"Exciting times ahead for us all" according to Emma Dolman

Well, we’re in February now. Christmas is a distant memory of fairy deeley-boppers, robot songs and sweeties and we’re fully in the swing of our high profile Cornerstone Spring season. And it is a massive season – Pam Ayres, Omid Djalili, Alan Carr, Cara Dillon, Heidi Talbot, Bristol Old Vic, West End shows Eric and Little Ern and The Only Way is Downton. And loads, loads more.

If ever there was a time to revel in the amazingness that having a professional venue around the corner brings, then this is it. Come out, come in, enjoy.

Buoyed by the success of our magical Christmas show for little ones – The Night Before Christmas – we’re really spreading the word about our fantastic programme for families. Coming to Cornerstone with little ones is an inspiring, easy and uplifting experience.

We’ve got very friendly box office staff and volunteers who will help you with every aspect of your visit, a family friendly café bar on the ground floor, and great things to see and do.

Our performances for children and their adults are by professional touring theatre companies from across the nation (and sometimes beyond) and they are carefully constructed to bring maximum pleasure (and a bit of learning) and minimum wiggle/grizzle time. We’ve got Little Howard returning with his Magic Pencil of Life and Death, Blast Off! with Kid Carpet (a rock show for children) and Comedy Club 4 Kids – all seriously fun for adults too, even if you didn’t have a little one!

And right now we’re all gearing up for our half term activities between February 18 and 21. Ashley’s ordering in the clay for the ever popular clay sculpture class – come and mould yourself a model polar animal. I was looking at the previous workshop’s seaside creatures and they really are amazing – I reckon we could start a little production line of child prodigy/entrepreneurs!

Other half term activities include crafty and arty things linked to our main gallery exhibition at the time – The Oxford Printmakers. I love this group. Last time we had them here I bought a piece which still hangs in my kitchen getting lots of admiring glances and making me very happy as I eat my porridge of a morning before work!

So, in half term we’ve got a printmaking workshop for children – plastic etching, lino carving – very good fun. There’s also a free drop-in-a- doodle the whole week (except Monday) where we invite you to come along and create your own picture using pencil rubbings.

Amy B, our visual arts assistant, is getting excited about starting it all off as she hangs the exhibitions and likes to get involved in the drop-in and doodles herself. And if you want something a bit more energetic on the Friday 21 there’s a great hip hop dance workshop for seven to eleven year olds. It’s led by our long-standing tutor Ellie who’s a great favourite, and has even got me dancing before – and maybe will again…!