After Party

The arrival of a new baby can be joyful, exhausting, disorientating and transformative, often all at the same time. Part performance, part gathering, After Party offers a place of joy, rest, solidarity and festivity. Inspired by the curiosity of very young children and the unpredictable rhythms of family life, it invites babies and parents into a world where music, movement and play unfold around them, and where every gurgle, tumble and reach becomes part of the experience. After Party offers new families time and space to relax together whilst the beautiful and uplifting vocal music of the Hurly Burly ensemble ebbs and flows around them.

At The Library has hosted Hurly Burly for three development residencies, welcoming families from Bootle, Netherton and Crosby into rehearsals, workshops and sharings as the piece has taken shape. These sessions have helped the company test ideas with the people the work is being made for. One parent described the experience as "a lovely example of what parenthood and this time could be, creative and free." Others spoke about creating new traditions, family origins, togetherness and the experience of raising a child. 

Textiles are an important part of the world of After Party. Blankets, cushions, bunting and fabric installations help create an environment where families can feel comfortable, held and at ease. Members of Stitch Club have become part of the project, working with set designer Kirsty Harris, exploring memories of mothering and being mothered, fabric traditions, domestic life and transformation through making.  "It would be wonderful if the fabrics our audience cocoon themselves in have been made as an act of love, care and creative expression."

After Party is now touring theatres nationally and Hurly Burly will return to Sefton’s libraries this autumn to develop Play Labs, a new strand of the project bringing immersive music and play into community settings. The residency forms part of our wider programme of activity connected to Squish, our early years programme for children aged 0–4 and their grown-ups, exploring creativity, connection and wellbeing as the foundation for family life.

About Hurly Burly

Hurly Burly was founded in 2016 by Artistic Directors Sarah Forbes and Catherine Carter. Originally trained as classical singers, they began working together as new parents with babies in arms, creating performances where babies can be themselves and so can their grown-ups. The company creates the kinds of experiences Sarah and Catherine wished had existed when their own children were young.