To facilitate an interactive theatre experience at ZOOOM, we ask children to bring their own piece of dark to the theatre which will be given to a Keeper of the Dark and exchanged for a small handheld light.

We recommend discussing light and dark with children before asking them to think about how to create or find some dark to bring. A good book that serves as an introduction to the dark is The Dark by Lemony Snicket – here is an exploration of light and dark including a reading of the book.

This prompt to “bring a piece of dark” is purposefully and delightfully ambiguous – we recommend simply posing the question to your students and seeing where their imaginations go. Let them tell you what type of materials they might need. The pieces of dark do not have to be physical!

Below are some examples of dark we have seen/heard/felt, but we love to be surprised by any interpretation of the simple request to "bring a piece of dark".

• Children reaching in dark places in their pockets, hats, sleeves, and socks and ‘giving’ their dark to the Keepers.

• Stories, songs, and ideas inspired by the dark or thought of in the dark (eyes closed or lights off in the classroom), verbally shared with the Keepers.

• Arts and crafts creations. ANYTHING goes – we have seen dark machines, dark monsters, dark catchers, dark paintings and more.

• Children coming together as a group and exchanging just one ‘piece’ of dark to the Keepers. A collective poem, song, artwork, story, or small performance.

• ‘Dark characters’ invented by children that they show or tell the Keepers about. ZOOOM has its own characters, and we also love seeing students’ interpretation of these.

• Dark drawings on paper or dark “air drawings” – children drawing in the air with eyes closed, channeling the dark.

The Keepers of the Dark care for all elements of the natural world, so they love to see dark that is plastic-free, eco-friendly, or recyclable.

Don’t forget to bring the pieces of dark to the theatre! In the theatre foyer, children will give their dark to Keepers of the Dark who exchange it for lights. Each child receives a light to keep them safe and to use throughout the performance; these lights are collected at the end of the show.

We can’t wait to see what they come up with!