Festive tale for window theme
FENWICK has revealed its highlyanticipated 2022 Christmas window theme as “Clarice Bean: Think Like an Elf”.
The popular retailer teamed up with award-winning children’s author and illustrator Lauren Child CBE to bring a beloved children’s book character to life. The magical scenes follow Clarice Bean as she desperately tries to save her family’s Christmas and stop the festive spirit from completely floating away.
Think Like an Elf is a tale of the unwavering Christmas spirit of the beloved Clarice Bean as she navigates her way to a fun-filled, circusinspired Christmas. The story is told over the eight windows of the Northumberland Steet store frontage where viewers are introduced to her home, her family, and her friends as she attempts to bring the circus to town this Christmas.
It’s the first time Fenwick has worked directly with an author to design the window since the launch of the first Christmas display more than 50 years ago. The theme was announced on Fenwick social media pages on Sunday night, with thousands tuning in to the YouTube reveal, narrated by Lauren Child.
A small number of invited guests, including children and families from Fenwick’s partner schools, hospitals and charities, watched the reveal in person. However, the display will be in place at Fenwick Newcastle from Monday, November 7, through to early January.
Mia Fenwick, CMO at Fenwick: “The Fenwick Christmas window reveal is a much-loved annual tradition not only for our local community in Newcastle, but for the tens of thousands of people who now watch around the world.
“This year we are excited to have partnered with award-winning author, Lauren Child, to tell the story of ‘Clarice Bean, Think Like an Elf’. Lauren is an iconic British children’s author, and her beautiful portrayal of the power of Christmas to bring people together has made her the perfect partner for Fenwick.
“Our Christmas windows have long celebrated the importance of storytelling to inspire children and enable us all to build connections with each other..”
Lauren Child said: “I wrote Clarice Bean, Think Like an Elf during the 2020 lockdown. It was a response to the uncertainty of that time and the isolation many were suffering. I wanted the story to hold at its centre those things we came to value even more deeply: family, friends, community, and the importance of reaching out and searching for the good. It is incredible to me to have this story told across the windows of such an iconic family-owned store, and for Clarice Bean to be part of the Fenwick Christmas tradition.”
Clarice and Fenwick share an equal love of the circus as, this year, Fenwick’s 140th anniversary celebrations drew huge influence from Arthur Fenwick’s passion for the circus.
And to make this year’s magical display even more special, Fenwick has collaborated with Sage Gateshead, one of the world’s leading music centres in the North East. This will mark the first time in the 50-year history of the themed window that a live recording will be used to accompany the display.
Royal Northern Sinfonia, orchestra of Sage Gateshead, has recorded well-known and loved excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. The music was carefully selected to compliment the mischievous nature of author Lauren Child’s Clarice Bean, the star of this year’s display.
Abigail Pogson, managing director of Sage Gateshead said: “Sage Gateshead is excited to play a part in this year’s Fenwick Window display.
“By providing the musical backdrop to one of the region’s most loved Christmas traditions, we are not only showcasing a growing partnership between Sage Gateshead and Fenwick, we’re also making a bit of local history.”