Become an inventor with The Imagination Awards from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Do you have an imagination like Willy Wonka? Prove it with Charlie’s Challenge

| London | London's West End | Off-West End |

25 May 2016

You’d have to have been living under a sweet stick of rock for the last three months to have missed that hit West End musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are on the look out for the next generation of theatre designers and young inventors to follow in Mr Wonka’s footsteps.

Time is running out for creative youngsters and budding designers to enter The Imagination Awards, but this national competition is still open for entries until Monday 6 June and with half term around the corner it’s perfect timing to get those entries in!

The awards are split into two categories: Charlie’s Challenge for 5-15 year olds who have a keen mind for coming up with imaginative solutions to problems facing a member of their family. And the Young Theatre Designer Awards is for 13-21 year olds who have a flare for set or costume design.

There are some schnozztastic prizes up for grabs including a VIP trip to London to see the show, a behind-the-scenes experience, and a chance to meet the award-winning creative team.

Entries have been flooding in from all corners of the country, and even the cast of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory have been getting involved in Charlie’s Challenge conjuring up some inventions of their own:

Here’s an invention from Benjamin Lewis who played Augustus Gloop:

A photo posted by Charlie Choc UK (@charliechoc_uk) on Mar 31, 2016 at 4:47am PDT

An invention from Noah Crump who plays Charlie Bucket for his Mum:

A photo posted by Charlie Choc UK (@charliechoc_uk) on Mar 19, 2016 at 4:37am PDT

Archie Durrant, who was playing Mike Teavee and now playing Charlie Bucket, has a sweet invention for his Mum, and chocoholics everywhere!

A photo posted by Charlie Choc UK (@charliechoc_uk) on Mar 23, 2016 at 10:14am PDT

Stella Haden who plays Veruca Salt has a cunning idea of how to put those squirrels to good use:

Word of the Imagination Awards has even spread to the characters in the musical based on Roald Dahl’s classic and deliciously dark tale. Here’s News Correspondent, Jerry, getting competitive backstage:

Our news hound Jerry @AndyBrady23 has superb snoztastic invention! #ImaginationAwards @CharlieChoc_UK #backstage pic.twitter.com/nH2z4AEvZh

— Lisa Bridge (@LisaBridge123) May 12, 2016

Top Tips

Watch the invention workshop delivered by The Imagination Awards judge, and the Science Museum’s Inventor in Residence, Mark Champkins for Charlie's Challenge get inspired to create your own invention!

Free Resources

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has created free resources to provide young people and their parents, grandparents, nannies, and carers with different activities to help find inspiration for their new ideas and designs. These are freely available to download from www.imaginationawards.co.uk.