Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
We were approached by the headteacher of Race Leys Junior School and tasked with transforming a somewhat unloved Year Three space into a three dimensional Roald Dahl experience that inspires and gives real ‘wow’ factor.
The headteacher wanted to turn the entire Year 3 area into an engaging and interactive space to showcase Roald Dahl. After some careful consideration of the space, we recommended featuring just one book and using the different walls to feature key scenes from the story. After that, it was an easy decision to pick her favourite childhood book: ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. So we got to work.
The Chocolate Room & Wonka TV
Giant striped candy canes and lollipops whizz by you as you pass through the first space, and if you look closely, you may even spot the odd Oompa Loompa. A massive Wonka Bar adorns the purple bricked wall graphic with information about the author himself, which was used to help officially open the space (watch the video below to see more on this).
The Wonka TV area uses bright, engaging wall graphics on the door and wall to showcase the room where Mr Wonka makes his television chocolate and the last room in his tour of the famous factory. Purple factory walls and copper pipes tie each of the areas together.
The Nut Sorting Room
Next, you’re taken to the ‘Nut Room’ where hundreds of specially trained squirrels are set to work removing walnuts from their shells - but please don’t touch any, or you may end up in the garbage dispenser just as Veruca Salt did. The combination of hand-drawn illustrations, shape-cut imagery and vinyl lettering really packs a punch.
The school added a gilded, crushed velvet chair adorned with an image of a super-excited Charlie opening his winning golden ticket, and of course a copy of the famous book for the children to read. Mushroom footstools let children rest their feet upon while being engrossed in the book and their fantastical surroundings.
One very happy headteacher
Check out this short video of the headteacher praising our services (blush). We love the fact that the school are super delighted with this project and we know the students will love it too. This was a truly awesome project to work on. We hope the headteacher has more projects like this for the future!
“The service has been second-to-none. The children are going to be amazed. I feel quite emotional...”
Fizzy Lifting Room and the Chocolate Waterfall
We took a unique visual approach to the design; large bespoke illustrations interact with photographic imagery, and vinyl door graphics filled with tasty gobstoppers or copper texture add to the feeling of being transported into this wonderland.
We were challenged with prop making, something that we have never done before, but we are all about creativity, so loved the challenge of this. Inside the ‘Fizzy Lifting Room’ bubbles float above your head, and the feet of Grandpa Jo can just be seen as he floats away above the shelves stacked with brightly coloured drinks. As you move through the different scenes, you are taken on a journey along the chocolate river and waterfall using a combination of floor and wall graphics and shaped cut 3D elements.
The Glass Elevator
The project was elevated by capturing fantastic drone photography of the school on large wall, door & floor graphics. Now the children can enjoy a birds-eye view of their school when they are riding the glass elevator, complete with a large gold control panel.
The result is an awe-inspiring view of the wondrous world of the Wonka Chocolate Factory.
The Year Three students now have a completely bespoke area to enjoy and be completely immersed. We hope that this area will inspire students to engage with books that are in the curriculum and at home.