2027!
With support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we’re bringing our free Roman Experience day to schools and home school networks in and around King’s Lynn and Thetford early in the summer term, 2027!
If you’re interested in booking in your KS2 class, contact becca@spinningwheeltheatre.com
2026: The Iron-Age
In 2026, we embarked on the first year of our heritage project ‘Let’s Make History’, creating a new play, hands-on history workshops and guided heritage walks in Thetford and King’s Lynn. The new play was created in collaboration with children aged 7-11, and was provided free to schools and homeschool networks in Norfolk.
What was the project?
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![A woman with a brown coat and rainbow striped top holds her hands to her head and stares in amazement]()
We worked with 64 children aged 7-11 in our co-creation workshops. They gave us creative ideas for the play and helped us understand what aspects of the history interested them.
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![Three people in orange high-vis point up at a tall hill. Children sit at their feet looking up.]()
We worked with 10 brilliant volunteers who gave us 75 hours of their time to learn about Iron Age history and run guided walks across King’s Lynn and Thetford (including scaling a hill-fort twice a day for a week in the blazing sun!).
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![A women with a long auburn braid brandishes a sword and shield. Next to her stands a man in a white robe. They both look fierce.]()
Using the children's ideas and our own research we created a new play called 'Rampage through the Iron Age'. We performed it 17 times for 12 primary schools and 105 home educated children in Norfolk. In total, it was attended by 777 people.
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![A row of small, gray, unglazed pottery bowls and cups on a white windowsill next to a window.]()
Heritage specialists at Lynn Museum and Ancient House Museum ran hands-on history workshops. Children completed warrior training, made a model carnyx, designed wode war paint and tried some Iron Age food.
Let’s Make History
What did it achieve?
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![Two children in blue school uniforms put their hands up]()
“I didn't know my class had such imaginations!”
Teacher feedback - co-creation workshops
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![Four children sit cross-legged watching a performance. Their mouths are open as they watch.]()
"Really captivated the children and helped them envision the timeline. Definitely recommend."
Teacher feedback
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![A man in white robes dances with a woman in a rainbow striped top. She looks bewildered as he dips her down. He looks serious and dramatic.]()
"Such a fantastic opportunity. The cost of living crisis makes things like this impossible. For many this is the first time they've been out to the theatre."
Teacher feedback
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![An Iron Age man with blue wode painted on his face points at the wode and smiles.]()
"What a great day! The combination of the play and workshops gave something for everyone and it was perfectly pitched for KS2 pupils"
Teacher feedback, 2025
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![Two boys stand at the top of a hill pretending to shoot arrows]()
“The play, the space, the workshops and the walk were all fabulous and worked really well together to create a really immersive experience.”
Teacher feedback
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![A child sticks a sticker to an evaluation board]()
82% of children told us they 'loved' the Iron Age experience day. 61% said they now knew a lot more about the Iron Age.
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![Woman gesturing while speaking outside to a small group of children]()
100% of teachers said it created a feel-good association with learning about history.
Let’s Make History, 2025
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![A woman throws her head back, laughing, while holding a Roman banner.]()
96% of teachers told us it supported and enhanced the learning their students were doing in the classroom
Let’s Make History, 2025
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![A girl smiles]()
Teachers told us: 98% of students worked with others, 85% used expressive or emotive language, and 89% showed greater confidence.
