Songs and Stories
Songs and Stories The beautiful and stimulating gallery surroundings are a great place to spend quality time bonding with your baby.
Songs and Stories
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Songs and Stories
The beautiful and stimulating gallery surroundings are a great place to spend quality time bonding with your baby.

Explore the Gallery and creative spaces of The Base through songs, stories, sensory play and movement with professional classical singer Louise Ashdown.
 
Times: 9.30am – 10.30am
 
Age Guide: 
 
Suitable for ages 0 – 2 
 
What to expect:
 
They aim to create a warm, welcoming, and supportive environment where you can meet, play and talk with other parents and carers – so also included in your ticket is either an Americano or pot of tea (and a Babychino) from Honesty at The Base, so you can finish your visit in the café together. 
 
What to wear/bring:
 
Just you and your little one!
 
included in your ticket is either an Americano or pot of tea (and a Babychino) from Honesty at The Base.
 
Benefits:
 
Joining these sessions can be a great way to meet others and share experiences, offering a holistic approach to early parenthood and child development.
 
Who is your tutor:
 
Canadian mezzo-soprano Louise Ashdown is quickly gaining recognition for her warm presence, rich timbre, and expressiveness.
 
Excelling as both a soloist and choral singer, Louise has featured in works by Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Vaughan Williams, and more.
 
She regularly sings with Kantos Chamber Choir and recently completed a choral scholarship with the Oxford Bach Soloists.
 
Louise has a passion for connecting with others through music, leading Songs and Stories sessions for parents and babies as well as singing sessions for those living with dementia and their families/carers. 
 
If you can’t make it to a Songs and Stories session, you can still visit them with your baby at any time – everyone (no matter how young or old) is welcome.
 
 
Includes entry to the INSIGHT exhibition.
The base 

The Base opened on Friday 8 February 2019 in partnership with Greenham Trust and the Corn Exchange. It became a registered charity in 2022 (charity no. 1199188) and is dedicated to improving access to the arts whilst bringing quality visual art to the local area.

Situated in a purpose-built arts and craft building, The Base’s £1.7M venue was designed by Sutton Griffin Architects of Newbury.

The space comprises of a 110sqm gallery, artists’ studios and a workshop for participatory classes.

There is also a café facility managed by Honesty Café group.

Striving to be a flagship visual arts venue in West Berkshire, The Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year 54 exhibition launched the inaugural gallery programme.

Displaying some of the best wildlife photography from across the globe, the exhibition comprised of 100 photograph across 7 categories and is renowned for attracting millions of visitors around the world every year. 

The Base is also home to 8 visual artists and craft makers as well as Open Studios West Berkshire and North Hampshire, who present their annual INSIGHT exhibition at The Base every May. 

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