Intergalactic musical sends children on a journey to space

Theatre and Drama students at USW have taken schoolchildren from across Cardiff on a journey to a galaxy far, far away this week, as they performed an educational stage show set in outer space.

The pupils, aged 4 to 7, visited USW’s Cardiff Campus to watch A Journey to Space, an interactive show featuring original songs about the solar system, rockets and much more.

Performed by first year BA (Hons) Theatre and Drama students, the show taught the children lots of facts about everything from gravity, to comets, to why the sky is blue, accompanied by live music from USW staff and students. The technical aspects of the production were taken care of by first-year Sound, Lighting and Live Event Technology students, led by Senior Lecturer Philip Hughes.

The songs were composed by Rob Smith, Senior Lecturer in Popular Music at USW, and lyricist Jenny Allan. Rob said: “We tried to imagine the concept of space – which itself contains some mind-boggling facts and details – from the imaginative point of view of young children, and created plenty of opportunities for the young audience to join in.”

The show, directed by Dr Michael Carklin, Senior Lecturer in Drama, is part of a larger collaboration with Dr Leshan Uggalla, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, which aims to engage young people in conversations about space, through music and drama. This initiative is supported by UK Space Agency, Space Wales, the Welsh Government and the University's Civic Engagement Fund.  

Dr Uggalla said: “While satellite-based services contribute close to 20% of the UK’s GDP, space technology already has a significant impact on our everyday lives — from satellites, mobile phones and GPS to banking, communications, weather monitoring, energy and much more. Regular travel to the Moon, and even the possibility of commercial space travel for ordinary people, is becoming increasingly realistic and may well be a part of everyday life within the next few decades.

“But, despite the space age being firmly upon us, there remains a significant lack of understanding of space within our communities. There is a pressing need for greater generational engagement and improved awareness, starting from early childhood education, to which we at USW are aiming to contribute.”

Dr Rosie Cane, Cluster Development Manager at Space Wales, added: “We’re thrilled at the success of the space-themed performance at the University of South Wales, which brings together students across music, drama, events and engineering to inspire the next generation of space specialists in Wales through creative schools engagement.”

Children from Adamsdown Primary; Coryton Primary; Bryn Hafod Primary in Llanrumney; St Mary’s Catholic Primary in Canton; Howell’s School in Llandaff; Tredegarville CIW Primary in Roath, and St Mary the Virgin CIW Primary in Butetown were among the audience, with many of them experiencing a theatre show for the first time.

Rebecca Baston, Deputy Headteacher at St Mary the Virgin CIW Primary School, said: “We’re delighted to be able to bring the children back this year to see A Journey into Space – they have absolutely loved it.

“Opportunities like this mean that they can experience a theatre production in a more informal setting, where they’re encouraged to dance and join in the songs, while learning a great deal about space at the same time. We’re very grateful to USW for putting on such a fantastic show – well done to all involved!”

Jordan McBurnie, 23, is a first year Theatre and Drama student and played the part of an astronaut in the show. He said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the rehearsal process and getting involved in so many elements of the show. The songs are amazing, and the best part is seeing the children captivated by the story and enjoying joining in.”

Freya Curtis, 18, from Cardiff, is also in her first year of the Theatre and Drama degree. She said: “This has been a brilliant learning curve for me, as it’s the first time I’ve performed for such a young audience, and I’ve had to think about how we get the children to engage with all these facts we’re sharing with them. I’ve enjoyed helping to write the script and learning so much ourselves during the process, and seeing the audience have so much fun while watching the show has been wonderful.”