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Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to suaanneOlist.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Suzanne Black.
Glasgow
Activities and Fun
FREE Baking Made Easy Sat 2) Mar. H) l l.30atn. Scotland Street School Museum. 225 Scotland Street. 287 ()500. Meringues. fairy cakes and pancakes. Ages 8+. Please book 111 advance.
Latte and Paint Tue 24 8; 3| Mar.
l lam. £4. Tapa Coffeehouse. 72I l’ollokshaws Road. 554 ‘)‘)8l. Painting activities led by Blisy Bees ('ralt Studio. FREE Wild Creatures Sat 2| Mar.
l.30 3pm. Scotland Street School .\lttseum. 225 Scotland Street. 287 ()500. Creating a vs ild creature. complete w ith its own habitat. Ages 5+. Please book In advance. FREE Frieze art workshop Sat 21 Mar. 2pm. Burrell Collection. 2060 Pollokshaws Road. 287 2564. Create a huge vs all painting based on the Ancient (il‘l‘t’lH exhibition. Please book in advance. Doctor Who Exhibition l'util 4 Jan 20l0. |0arn 5pm; |"ri & Sun llam 5pm. £7.50 (£4.50; family ticket £l8).
Kelv ingrove Art Gallery & Museum. Argyle Street. See feature. page l8. FREE Family Weekend: Springtime Sat 28 & Sttn 2‘) Mar. noon 4pm. Gallery of Modern Art. Royal Iischange Square. 287 3050. Spring-related storytelling. object handling and activities.
FREE Creepy Crawlies Sat 28 Mar.
2 4pm. Scotland Street School Museum. 225 Scotland Street. 287 0500. Make moving creepy cravvlies. l-'or ages 5+.
Theatre and Dance
Andrew Clover’s Krazy Kids Show Sat 2| .‘ylar. 2pm (S: 4pm. £6 (fatnily ticket £20). The Stand. 333 \‘l'tmdlands Road. 0870 600 6055. Andrew Clover presents a
fun hour of improvised storytelling. Part of
.Ilagners (ilasgoii- International ('ontt'tlv I-i'stival.
Ian Billings - Out of his Mind! Sun 22 Mar. 2pm & 4pm. £6 (family ticket £20). The Stand. 333 thdlands Road. 0870 600 6055. Paris and gags aplenty from the kids' comic and author. Ages 7+. Part of .llagnt'rs (ilasgoii' International Comedy" Festival.
The Book of Beasts Fri 27 & Sat 28 Mar. liri l.30pm; Sat 2.30pm. £8
(£3.50 £4.50). Platform. The Bridge. I000 Westerltouse Road. liasterliotise. 276 9696. See preview.
Jango the Clown Sat 28 Mar. 2pm. £4.95 (£4.75). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre. 8 l0 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 33‘) 6185. An hour of gags. tricks and balloons. Ages 3+. Part of .‘lltllt’llt'l'fl Glasgow International (’ontetlv I'i'stit'al.
Smelly Welly Tele Show Sat 28 & Sun 2‘) Mar. 2pm. £6 (family ticket £20). The Stand. 333 \Vtxidlands Road. 0870 600 6055. That‘s ‘tele' as in ‘far away". rather than TV. in this show by Chik. Ages 5— 10. Part of.llagn¢'r.v (ilasgoiv International Comedy" I'i'stival.
Storytelling
FREE Storytelling: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Sat 21 Mar. 34pm. Waterstone's. 153—157 Sauchiehall Street. 332 9105. Celebrate 40 years of the munching fellow.
Edinburgh
Activities and Fun
Mini Movers Thu 1‘). 26 Mar & 2 Apr. 10—1 lam. First child £3.50 (additional children £3). Out of the Blue Drill Hall. 30—36 |)a|rneny Street. Leith. 555 7101. Drop-in creative movement and dance class for toddlers to pre-school.
Family Live Healthy Day Sat 21 8; 28 Mar. 10am. £l. St Bn'de's Centre. It) Orwell Terrace. 346 1405. Weekly classes in gardening. cooking and fitness.
