you haven’t heard of yet!

For ages 6-18 months | Inspired by research into how a baby’s sense of sight develops and how they instinctively begin to categorise colour, watch as a multi-coloured Kaleidoscope is brought to life for you and your baby.

For ages 3+ | Join Luna and Dad for an adventure among the library shelves in this exciting new musical for families, based on the book by Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and illustrator Fiona Lumbers, with music and lyrics by David Gibb.

For ages 0-2 | A sensory experience for babies and their grown-ups, exploring our world through the eyes of someone whose job it is to find the colours. But how will The Rainbow Builder find the colours when everything is so dirty? Can The Rainbow Builder clean up in time and restore the environment around them to full colour?

For ages 5+ | Beautifully realised through puppetry, intricate sets, folk music and live camera work, join three storytellers as they lead you through an enchanting experience like no other.

For ages 4-9 | Chill out and watch an award-winning digital performance on the big screen in a relaxed and laidback environment. Dust explore a heartfelt story about love, loss, identity and memory and is a joyous reminder about just how playful the world can be

For ages 3-8 | This humorous and inventive new show celebrates the power of imaginary play and proves there’s always enough room to have fun, even when the world is at its most daunting.

For ages 0-2 | A very first opera for babies and grownups that explores the magic of nature. Combining the joy of gentle classical singing and sensory play, it is an invitation to see beauty in the smallest things and to let plants be our guides.

For ages 5-11 | Dust off your maps and strap on your jetpacks for a journey around the world. The Myth Hunter needs your help to find the most treacherous, the most astounding and the most disgusting stories known to humankind.

For ages 0-8 | A play with clay, where the audience is invited to participate. Come to a place where the earth’s natural material meets with children’s imaginations: a world of fabulous forms, amazing animals and morphing monsters.