RicNic is a youth arts charity where young people take the lead. We create free, accessible creative opportunities for anyone aged 3-25, encouraging people to explore their creativity, find their place in their community, build confidence and life skills, or take the first steps towards their creative career. Whether you’re into art, acting, music, fashion, filmmaking, arts facilitation, directing, designing, writing, or producing, we believe creativity works best when it’s powered by you.
Foundry
Regular weekly sessions across Walsall, exploring drama, dance, music, arts, crafts, and more. All competely free of charge, for ages 4-18.
Performance Workshops
Pop-up sessions across Walsall, Rugeley, Burton on Trent, Stoke, Crewe, and further afield. Recent workshops have featured West End and UK Tour cast members of Tina the Musical, Mary Poppins, Hamilton, Aladdin, and more, along with relaxed art and dance workshops on the themes of Wicked, Annie, and Moana.
Skill-building Workshops
Take a dive into a specific skill, learn more about how to get started, and give it a go. Past workshops have included voiceover, creative writing, and writing for the stage.
Dance Days
Fun, informal, all-ages dance days for movers big and small, led by experienced facilitators who will support you to get moving, whatever your age or experience level.
Art days
Popping up in local community halls or in a park near you, bring along the family, come for an hour or the whole day and enjoy a range of craft, art and making activities, all for free. Take away what you make!
Musical Theatre Open Mic Night
Get ready for a night of show-stopping performances. Every other month, we celebrate the best of musical theatre, from well-known classics to hidden gems, in an evening filled with incredible talent from our local community. Taking place regularly in Lichfield, with other locations on occasion.
Work Experience
Delivered in collaboration with local venues (currently being piloted with the Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton on Trent), our Work Experience programme offers 5 packed days of exploring what a creative career could look like, exploring what culture and creativity is, skills development, ending with a Dragons Den style pitch for your own event. Suitable for years 10-12 in groups of upto 15 people.
Creative Careers Support
Blog posts, workshops, and coaching to build the skills needed for a creative career, get started, and unlock success in the creative and cultural sector. Whether that’s knowing what options to take at GCSE, taking the leap into a freelance career, writing your first novel, or choosing what to study at university.
Schools & College Workshops
Workshops exploring ambitions, soft skills development, non-performance-based creative roles, and much more, delivered for primary and secondary age school groups.
Early-Years Provision
Interactive dance, storytelling, and puppet play sessions for ages 3-7, offering a light, fun activity for children and parents.
Productions
Previously our main programme of activity, young people aged 16-22 take on every creative and behind-the-scenes role in a theatre production; from deciding what show to put on, to casting, finding a rehearsal space, creating props, marketing the show, and more. These programmes now often take the form of a ‘Show In A Month’, or a ‘Show In A Week’.
Festivals & Pop-Ups
Whether it’s taking over Market Halls, Train Stations, or Town Centres, RicNic has a track record of producing and being heavily involved in the production of pop-up events with activities for all ages, taking arts and culture into the community. Recent projects have included conceptualising and delivering the Generation Music Festival for Crewe Town Council with a group of young producers, launching our Travelling Tales Digital Library in Birmingham New Street, and running activities at Walsall Makerfest.
Ready to take part? Visit our Get Involved pages above…