Our Impact Report, 2020
2020 – what a year, right? What will cultural activity look like for families in 2021 and beyond? Will organisations like TDLP & Creative Homes survive, with cultural venues and festivals unable to guarantee to open in 2021?
At Curious Families UK, we approached the 2020 pandemic as we do everything…as a design challenge.
How could we adapt our current products and services to a virtual offer and still guarantee quality experiences for our families?
How could we support our clients: museums, theatres and festivals, with quality online content and resources?
How could we plan for the future and make resilient new products desirable beyond lockdown?
We shifted from commission-based projects to producing and selling directly to families. We also looked for new ways to safely provide and strengthen the partnerships with organisations to reach families, especially those struggling with lockdown. Investment focused on:
building the design and communications team
setting up an online shop
developing our Youtube channel
Keep on reading - you will probably find something exciting for your family, friends or organisation!
>> Online Content
In spring, we went digital! All of our artists pushed the boundaries of their art forms, as we learnt how to deliver via online platforms like Zoom and Youtube.
May
We created the Story and Rainbow Wheel for Canary Wharf Arts & Events
Our V-Day story stormed Facebook and our first online game Mission of Agent *** was commissioned by Newham Council
June/July
We launched Escape for Kids with escape room experts, Modern Fables. Our partnership game, Guardians of Slore, had 267 visits across five episodes.
The Creative Homes team wrote and recorded 15 new stories & songs about daily life and health for Early Years Alliance, including Wash your Hands, Super Manners: Lean, Clean Eating Machine and A Troll Song. These reached 1700+ families with live Facebook and other online events.
August
A new partnership with Severndroog Castle inspired Guardians of Slore, the Troll Story (Severndroog Summer Festival), the Severndroog Outdoor Escape Trail, and a new indoor escape room design.
‘Wave Hello’ was launched, a cheerful music video gift from Curious Families UK to all the families out there who just want to hug their friends, enjoyed by 250+ people.
>> StoryMaps, Mystery History Trails and Outdoor Escape Trails
We launched our range of exciting outdoor adventures that encourage families to explore South London with maps, physical and creative activities, and secret missions.
More than 2000 families enjoyed our Beckenham Place Park Story Map. We’ve had 1300+ downloads of our digital version and 900+ printed maps given to families throughout South East London. We had story submissions from 3-14-year-olds, in the form of pictures, poems and films, including Olive’s Story Adventure, and six local organisations offered prizes and vouchers in November.
35+ families enjoyed helping Count Silvester of Severndroog find his way home from his Tardis, Severndroog Castle.
In December, we launched the new Mystery History Trail: The Ghost of Greenwich with a 7 episode audio guide.
We produced A Christmas Carol for the 3rd year running for Museum of London. 94 families visited both museums in early December, followed by an online version for home called the Victorian Christmas Mission. Cultural Mile commissioned a play pack that accompanied the show.
>> Creative Homes
While we couldn’t provide our live artist-led home services, we designed 6 new creative play packs. More than 1000 children and parents throughout London received them for free, in partnership with the following boroughs and organisations:
Lewisham: Early Years Alliance
600 Rainbow Wheels & Cardboard DIY resources through food banks
15 Play at Home packs
25 Routine Rebels packs
15 Creative Chef packs
40 Baby packs
15 Outdoor Adventure packs
Tower Hamlets: Bromley By Bow Centre
300+ Starry Nights, Winter Lights packs reached families through food banks and neighbourhood elves who linked new families to the centre.
City of London: Cultural Mile
500 Victorian Christmas play packs delivered via 5 food banks in partnership with Culture Mile, Barbican.
As you know, home visits and group sessions have not been possible. In partnership with Early Years Alliance, through their Children and Family Centres, we have produced weekly online activities with original stories and songs that were viewed 1700+ times.
“We missed going out to groups, singing class and particularly libraries and we are experiencing a sense of isolation. The packs have really helped with routines like brushing teeth and eating healthy at mealtimes during the lockdown, and we will continue to use them for years.”.
Lewisham Mother of 2 children, aged 3 and 14 months
Creative Homes have also trained 9 staff members from partner organisations to share and use packs with families.
>> Online community
3300+ visited our TDLP website
Our Youtube channel grew with 24 stories and original songs and 5 playlists
In March, we joined Instagram and more than 350 of you so far have decided we are worth following
Our online shop went live in August and is now filled with story maps, games and Creative Homes play packs for families
500 of you received our newsletters with good news, updates and free creative resources
We were featured on the Love London, Love Culture, Net Mum, The London Mother, Tower Hamlets Mums and Catford Chronicle platforms, as well as SE Families Magazine, SE10 Magazine, and we joined the South London Club
>> Organisational Development
In 2020 Curious Families UK (TDLP and Creative Homes back then):
1 Director
11 Performing Artists, Writers & Composers
5 Designers
1 New Marketing Manager
Thank you for supporting this on this journey! 2021, bring it on!