THE LUCKY CHANCE
Since we started, Wise Children have been a nomadic organisation, following our shows as they toured around the world.
But the chaos and upheaval of the last few years made us rethink. We wanted to put down roots and find stability.
Many of the team live in Frome, a beautiful market town in Somerset. In the summer of 2022, Frome’s old Portway Methodist Church went up for sale and… we bought it!
We’ve spent the past 18 months lovingly renovating and restoring the building, in order to transform it into The Lucky Chance, our very own, perfectly 'specced', creation space.
We’ve got big plans for The Lucky Chance. For us (and our community) this is not just a building. The Lucky Chance is a home - and a dream home at that. It is a space to play, to host, to teach and to perform in. Attracting the most exciting artists from the South West and beyond, work created at The Lucky Chance will spill out into Frome, inspiring residents to come in and take part.
We took our first steps towards this at Christmas, when nearly 2,000 came to see our production of The Little Matchgirl & Other Tales. The three weeks of shows were sold out, and our audience included 360 Yr 4 and 5 children from Frome schools, and another 100 from local community groups.
“Homespun yet glamorous, quirky yet welcoming,
this newly converted chapel is very Emma Rice.
A neon sign reading “Hope for the heart,
stories for the soul” hangs above the bar.”
– The Times
Emma Rice outside The Lucky Chance. Photo by Carmel King
“Emma Rice… has just opened a new permanent home for her company, Wise Children. The Lucky Chance is a converted Methodist church that once housed a nursery: barrel roof, gleaming wood, a bar in the foyer with a piano (carols on the night I visited). Its former uses – for celebration,
larking about, being looked after – have impregnated the walls.”
– The Observer
Inside The Lucky Chance, Christmas 2023. Photo by Steve Tanner
We have huge dreams for The Lucky Chance, and what it could mean for Wise Children and for our Frome community. We are currently looking for supporters to help us make these dreams a reality. If you're interested in finding out more, please contact us on office@wisechildren.co.uk or 0117 313 7640
A performer in The Little Matchgirl, Christmas 2023. Photo by Steve Tanner