Saturday Studio: Sculpture Sat 21 Mar. I30 4.30pm. £40 i£|()) National (iallery of Scotland (‘omplek The Mound. 624 6200 litamine sculptures in the National (ialleries and learn ltoyy to create your out]. Ages ll l5. Pre Schooler's Craft Club l‘Tl 20. Mon 23. t-‘n 27 «k Mon 30 Mar. l’rt l0 llatn. Mon 2 3pm. £5 per session. Imagination Workshop. I36 Marchmont Road. 466 0148. Different activities every week. Phone to check availability and to book. Ages 2 5. Susan's Art Club It) 20 iv 27 Mar. 2 3.30pm. £7 for 90 min session. St Catherine's Argy ll ('Iiurch. 6| 6.3 (irange Road. 667 7220. Arts and crafts lor 8 l2- year-olds. Coming Alive! l-‘ri 20 Star. 10.30am. £3.50 (£2 £2.50). North Iidmburgh Arts ('entre. I5a l’ennyvvell ('ourt. 3l5 2l5l. l‘elt puptx't-making workshop with lirancisca Morton. Ages 5 l2. FREE l-loney Tree Sat 2| .‘vlar. noon 4pm. Royal Botanic (iarden. 20a lnverleith Row. 552 7|7l. Identify which plants the bees have visited by examining honey samples. Ages 5+. The Wee Imp and Recycling Magic Thu 26 Mar. l0.30ant. £3.50 (£2 £2.50). North lidinburgh Arts Centre. 15;) Penny well Court. 3|5 2|5l. Puppet- rnaking workshop with l-‘lotsam and Jetsam. Ages 5 It). First Impressions: Egyptian Art and Cubism Sat 28 Mar. I lam noon. £4.50. Out of the Blue Drill Hall. 30 36 |)a|rneny Stl'ccl. l.cltl1. 555 7l0l. ('reate sotttc ligyptian art. Ages 4 8. To book. email jbdavv soll(" lesco.net or phone 07‘)5| I37218. FREE Close Up in the Garden Sat 28 Mar. 1 4pm. Royal Botanic (iarden. 20a lnverleith Row. 552 7l7l. Set off on a hunt round the (iarden. Ages 7+. FREE Painted Postcards Sat 28 is Sun 2‘) Mar. 2 4pm. Weston Link. National (iallery. the Mound. 624 6560. t'se a memory of a special journey to create a postcard for a friend. Ages 5+. FREE Watch Out Toads About Sun 2‘) Mar. 8am 2pm. llolyrood Park. 652 8150. Ranger-led trail. games and activities. Bring \v arm \vaterprtmf clothing. Booking essential. Easter Beadtastic Holiday Week Mon 30 Mar Fri 3 Apr. I0 I lam. £43 for live days. lrnagination Workshop. I36 Marchmont Road. 466 ()148. Spend the holiday week making spectacular "ewellery. Ages 7+.
USIC Portobello Fun Fiddle Sat 28 Mar. 2 4.30pm. £4 (£3; children £2). St James Church Hall. Roselield Place. Portobello. 66‘) 7618. Traditional music with a mini- ceilidh. I’art o/t't'ilitllt Culture. Cosmic Ceilidh Band Sat 28’ Mar. 2 5pm. £7 (£4.50; under 12s £3). Rosy Art House. 2 Roxburgh Place. liamily' ceilidh of funky traditional music. with (‘iandolf leading the way. Tickets from 0|3l 228 1 I55. I’art ofCei/itlh Culture. The BIG Dance Base Family Ceilidh Sat 28 Mar. 6.30pm. £5 (children £3). Dance Base. l4- l6 (irasslttarket. 225 5525. Fun early evening ceilidh with live music. Ages 6+. Part of ( 'eiIirI/t Culture.
