"Crime scene” workshops for school children in Harrogate are to run this month supported by Wild Foundations established in memory of Victor Wild of Bettys and Taylors.

Presented by Harrogate International Festivals, the Kids, Spies and Pis workshops will offer pupils as young as six-years-old the chance to use the same methods used to train real detectives, including piecing together witness statements, bank records and text messages, to help solve a theatre murder mystery.

The new initiative is being held in the run-up to next month’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, which is also presented by HIF.

Participating schools include New Park Primary Academy, Aspin Park Academy, Willow Tree Community Primary, Grove Road Community Primary, Saltergate and Rossett Schools.

Harrogate International Festivals in conjunction with the Wild Foundations, is launching workshops which will offer pupils as young as six-years-old the chance to use the same methods used to train real detectives. (Picture Richard Maude)

placeholder image — Harrogate International Festivals in conjunction with the Wild Foundations, is launching workshops which will offer pupils as young as six-years-old the chance to use the same methods used to train real detectives. (Picture Richard Maude)

Education and outreach programmes like this are a key component of Harrogate International Festivals’ work, which aims to raise aspirations and create new opportunities for all through free access to the arts and culture.

Jonathan Wild of Wild Foundations said: "Wild Foundations is our way of honouring our father's legacy, not just as a polymath, but as someone who believed deeply in the power of curiosity and creativity.

“Through these workshops, we hope to spark that same spirit in young people across Harrogate, giving them the tools to explore, imagine, and grow."

Lizzie Barnes said: "Our father, Victor Wild, had an extraordinary ability to connect ideas across disciplines - from the arts to the sciences.

“With Wild Foundations, we’re building a space where young minds can do just that: develop skills, think creatively, and discover new passions.

"We’re thrilled to begin with crime writing and look forward to bringing the world of music to life later this year."

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said: “We are incredibly grateful to our funders, the Wild Foundations, for supporting us to make these workshops happen.

“Our outreach work is at the heart of the Festivals’ ethos, which is all about promoting engagement with the arts in Harrogate and beyond through collaborations with schools and our local communities.

Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival runs from July 17-20, 2025.

Information: https://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/