Kids
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to kids@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Laura Ennor.
GLASGOW
Activities & Fun FREE Tech Thursday Thu 3 & 10 Feb, 6pm. City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. Free tuition for ages 12–18 in using music software and hardware. FREE Saturday Art Club Sat 5 Feb, 10.30am–12.30pm. Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, 287 3050. Make your own sketch book. Ages 3–11. FREE Hop In: Chinese New Year Family Fun Day Sat 5 Feb, 11am–3pm. Woodside Library, 343 St George’s Road, 276 1609. Hop into the Year of the Rabbit, with Chinese crafts, storytelling, games, and a chance to meet some real fluffy bunnies. Ages 3–10. FREE Transport People Sun 6 Feb, 1–3pm. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, 200 Woodhead Road, Nitshill, 276 9300. See some fascinating old vehicles from the Museum of Transport collection, and make a driver puppet. Booking essential. FREE Discover! A Sense of Adventure Sat 12 Feb, 11am–12.30pm & 2–3.30pm. Sun 13–Tue 15 Feb, 1–4pm. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. A sense adventure around the museum, involving eyes, ears, hands and noses. Titanic Family Activity Days Sat 12–Tue 15 Feb, noon–4pm. £5.95 as part of admission to the Ship (£4.95; first child free; extra children £3). The Tall Ship at Glasgow Harbour, 100 Stobcross Road, 222 2513. Meet some passengers from the Titanic, join in with crafts, or recreate that famous scene from the film by striking a pose on the ship’s prow. FREE Are We There Yet? Sat 12 Feb, 1–2pm. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, 200 Woodhead Road, Nitshill, 276 9300. Stories about journeys on foot, on two wheels or four, on tracks or the high seas. Booking essential. FREE Burrell for Families Sat 12 Feb, 2–4pm. Burrell Collection, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 287 2550. A fun workshop in Chinese writing for ages 5–12. Booking essential. FREE Aye Robots Sun 13 Feb, 1–3pm. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, 200 Woodhead Road, Nitshill, 276 9300. Be inspired by some amazing Victorian inventions, then construct your own super-robot. Ages 7+. Booking essential. Kids Get Lyrical Mon 14–Wed 16 Feb, 10am–4pm. £20 for three days. City Halls, Candleriggs, 287 2856. Half term fun with singing, composing and arranging activities for P5–P7 pupils, courtesy of the National Youth Choir of Scotland. FREE Behind the Scenes Tours Mon 14 & Tue 15 Feb, 10.30am, 1pm & 3pm. Burrell Collection, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 287 2550. See the parts of the museum usually kept under wraps. Ages 8+. Booking essential. FREE Meet Julia Donaldson and the Gruffalo Mon 14 Feb, 11am–5pm. Hamleys Toy Store, St Enoch Centre, St Enoch Square, 227 3040. Take a stroll in the deep dark, er, toyshop. Book signing from 1pm. Youth Music Theatre UK Auditions Wed 16 Feb, 10am. £30. GAMTA, The Brickhouse, 19 Farnell Street, Speirs Locks, 0844 415 4858. Audition fee includes two hours with YMT’s voice tutors, choreographers and directors. Booking essential.
Film FREE Secret Film Programme Sun 13 Feb, 2pm. Burrell Collection, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 287 2550. A surprise film for families at the Burrell. Music Double Bill of Family Opera Sat 5 &
48 THE LIST 3–17 Feb 2011
Sun 6 Feb, 2.30pm & 6.30pm. £7.50 (family tickets £19.50–£32.50). Citizens Theatre, 119 Gorbals Street, 429 0022. Two short operas suitable for everyone aged 7+, On the Rim of the World and Dr Ferret’s Bad Medicine Roadshow. See preview, right. Theatre & Dance Pirate Pete Sat 5 Feb, 2pm. Puppet show £5.95 (£4.95); workshop £6.95 incl. materials. Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue Kelvindale, 339 6185. Mr Giggles presents the fun tale of Pirate Pete and his search for a new crew and adventure on the high seas. Optional puppet-making workshop after the show. Ages 3+. The Giant Children’s Cabaret Sun 13 & Mon 14 Feb, 1pm & 4pm. £5 (£3.50). Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. A Valentine’s treat for everyone aged 7+, with songs from the Giant house band and a host of loved-up cabaret acts.
