NEW PROGRAMME 2026

The Owl And The Pussycat

Looking for something to do with the family in the winter months? Creative Basildon have lots in store for the community to enjoy, with a suite of events launching soon as part of their ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ activity programme. 

Running from January to March, the programme will feature a range of fun activities taking place across the borough.

Come along to the family fun day on Saturday 14^th February 2026, running from 11am to 3pm at Eastgate Shopping Centre, which will bring crafts, storytelling and theatre to Basildon. The free event will unveil a new public art piece, as well as providing a free storytelling workshop for children and showcasing an original theatre performance by local drama group the Towngate Ensemble.

Alongside this, ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ artists will be working with three primary schools to deliver and run creative activity days in local schools over the next few months.

This new programme follows Creative Basildon’s breathtaking Museum of the Moon event, which took place in February last year and brought a seven-metre-wide art installation of the moon by artist Luke Jerram to Basildon Town Centre. This impressive installation also included a programme of events including community workshops and dance performances, which the new ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ programme will build on.

Inspired by ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ poem by Edward Lear, this Creative Basildon programme links to the Cats Cradle Pussiewillow III Clock in the Eastgate Centre, which was created for Basildon New Town in 1981 by Rowland Emett, who also designed the car in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The clock animates throughout the day, with a full display of rotating and spinning each hour. 

The Museum of the Moon event marked the start of ‘a year and a day’ of programmes usingthis theme – referencing a second line from the poem. These 2026 events mark one year since Museum of the Moon and hope to wow the community in just as many ways, with three months of themed activities including celebrating the anniversary of the Moon with the free family fun day on Saturday 14^th February.

Rachel Brown, Programme Director, comments: 

“We’re proud to present our ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ programme, which began almost a year and a day ago with the launch of the Museum of the Moon in Basildon. 

This ambitious project celebrates the incredible creativity within our community, showcasing local talent alongside professional artists from across South Essex. Together, we’ve brought this beloved story to life in a way that reflects Basildon’s vibrant cultural spirit.”

What does the programme look like?

The programme has various community engagement elements:

• Creative Family Fun Day

• Schools Engagement

• Towngate Ensemble

• Drama Geezers Library Tour

• Owl and Cat Trail around Eastgate

Stay tuned- full project details will be announced soon!