GET BACK TO NATURE
Get Back To Nature! was a fun-filled community arts day of live theatre, giant puppets, arts, crafts, games and more. All inspired by the River Arrow!

We’re sure you know how special the kingfisher bird is to Redditch, but did you know that kingfishers can be found all over the world, from Australia to England to Mexico?

Get Back To Nature! was an event for families to celebrate the natural beauty of Worcestershire, the River Arrow, and the global journey of Redditch’s iconic kingfisher!

We ran nature-themed activities, including theatre, arts, crafts and games designed to spark young imaginations, encourage teamwork, and bring families together.

Our Getting Back To Nature! Workshops invited participants to dive deep into the world of theatre and drama, exploring the themes of flight, freedom, and transformation. Just like the kingfisher, which effortlessly glides across the water, these workshops helped the community soar into creativity, harnessing the power of storytelling, movement, and imagination.
ABOUT 

ITZATNA Arts had been in residency at Endeavour Schools Trust, St George’s School in Redditch, working with their pupils on Get Back To Nature! Through drama, storytelling, arts and crafts, pupils immersed themselves in a world where nature takes centre stage, using the outdoors as inspiration for new characters, thrilling adventures, and shared creative experiences.
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Photo by Jamie Gray
Get Back to Nature! is a collaborative project brought to life by Reimagine Redditch, ITZATNA Arts, Hipkiss & Graney, and writer/director Ruth Mestel from Calathea Arts. Marketing by GRIN. Photography and Film by Jamie Gray.

INSPIRATION
&
​RESEARCH
​The Return of the Sacred Kingfisher Festival is an annual celebration honouring the sacred kingfisher and its seasonal migration from Queensland to Merri Creek in Melbourne. The festival also commemorates the long-standing efforts to clean and restore Merri Creek, transforming it into a thriving sanctuary for wildlife and community alike.
Kingfishers & The symbolism of the kingfisher also resonates far beyond Australia. In England, Redditch became a Borough on 15 May 1980, with new Letters Patent issued on 2 March 1984. These formal changes included a subtle but meaningful alteration to the Borough Crest: the swift was replaced by a kingfisher.
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This change, made at the request of the new Borough, reflected a growing local association with the kingfisher, chosen for its beauty, vitality, and symbolic presence within the community.
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Source: Redditch Borough Council
Interwoven within ancient cultures and folklore, Sacred Kingfishers appear in many cultural heritage records including Greek Mythology, Native American, Australian Aboriginal, and Polynesian; and are also mentioned in the Bible. They represent peace, prosperity, fertile harvest, and good fortune.