EDINBURGH Activities & Fun FREE Camera Kids – Music Video Project Fri 4 Feb & 11 Feb, 2pm. Craigmillar Library, 7 Niddrie Marischal Gardens, 529 5597. Four-week workshop for under 16s in making a song and accompanying music video. Part of Let’s Get Lyrical. Family Quiz Night Fri 4 Feb, 7pm. £5 per person. Trinity Academy, Craighall Avenue, 478 5050. It’s time to finally find out who’s smarter: parents or kids. Bring a team of maximum six people. Jack and Jill Market Sat 5 & 12 Feb, 10.30am–1.30pm. Entry £1 (children free); stall hire £20. Portobello Town Hall, 01721 725879. Buy and sell nearly- new baby and kids’ (ages 0–9) items. Book a stall to sell or turn up to grab a bargain. FREE Chinese New Year Sat 5 & Sun 6 Feb, noon–4pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. Colourful entertainment and a chance to make your own Chinese dragon. FREE Champion Tree Treasure Hunt Sat 5 & Sun 6 Feb, 12.30–3.30pm. Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2979. There are many ‘champion’ trees in the Gardens, which are the largest of their kind. Use the names of some of the trees to hunt down the treasure. Ages 5+. FREE A Slice of Life Sat 12–Thu 17 Feb, 11am–1pm & 2–4pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. Drop in to the museum and meet characters from Scottish history. FREE Fantastic Forests Sat 12 Feb, 12.30–3.30pm. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20a Inverleith Row, 552 7171. Meet the scientists working at Forest Research. Ages 5+. Half Term Drop-in Sessions Mon 14–Fri 18 Feb, 10am–5.30pm. £6. Imagination Workshop, 136 Marchmont Road, 466 0148. Craft sessions all week for kids, with a special buy-one-get-one- free offer on studio fees. Booking advised. Half Term Hip Hop School Mon 14 Feb–Thu 17 Feb, 9.30am–3.30pm. First child £92.50; extra children £78.50. Dance Base, 14–16 Grassmarket, 225 5525. A week of hip-hop culture for kids aged 7–9 and 10–12, with a chance to try street dance, breakin’, poppin’, lockin’ and house, plus video production, music and photography. Booking essential. FREE Marvellous Maps Tue 15 & Wed 16 Feb, 12–4pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. Make a treasure map complete with mermaids, sea monsters and the four winds. FREE Lighthouse DIY! Thu 17 Feb, 12–4pm. National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. Design and make your own lighthouse. Materials provided, but feel free to bring along any crafty extras.
Opera
DOUBLE BILL OF FAMILY OPERA Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 5-Sun 6 Feb
Bedtime: bliss for adults, torture for kids – making it the ideal subject for a family opera. Written by Jehane Markham, with music by Orlando Gough, On the Rim of the World follows a family as they wind down at the end of the day, climb into bed and head off to the land of dreams. ‘It’s a subject matter that everyone can relate to,’ says co-director,
Elly Goodman. ‘Everybody has been a child and struggled with the fact they don’t want to go to bed. Children use lots of tricks and tools to stay up and prolong the evening as much as possible, and the lyrics are about that journey.’
The show is one half of a double bill co-produced by the Citizens Theatre and Scottish Opera, and will be performed alongside Dr Ferret’s Bad Medicine Road Show, based on Hilaire Belloc’s Cautionary Tales. Between them, the operas showcase the talents of Scottish Opera’s Connect Company and Orchestra for 16-21-year-olds, and 50 members of the local community, ranging in age from 7 to 68.
‘They’re both very visual and I think they’ll work really well side by side,’ says Goodman. ‘And they have really short scores of just under 40 minutes, which makes it more accessible for families with young children. So whether you’re coming to the theatre because you like music, very visual things or the storylines, they work on all those levels.’ (Kelly Apter)
FREE War of the Words Thu 17 Feb, 4.30–6.30pm. Gilmerton Library, 13 Newtoft Street, 529 5628. Spoken word workshop for under 16s, now with added sound effects. Part of Let’s Get Lyrical. Books & Storytelling FREE Lari Don: The Mountain’s Blood Sat 5 Feb, 2pm. Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8206. Don reads from her latest book, a retelling of an ancient Sumerian myth about Inanna, Goddess of Love, and her battle with a poisonous mountain. Ages 8+. Chinese New Year Stories Sat 5 Feb, 2.30pm. £4 (£3). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Storyteller and performer Marion Kenny brings to life two traditional Chinese tales, with Chinese harp accompaniment. Ages 7+. Story Space Thu 17 Feb, 11–11.50am. £6 per child (accompanying adult free). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Storytelling themed around the sea and creatures of the deep, with games, songs and movement. Ages 2–5.
Music FREE Voice of a City Family Day Sat 5 Feb, 10.30am–3pm. Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. A day of family activities to celebrate The Voice of a City Concert at 3pm. Part of Let’s Get Lyrical. Scottish Chamber Orchestra Family Concert Sat 5 Feb, 3pm. £10 (£5 £8; family ticket £25). Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. Edinburgh composer Edward Harper’s work The Voice of a City evokes the bustle and colour of his home city. The concert also features Howard Blake’s setting of poems by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Land of Counterpane. Part of Let’s Get Lyrical. FREE Niddrie Mind the Buzzcocks Wed 9 Feb, 6–7pm. Craigmillar Library, 7 Niddrie Marischal Gardens, 529 5597. A song lyrics quiz for under 18s. Part of Let’s Get Lyrical. FREE Songwriting Session Sat 12 Feb, 10.30–11.30am. Piershill Library, 30 Piersfield Terrace, 529 5685. A workshop just for girls (ages 8+) as part of the library’s weekly Pink Saturday Club sessions. Write a love song for Valentine’s day, either solo or as a group. Part of Let’s Get Lyrical.