Chasing a magical firebird across London with children from the RoyalLondon Hospital

A multi-disciplinary team from Creative Futures, funded by BBC Children in Need, took over the healing space at the Royal London Hospital for a day in February, to chase a magical firebird across London. Through the creation of music, stories and wishing wands, the children invented a world where all the light had been hidden and needed to be returned to its original place by a series of magical birds.

The children took us to a volcano with lava “bright red like pizza sauce and hot as the inside of an apple pie” to witness the birth of a “Firebird with golden feathers and red-hot fiery wings. She was invisible to the naked eye, but glowed in the dark like a flaming comet”. Through collaborating with musicians and story tellers, the children created a memorable story of hope and light, enjoyable for all ages. The musicians threaded songs seamlessly through the story which became animated by the children’s artistic creations.

The final sharing experience involved all the children and musicians jamming together to the musical story. The children made the day so magical as they forgot themselves and their reason for being in hospital, replacing these anxieties with collaborative creativity and fun. They created a firebird who was able to travel all around the world healing children, making them healthy and happy and above all, bringing a smile back to their faces.