Makers of Imaginary Worlds: Magic Paintbrush

Makers of Imaginary Worlds are bringing Magic Paintbrush to the Performing Arts Studio at Lakeside Arts on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October. It's not a show you just sit and watch; it's an interactive storytelling playground where children step inside the story and help shape it with their own imagination.

The whole thing draws on two old tales: the Chinese folktale Ma Liang and the Magic Brush and the Japanese story The Boy Who Drew Cats. It's not just a retelling, either. The experience was co-designed with children from three Nottingham primary schools — Foxwood Academy, Keyworth Primary and Round Hill Primary — with storyteller Mike Payton and The Melody Crafters involved in the process. That means the kids who helped build it are the same kind of audience it's made for.

Under the hood, it's a proper bit of tech. The folklore is turned into a living world using projection, spatial audio, motion tracking, interactive objects and real-time animation. The 3D animation uses brush and ink techniques, giving it a hand-drawn, painterly look inspired by East Asian art, so the visuals match the stories they're coming from. It's the kind of thing where the kids' movements and choices actually change what's happening around them.

Behind it all is Makers of Imaginary Worlds, the Nottingham studio founded by Roma Patel and Rachel Ramchurn. They've delivered over 16 projects since 2019, reaching more than 80,000 people with work supported by Immersive Arts UK. Magic Paintbrush runs in sessions from 10am to 4pm on both days, and it's free, though you'll need to book in advance. You'll find it at the Performing Arts Studio, Lakeside Arts, University Park, Nottingham, NG2 2RD.