This is a hijack! A group of fellow rebel artists and myself have taken control of times2, to bring you an inspirational half-term issue — 24 sparkling pages of the most influential names in the creative world and a realm of wonderful, witty, whimsical things for you to do with your family. Think of it as contemporary art crossed with an activity book — YBA meets Blue Peter meets The Simpsons, perhaps. And if you don’t like at least one of those, you need this issue even more.

Naturally, we’re not actually bandits. We’re The House of Fairy Tales, a not-for-profit arts organisation founded by me and my fellow artist Deborah Curtis. We want to encourage more engagement with the arts and an inventive, imaginative approach to our everyday lives. Elitism is banned.

We came up with the idea because I noticed that I have to bribe or trick my kids into going to art galleries — I might tell them that we’re going somewhere fun and they don’t know until we get there. And I don’t think it’s my fault. It’s because we live in an environment where children often aren’t welcomed into galleries, when actually they can have input fairly and squarely.

It was that snowy day in February that I first thought of hijacking The Times. I got a phone call asking me to come to Victoria Park to make a snow sculpture, so me and the kids went and built this giant egg. The next day there it was in times2 — a great big picture story with everyone saying “Look at Gavin Turk’s egg!” and a bit on “How to Make Your Own Sleigh” next to it. What a great way to distribute art and engage people, I thought. I think I’ll steal it . . .

Welcome to the House of Fairy Tales

A group of rebel artists have hijacked the features section of the newspaper, times2 for the day, click here to see the results

BACKGROUND

• The Okido science colouring book that you can eat

• How schoolchildren shaped the new Trafalgar Square plinth

• Traditional British culture has been forgotten

BACKGROUND

• Heston Blumenthal's Mock Turtle Soup

• Sophie Dahl's magic muesli

• Make a gingerbread house and people

And so here we are. The House of Fairy Tales philosophy is learning through play, so we’ve filled your pages with artful fun. Make Mock Turtle Soup with Heston Blumenthal on page 10, build a ship in a bottle with Yinka Shonibare on page 6 and play a piece of sheet music written especially by Basement Jaxx on page 12 (listen out for vocals from Yoko Ono on the finished track — it’s wild stuff). No one is too young or too old, too beginner or too expert, so go for it! Cut and stick, make music, get involved, be inspired.

Oh, and if you ever want to hear from the times2 staff again, play along. This isn’t the first building we’ve hijacked. The House of Fairy Tales are at UBS Openings: The Long Weekend at Tate Modern until Monday.

For full details or to book online:
www.tate.org.uk/thelongweekend2009
or call 020-7887 8888

The hijack articles:

How schoolchildren shaped the new Trafalgar Square plinth

The Okido science colouring book that you can eat

Heston Blumenthal's mock turtle soup recipe

Sophie Dahl's magical muesli

Make a gingerbread house and people

How British folklore has been forgotten

For more fun, games and fairytales go to the House of Fairy Tales website.

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