H.C. Andersen Festival

Since 2013, the H. C. Andersen Festivals take place every late August for a week-long festivity in Odense, Denmark. It brings H. C. Andersen’s birth town to life with over 500 cultural and musical events for people of all ages. The HCA Festival team approached us to create a new reading of Andersen’s legacy. ‘House of Wonders’ was developed as a community-driven experience giving local children a powerful voice.

Eventually, Ole has enough and wants to quit. The children feel pity for him and agree to go to bed – if they can have one last hurray. After both sides come to an agreement, a big finale ends the evening with light, video, and pyro to wow the audience and celebrate the outcome.

In several workshops held by the H. C. Andersen Museum, we invited children from the region to become vital co-creators of the 'House of Wonder' visual storytelling. This collaborative approach gave them ownership over this public celebration of his legacy; they became storytellers in the footsteps of Denmark’s greatest poet. We further developed this into a narrative, created motion designs and music, and together with local talent, brought it all to life.

Watching the experience convinced several potential sponsors to sign up for a multi-year sponsorship, securing the festival’s potential to grow. 'House of Wonder' is currently in development as a touring production with interested partners in China, Australia, and the Middle East. Battle Royal Studios and the H.C. Andersen Festivals will continue their relationship with new co-created legacy experiences in the near future.