Discover Varmints was an interactive scrolling web experience for young people and their families. It allowed ‘explorers’ (users) to delve deep into the themes of the well-received children’s book Varmints and behind the scenes of the successful dance theatre production Varmints, which toured the UK in 2013.
Varmints tells the poignant tale of one small creature’s struggle to preserve a world in danger of being lost forever and touches on themes including conservation, environment, citizenship, regeneration, philosophy and alienation.
Targeted at children aged 8 – 15, this family friendly site aimed to encourage creative ‘missions’ and discussion around these universal themes. This interactive resource was for fans of the book and production and could also be used as a standalone experience.
Feeding imaginations, discovering possibilities and contemplating creative approaches, the missions (which could also be worked on offline) were uploaded onto the site and linked to a live blog, working across social media platforms. This rewarded the ‘explorers’ engagement with an online presentation of their ‘missions’ in the public realm.
Please note that the interactive website discovervarmints.com is no longer available.
“Discover Varmints is a beautifully designed interactive site, offering plenty of opportunities for creative and cross-curricular teaching and learning that will engage and inspire children and educators alike! “
Dinah Cowan, Primary School Teacher at Thundersley Primary School, Essex
“It’s very beautiful and engaging, I think it will really inspire children - It made me want to upload my own picture!“
Cheryl McChesney, Dance Artist
“Its looks great on a big screen –like a massive bit of artwork. I love all the interactive bits, clicking on icons and discovering new information. It is easy to use and made me realise how everything we do effects the environment.”
Maxwell Deer (13 years old)
