Musical Picnics

Musical Picnics return to the Warwick Arts Centre on Sunday 8 November, part of a monthly series of family performances that run on Sundays during university term time. This one is in the Gallery Foyer, and it's free and drop-in, so you don't need to book ahead. It's a participatory session, meaning the kids aren't just sitting and listening — they're encouraged to get involved. The series is aimed at children aged 3 to 8, but it's open to everyone from babies to great-grandparents.

What makes the series work is the variety. Each session brings in a different musician or artist, and the styles shift every month. You'll hear everything from flamenco and folk to beatboxing, bebop, opera and ouds, and past acts have included brass bands and jazz. It's a good way for kids to come across music they wouldn't normally hear, and because it's a different act each time, it's worth coming back for more than one.

Musical Picnics sits alongside the centre's other free, artist-led creative activities for families, like Mini Creatives, Family Singing and Family Sundays, so if you're already doing those, this fits right in. On the wider site, the 1,450-seater concert hall and the Studio host live music across classical, jazz, pop and rock, with Benugo Bar & Kitchen and Panda Mami serving food and drinks if you want to make a full day of it.

This session runs from 11:00 to 12:30 on Sunday 8 November at the Warwick Arts Centre (Gallery Foyer), University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7FD. It's free and drop-in, with donations gratefully accepted.