As a mother of two herself, Teresa Gillam knows how hard it can be to find summer activities for children.

“There are lots of places to go like Drusillas and the Sealife Centre, but not a festival just for children,” she says from her Hastings home.

“I heard about a three-day children's festival in London called Lollibop, which has grown to a capacity of 27,000 people from quite a small event. I just thought there was nothing similar in the South East.”

As a trustee of the children’s charity Tree Of Hope - having first joined forces with them when running baby and toddler shows - Gillam approached chief executive Jeremy Marris with the idea and the Little Monsters Bash was born.

“The charity is behind the finance and funding, which means they get all the profits,” says Gillam.

As festival director, Gillam has been immersed in planning for the last few months, dealing with issues other festivals not aimed at 0 to 10-year-olds have to think of - from baby-changing facilities to lone adult policies.

She has been keen to ensure the festival straddles the divide between a children's show and a charity event, ensuring there are big name guest stars alongside educational activities.

With two children aged four and ten months, and part of a big family with children ranging from newborns to ten-year-olds, Gillam is aware of what’s hot among the pre-teens.

“We had to have acts like Dick And Dom and Peppa Pig,” she says, adding other CBeebies favourites taking the main stage will be presenter Alex Winters, daredevil scientist Greg Foot, Captain Barnacles and Kwazii from Octonauts and I Can Cook's Katy Ashworth playing with her 12-piece band The Great Big Gig.

“We have got the Paralympic cyclist Mark Lee Colbourne coming to open the event,” she said. “He's very inspirational. He will be talking about his life in the Storytelling tent.”

Gillam has linked up with Brighton and Sussex organisations, too. Kids Kitchen And Food zone is being run by Brighton-based Kitchen Academy, and the Baby And Sensory Area has sessions from city groups offering the chance to join up with further classes. “Brighton is full of creative people, and lots of businesses that work with children," she says. “It’s fantastic to have people coming to the event from Brighton and the surrounding area running sessions and workshops.

“Baby and toddler shows are great fun and good for new parents who don't have a clue - they realise they're not alone and find out about services they didn't know existed like baby massage sessions.”

The over-riding philosophy of the festival is that if the kids are happy, then the parents will be happy. And bad weather shouldn't stop the fun, with every area aside from the main stage featuring a marquee or tent, ranging from music and dance areas to creative crafts and a farm area.

Parking is limited at Stanmer Park, but the festival will be running buses from the Old Steine to help families get onto the site, especially before the Albion game at 3pm.

As for the future, Gillam hopes this Little Monsters Bash will be the first of many to raise cash for the charity, which helps the families of sick children get specialist surgery and equipment.

 

LITTLE MONSTERS BASH
Stanmer Park, Brighton, Saturday, August 9