Physical Fellowship 2026 - Quick Read

Students from The Wilnecote School in Tamworth recently took to the stage at the Belgrade Theatre, performing their original piece ‘Gary’ to a sold-out audience for the Physical Fellowship. The Years 7, 8, and 9 students also took part in professional drama workshops, showcasing the school’s vibrant performing arts opportunities.

You might expect a trip to the theatre to involve a lot of sitting still in the dark. But for a talented group of our Years 7, 8, and 9 students, a recent visit to the Belgrade Theatre was all about action, energy, and a fair bit of paper puppetry! After spending two intense days creating their original physical theatre piece, titled ‘Gary’, our students headed straight to the professional venue to open the festival in front of a completely sold-out crowd.

The big night was the grand finale of a packed day of learning from industry experts. Before the curtains even went up, the students took part in professional, hands-on workshops. They first teamed up with Fourth Monkey to learn about storytelling through teamwork and body language, before diving into the world of puppetry with Les Enfants Terribles to bring paper and everyday objects to life. They wrapped up their afternoon with a final masterclass from Highly Sprung, the creative team behind the entire festival.

Their performance piece, ‘Gary’, explores themes of unity, celebrating differences, and being your unique self. When the stage lights went up, Wilnecote opened the festival with absolute confidence, earning massive applause from the packed audience.

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