The countdown begins to CBBC Live Awesome Authors in Birmingham
Details of next month’s CBBC Live in Birmingham event have been revealed today as stars of some of the channel’s biggest programmes prepare to head to the city on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July.
Published: 24 June 2016
CBBC Live in Birmingham - which celebrates Awesome Authors and aims to get children excited about reading, creative writing and storytelling – is free to attend and will take place in Centenary Square and the Library of Birmingham.
Stars from some of CBBC’s most popular shows will be appearing at the event with live broadcasts from Blue Peter, Newsround and CBBC HQ over the weekend. Sam and Mark (Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes) and Paddy Wilde (Got What It Takes) will also be entertaining the crowds live on stage.
The CBBC presentation team, including Hacker T Dog, Karim and Lauren will also be at the event over both days. They will be joined by Ben Shires and stars of fantasy action drama Wolfblood in the various interactive zones.
A collaboration between CBBC, BBC Learning, Birmingham City Council and the Library of Birmingham, the events in Centenary Square will be taking place from 9am to 6pm on Saturday 16 July, and 10am to 6pm on Sunday 17 July. Within Centenary Square, there will be great hands-on activities in four interactive zones created by BBC Learning, themed around Wolfblood, CBBC HQ Zone and Match Of The Day Kickabout.
Awesome Authors is part of the *BBC’s #LovetoRead campaign and these activities are supported by The Reading Agency and The National Literacy Trust. In addition there will be a CBeebies zone themed around Old Jack’s Boat.
No tickets are required for Centenary Square and families can simply turn up on the day. Events are free, though there may be a queuing system in place at busy times. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult, and over 18s must be attending with a child.
There will be sessions running at the Library of Birmingham with some of the UK’s best-loved authors, introduced by CBBC stars including Ed Petrie and Naomi Wilkinson. Entrance to these sessions will be ticketed. For more information on how to enter the ballot to apply for free tickets, please visit the BBC Shows and Tours website
The ticket ballot is open until Friday 1 July. The sessions will all be broadcast live on to a big screen in Centenary Square.
In the Library of Birmingham, there is also chance for everyone to take part in a Danger Mouse Detective Hunt, creative workshops, or to explore the latest technology in the BBC Blue Room.
The fun will continue at four other library locations across the UK – at Craigmillar Library in Edinburgh, Finaghy Library in Belfast, Hamworthy Library in Poole and Barry Library in the Vale of Glamorgan - where BBC Learning will be running more CBBC Awesome Author events to inspire a love of reading.
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