Kids
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to suzanne@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Suzanne Black. Glasgow Activities and Fun FREE Toddler Time Fri 19 & 26 Feb, 11.30am–noon. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. Take the wee ones along for songs, stories and fun. No need to book. FREE Saturday Art Club Sat 20 & 27 Feb, 10.30am–1pm. Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, 287 3050. Art activities relating to the art on display with drawing, collage, sculpture-making and games. Parents can get stuck in too. Ages 3–12. FREE Back to the Drawing Board Sun 21 & 28 Feb, 2-3.30pm. Museum of Transport, Kelvin Hall, 1 Bunhouse Road, 287 2651. Drop into the museum and have fun at this creative workshop where you can sketch some of the objects on display. Film Classes: Beginners to Advanced Thu 18, Tue 23, Thu 25 Feb, Tue 2 & Thu 4 Mar, 6.30–8.30pm. £3
per class. Project Ability, Trongate 103, 552 2822. Learn all about animation, set making, camera techniques and editing. Booking required. Ages 8–25. Saturday Visual Art Classes Sat 20 & 27 Feb, Sat 10.30am–noon, 12.30–2pm & 2.30–4pm. £3 per class. Project Ability, Trongate 103, 552 2822. Get creative in a professional studio environment and take inspiration from trips to museums and galleries. Booking required. Ages 12–18 and 18–25. FREE Little Printers Family Fun Weekend Sat 20 & Sun 21 Feb, Sat 10.30am–noon; Sun 12.30–2pm. Glasgow Print Studio, Trongate 103, 552 0704. On Saturday printmakers Rosalind Lawless and Gayle Robinson lead a workshop in pressprinting. On Sunday you can make a book using screenprinting and mono printing techniques. Ages 5–12. Booking required. Glasgow Kids Comedy Club Sun 21 & 28 Feb, 3pm. £3. The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 0870 600 6055. Live comedy for ages 8–12. This week’s comedians heading up to the (very clean) mic are Vladimir McTavish, Bruce Devlin and visiting comedian Carl Donnelly. On 28 Feb catch Graeme Thomas, Joe Rooney and Sonya Kelly. No under 5s; all kids must be accompanied by an adult.
ADAPTATION POBBY AND DINGAN Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh, Thu 25–Sat 27 Feb; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 3–Sat 6 Mar then touring
Imaginary friendships are a part of life for many children and, just like real ones, they come with no guarantees. When Kellyanne Williamson, a young girl living in the Australian outback, loses her invisible pals in Pobby and Dingan, life is never the same again.
Published in 2000, Ben Rice’s novella won the Somerset Maugham Award
and was later made into the film Opal Dream. Now, children’s theatre company Catherine Wheels has got its hands on the tale, with Rob Evans adapting Rice’s text for the stage. Right from the start, Evans was impressed with the material he had to work with.
‘I thought the book was both exciting and emotional,’ he says. ‘It has great characters and structure, and works on lots of different levels. All four members of the family go through a journey, which gives the story a richness.’ The show is narrated by Ashmol, a 12-year-old boy annoyed by his younger sister’s persistent playing with two friends nobody else can see. When Pobby and Dingan go missing, however, Kellyanne becomes ill and Ashmol sets out to find them in a bid to make his sister well again.
A tale of family, love and hope, Pobby and Dingan also deals with that most
sensitive of issues – death. Aimed at ages 8+, inevitably adults and children will respond to the storyline in different ways, but Evans hopes it will lead to some interesting post-show discussions between friends and families.
‘Whether you’re a child or an adult, it’s scary to think about death,’ he says. ‘But life goes on, and you can make the best of things or you can not talk about it – and I’d much rather it was spoken about. You want to leave young people with questions, rather than hand them a wrapped up piece of theatre.’ (Kelly Apter)
58 THE LIST 18 Feb–4 Mar 2010
FREE Soapcutting into Animal Shapes Tue 23 Feb, 10am–noon. Caurnie Soaperie, The Organic Herb Garden, Canal Lane, Kirkintilloch, 776 1218. Using soap, carve animal shapes in a workshop aimed at pre-school children (and accompanying adults) but suitable for up to age 9. Aerial Acrobatics for Kids Wed 24 Feb & 3 Mar, 4–5pm. £12 (£70 for ten classes). Firhill Sports Complex, 87 Hopehill Road, 07863 132481. Energetic classes to learn skills in different aerial apparatus, like trapeze and rope. Ages 6–11. Also on Fri 26 Feb, 5.30–6.30pm for ages 12–15.
Theatre & Dance The Three Pigs Sat 20 Feb, 2pm & 3.45pm. £5.50 (children £4.95). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Help the pigs thwart Wilfred the Wolf’s wicked plans to eat them all up. By Kidglove Puppets. Ages 3–7. Storytelling Family Story Time Sessions Sun 21 Feb, 10.30am. £5 (family ticket £15). Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 552 3988. Interactive storytelling sessions for families with children under 7 years.
