Five Years of Wonder in St Helens and We’re Just Getting Started

In a park, a library, a church hall, even in an empty shop, wonder has been quietly spreading across St Helens for the past five years.

You’ve probably seen it: a performance out of nowhere, a bird rave, a yeti peeking through a window, a pirate adventure while doing the school uniform shop…

That’s the Wonder Arts magic. And now, as we celebrate five years of imagination, performance, joy and wonder, we’re delighted to announce the next big step in this creative journey: the launch of the Wonder Towns programme!

From Citadel to Wonder Town

Five years ago, we bid farewell to The Citadel Arts Centre. It was the end of an era but also the beginning of something extraordinary; with a bold mission: to bring world-class arts and cultural experiences right to the doorsteps of families in St Helens. That meant saying goodbye to theatre walls & ticket windows and hello to libraries, parks, high streets, and surprise performances in the most unexpected places.

In 2022, this wonderful new way of working inspired a rebrand to Wonder Arts and since then, we’ve delivered over 100 performances, reaching more than 15,000 local children and families.

Introducing: Wonder Towns

To mark five years of local magic, we’re proud to launch the Wonder Towns programme, a new name for our work in St Helens, and now, thanks to support from Arts Council England, an expanded vision that will also take Wonder Town to Wigan from 2025.

What’s Next?

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s around the corner:

Grandad Anansi: A joyful and heart-warming performance for local schools this October.

Magical Festive Weekend: A  festive treat for families as we present two shows in St Mary’s Market on 29th & 30th November.

St Helens StoryFest - A Wondrous Story Telling Festival: returning to local libraries with magical tales for all ages during February Half Term

As always, ticket prices will remain low.

Want to be the first to know about upcoming Wonder Towns events?

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Because in a Wonder Town, you never know what you might encounter…(But it will definitely be wonderful.)

#WonderTowns #StHelens #FamilyArts #Wonderarts #FillYourDaysWithWonder #EveryChildDeservesTheatre