Theatre and Dance
The Book of Beasts Thu l9—Sat 21 Mar. Thu 10am & 1.30pm; l’ri 10am; Sat 1 lam & 2pm. £6 (family ticket £22 ). Bninton Theatre. Ladyvv ell Way. .‘yltisselburgh. 665 2240. See preview. Little Red Riding Hood and Friends Mon 23 Mar. llatn. £3.50 (£2—£2.50). North Edinburgh Arts Centre. I5a Pennywell Court. 3I5 2151. Listen to stories. then make a puppet.
A Stitch in Time Tue 24 Mar. 1 lam. £3.50 (£2—£2.50). .\'orth Edinburgh Arts Centre. I5a Penny-well Court. 3l5 2151. Clydebuilt Puppet Theatre presents a charming tale of Grandmother’s gift of sewing skills. Ages 7+.
That's Rubbish Thu 26 Mar. 1.30pm. £3.50 (£2—£2.50). North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 15a Pennywell Court. 315 2151.
PREVIEW STAGE ADAPTATION THE BOOK OF BEASTS
Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, Thu 19—Sat 21 Mar, then touring
Children’s literature owes a lot to Edith Nesbit. JK Rowling. CS Lewis and Mary Poppins author PL Travers all cite her as an influence. Best known for her 1906 work, The Railway Children, Nesbit wrote an impressive 40 fictional works, one of which, The Book of Beasts, has been adapted by Scottish children’s theatre company, Catherine Wheels.
Artistic director, Gill Robertson, who plays the Nurse and a host of other characters in the piece, explains what drew her to Nesbit. ‘Her writing is so charming and unexpected that you’re completely won over by it,’ she says. ‘This story is so delightful and innocent — it’s a lovely, old fashioned
adventure story for children.‘
In the story Lionel, an eight-year-old boy who becomes king. Warned not to go into the palace library, and never to open ‘The Book of Beasts’, he does both, his actions unleashing a myriad of dangerous characters, which Catherine Wheels have found an inventive way of portraying.
‘The room starts off as Lionel's nursery and is transformed into everything else,’ says Robertson. ‘Because children at that age have such vivid imaginations, that anything can become anything. So the wardrobe becomes the dragon, the table becomes the hippogriff and so on.’
Prior to writing, Nesbit was a political activist who co-founded the Fabian Society — a precursor to the Labour Party. Somewhat subliminally, Nesbit’s experience of politics seems to have found its way into her fiction.
‘She had a lot of respect for children and not much faith in adults being able to sort things out,’ says Robertson. ‘So although Lionel causes the problems, he also solves them, while all the adults do is have meetings and
make committees.’ (Kelly Apter)
lilucational tale inspired by the slogan ‘Reduce. ReUse. Recy cle'. Ages 4+.
The Magic Horse Thu 26 Mar. 2pm. £3 (£2). Out of the Blue Drill Hall. 3036 |)a|rneny Street. Leith. 555 7101. A young man exchanges his old mare for a black stallion.
Funny Bones Mon 30 Mar. 1 lam. £3 (£2). Out of the Blue Drill Hall. 30 36 |)a|rneny Street. |.eith. 555 7|0|. Adaptation of Janet and Allan Ahlberg's much-loved tale of three skeleton friends. Ages 3+.
That’s Rubbish Wed 1 Apr. 1 lam. £3 (£2). Out of the Blue Drill Hall. 30—36 Dalmeny' Street. Leith. 555 7101. See above.
Sto elling
FRE Talking Trees Storytelling Sun 22 Mar. 2—3pm. Royal Botanic Garden. lnverleith Row. 248 2968. Talking Trees storytelling transports adults and children alike to a magical land far away. Suitable for ages 5+.
FREE April Fool’s Day Storytelling Sat 28 Mar. I lam—noon. Waterstone's. 98/9 Ocean Terminal. Ocean Drive. Leith. 554 7732. Horrid Henry-themed activities and a nationally synchronised whmpie cushion whoop off.
FREE April Fool's Day Storytelling Sat 28 Mar. | 1.15am-3pm. Waterstone's.
Cameron Toll Shopping Centre. 6 Lady
Road. 666 1866. See above. 19 Mar-2 Apr 2009 THE LIST 59