Edinburgh Activities and Fun FREE Saturday Feast Sat 20 & 27 Feb, 10am–noon. North Edinburgh Arts Centre, 15a Pennywell Court, 315 2151. Drop-in arts, dance and storytelling activities with a separate dance class at 10.30am (P1–P7) and visual arts at 11.30am (P4–P7). Busy Little Sew & Sews Mon 22 Feb & 1 Mar, 4–5.30pm. £50 for six weeks. Kiss the Fish Studios, 9 Dean Park Street, Stockbridge, 332 8912. Weekly sewing club with materials and equipment provided, as well as juice and a snack. Ages 8–12. FREE A Slice of Life Fri 19–Sun 21 Feb, 11am–1pm & 2–4pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. Drop in to hear stories of the olden days from the people who were there: a steam engine driver, a doctor and a woman in the stocks awaiting sentencing. Noah’s Animals Sat 20 Feb, 10.30am–noon & 1.30–3.30pm. £4 per adult & child. Museum of Childhood, 42 High Street, 529 3963. Artist Lucy Stock follows the animals two-by-two then helps make collages on the subject. Booking essential. FREE Traditional Games Sat 20 & Sun 21 Feb, 12.45pm, 1.45pm, 2.45pm & 3.45pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 225 7534. Put down the Wii and indulge in some old-time fun with the kind of games your grandparents would have played way back when. Saturday Art Club: Sculpture Sat 27 Feb, Sat 10am–noon & 1.30–3.30pm. £40 (£10). Dean Gallery, 73 Belford Road, 624 6200. A course in sculpture inspired by the modern works in the collection, led by Ailsa Lochhead. Morning session ages 5–7; afternoon session ages 8–11. Saturday Studio: Sculpture Sat 27 Feb, 1.30–4.30pm. £40 (£10). National Gallery Complex, The Mound, 624 6200. A four-week course led by Juliana Capes, exploring different approaches to sculpture over the centuries. Ages 11-15. FREE Cedar Mystery Wed 3–Tue 16 Mar, 10am–5pm. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Explore the cedars in the gardens and solve an ancient mystery! Ages 5+. Under 16s must be accompanied. Early Years: Creative Play Wed 3 Mar, 10.30am. £5 per adult and child (extra children £2). Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 248 4848. Drama workshops to develop communication and social skills with adults joining in too. Ages 2–4.
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Theatre & Dance Pobby & Dingan Thu 25–Sat 27 Feb, Thu–Fri 10am (Thu mat 1.30pm); Sat 2pm & 7.30pm. £6 (family ticket £22). Brunton Theatre, Ladywell Way, Musselburgh, 665 2240. See preview. Ages 8+. Pobby & Dingan Wed 3–Sat 6 Mar, Wed 1.30pm; 7.30pm (Thu mat 10.30am). £8 (family ticket £15–£28). Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street, 228 1404. See preview. Storytelling Story Space Thu 18 Feb, 11am. £5 (accompanying adult free). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Storytelling in the courtyard with games, songs and movement to get the imaginative juices flowing. Ages 2–5. FREE Talking Trees Storytelling Sun 21 Feb, 2–3pm. Royal Botanic Garden, 20a Inverleith Row, 248 2968. Talking Trees storytelling returns to transport adults and children alike to a magical land far, far away. Suitable for anyone aged 5+ with an imagination. Tiny Tales Tue 23 Feb, 10am & 11.30am. £4 (accompanying adults free). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Stories, rhymes and songs for wee (and not so wee) ears. Ages 6 months–3 years. L’Heure Du Conte Sat 27 Feb, 11am–noon. £5 per family. Institut Français d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent, 225 5366. Tanya Czajka (Le Petit Monde) presents a puppet show, Lapin et le brocoli gele, followed by games in French and English. Saturday Stories Sat 27 Feb, 11am. £5 (£4; family ticket £15). Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street, 228 1404. Storytelling from Andy Cannon. Children must be accompanied.
Outside the Cities Activities and Fun What Did You Do in the War, Great Granddad? Until Sun 21 Feb, 11.30am–1pm & 2–4pm. Included in admission: £8.50 (£6.50; under 12s free). National Museum of Flight, East Fortune Airfield, 247 4238. Learn how to uncover your family history – you never know what you might find – then make your own reminiscence book to record your findings. The Puffin Club Thu 18-Sat 20, Sat 27 & Sun 28 Feb, 2–3pm. Included in admission: £7.95 (£5.95; children £4.50; under 4s free). Scottish Seabird Centre, The Harbour, North Berwick, 01620 890202. Educational workshops with activities relating to wildlife. Ages 2+. The First Tingles of Spring Until Sun 21 Feb, 10am–5pm. £5 (£3.50). Almond Valley Heritage Centre, Millfield, Livingston, 01506 414957. Be inspired by the first flush of spring to create snowdrop hats and flowery bird feeders. Pirate Week Until Sun 21 Feb, Thu–Fri 10am–5pm; Sat/Sun 10am–6pm. £12 (£10.25; children £8.25; under 3s free). Deep Sea World, North Queensferry, 01383 411880. Games, pirate talks and a treasure hunt. Come dressed as a pirate to take part in the fun. Baby Loves Disco Sun 28 Feb, 1–4pm. £8 (non-walkers free). Macrobert, University of Stirling, 01786 466666. A fun, daytime clubbing event for kids aged 6 months–7 years and their parents, with top tunes, bubble machines, a chill-out area and healthy snacks. Tickets from www.babylovesdisco.co.uk Theatre & Dance Oscar and the Quest for the Underground Princess Sat 27 Feb, 2pm. £5. Paisley Arts Centre, New Street, Paisley, 887 1010. Mousetale Puppets is back and Oscar has another riddle to solve. This one leads him to Mole Kingdom armed with only a cream bun and an electric guitar in search of the lost princess. Ages 3+.