list.co.uk/kids
HITLIST THE BEST KIDS’ STUFF
Cloud Man Ailie Cohen Puppets take you up into the sky for this charming mix of storytelling, puppetry and visuals, in which a young girl goes in search of the mysterious Cloud Man. Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 24 Jul.
SURGE Family Circus Weekend Ever wanted to try tightrope-walking, trapeze or juggling? Now’s your chance, at this fun family afternoon of circus skills. It’s free and there’s no need to book, just drop in! See preview, page 61. The Briggait, Glasgow, Sat 23 Jul & Sun 24 Jul.
Glasgow Show Oh the excitement, as The X Factor’s Jedward and Britain’s Got Talent’s Jai McDowall take to the stage at this annual extravaganza. Not to mention some rather brave stunt teams, colourful street theatre and, of course, lovely Highland cattle. Glasgow Green, Sat 30 & Sun 31 Jul.
One Thousand Paper Cranes This warm, witty and ultimately heartbreaking show for ages 8+ looks at loyalty, friendship and the capacity for hope in the face of adversity. Highly recommended. The Arches, Glasgow, Tue 2 Aug.
Gorgie City Farm Big Fun Day A day at Gorgie farm is always good fun, so this special family day should be even more special. Ride ponies, cuddle rabbits, have your face painted and marvel at the fact there’s a farm right in the middle of a city. Gorgie Farm, Edinburgh, Sat 30 Jul.
Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least 16 days before publication to kids@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Laura Ennor. ✽✽ Indicates Hitlist entry Activities & Fun The Forgotten Island Until Sun 18 Sep (not Tue/Wed), 10am–5pm. £6 (children £4.50; under 3s free). Glasgow Harbour, Between Riverside Museum and Glasgow Heliport, Stobcross Road, 0844 481 8898. A mystery travelling island has landed in Glasgow and it needs some intrepid explorers to discover its many treasures, as well as helping plant flowers and plants to keep it blooming. Hunterian Summer School Mon 25–Fri 29 Jul & Mon 1–Fri 5 Aug,
10am–noon & 1–3pm. £7 per child per class. Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery, University of Glasgow, 82 Hillhead Street, 330 5431. Art and drama activities (Mon 25 Jul onwards) and creative art workshops (Mon 1 Aug onwards). Morning sessions are for ages 5–7 and afternoon sessions for ages 8–12. FREE Carntyne Gala Day Thu 21 Jul, 11am–3pm. High Carntyne Church of Scotland, 358 Carntynehall Road, 778 4186. Family activities for a summer’s day. FREE Deep Sea World at Hamleys Fri 22, Sat 23, Fri 29 & Sat 30 Jul, times vary. Hamleys Toy Store, St Enoch Centre, 227 3040. Discover the wonders of the travelling rockpool in the comfort of the toy shop. FREE Family Fun Trail Sun 24 Jul, 10.30am, 1pm & 3.30pm. Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 287 8910. Interactive adventures for all the family. Best suited to children aged 7–12. Part of the Merchant City Festival. FREE FARE Fun Day Fri 22 Jul, noon–4pm. FARE Scotland, Bannatyne House, 31 Drumlanrig Avenue, Easterhouse, 771 9151. A gala day for all ages. The Wee Organic Art Club Sat 23 & 30 Jul, 10am–noon; Sun 24 & 31 Jul, noon–2pm. £5 per two-hour session. West End Arts, Hidden Lane, 1103 Argyle Street, 07868 243213. Art club with a conscience for kids, with plenty of world-friendly activities like potato printing, recycled sculpture and mud painting. Numbers limited; please book ahead. Baby Booty Sale Sat 23 Jul, 10.30am–1pm. £1. Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena, 1445 Argyle Street, 276 1450. Table top sale of second-hand items for your baby or child. FREE Saturday Art Club Sat 23 Jul, 10.30am–12.30pm. Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, 287 3050. Creative workshop inspired by the gallery collection. Ages 3–11. Part of the Merchant City Festival. FREE Uncovering Merchant City Sat 23 Jul, 10.30am–noon. Street Level Photo Works, Trongate 103, 276 8380. Experiment with placing different objects onto photographic paper and exposing them to light. Ages 6–12. Part of the Merchant City Festival. FREE Wildsquare Weekend Sat 23 & Sun 24 Jul, 11am–1pm & 2–4.30pm. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. Drop-in sessions with the RSPB. FREE Birds of Magic Sat 23 Jul, 11am–12.30pm. Café Cossachok, 10 King Street/Trongate 103, 276 8380. The whole family can make puppets from materials that have come all the way from the Baltics. Ages 7–11. Part of the Merchant City Festival. FREE Cathedral Precinct Family Fun Day Sat 23 Jul, 11am–4pm. St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, 2 Castle Street, 553 2557. A day of medieval fun including Highland cattle and Clydesdales, an owl display, children’s play activities, storytelling, street performers, history and poetry tours. Part of the Merchant City Festival.
✽✽ FREE SURGE Family Circus Weekend Sat 23 Jul, noon–4pm &
Sun 24 Jul, 12.30–4pm. The Briggait, 141 Bridgegate, 553 5890. Drop-in and learn an exciting range of circus skills at this fun afternoon for all the family. Part of Surge Festival. See preview. FREE Glasgow East Parks Festival Dennistoun Sat 23 Jul, noon–4pm. Alexandra Park, 10 Sannox Gardens, 287 5108. All the usual gala fun in the shape of stalls, arts and crafts, raffle, giant inflatables, live music and sports. FREE Little Printers Family Fun Event Sat 23 Jul, 12.30–2pm. Glasgow Print Studio, Trongate 103, 276 8380. Take inspiration from the floral etchings
of Elizabeth Blackadder and create colourful prints in this workshop for children aged 7–12. Part of the Merchant City Festival. FREE Cossachok Culinary School Sun 24 Jul, 1–2.30pm. Café Cossachok, 10 King Street/Trongate 103, 276 8380. Learn how to make blinis and pastries under the tutelage of the cafe’s award- winning baker. Ages 10–12. Part of the Merchant City Festival. Front Page Mon 25–Fri 29 Jul, 10am–5pm. £180. RSAMD, 100 Renfrew Street, 332 4101. This one- week course helps children to develop drama skills and make friends as they use newspaper articles to inspire a brand new piece of theatre. Ages 10–11. Summer Theatre Workshop Mon 25–Fri 29 Jul, 1–5pm (Fri until 7pm). £32 for ages 5–8; £52 for ages 9–17. The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. Theatre workshops for children aged 5–17 with Sonic Boom Theatre, working on a youth production of Alice’s Adventures Through the Looking Glass ahead of the full show later in the month. For ages 5–8 there are shorter rehearsal hours and a reduced price – see thearches.co.uk or call for details. FREE Wellpark Fun Day Thu 28 Jul, noon–3pm. Wellpark Community Hall, 11 McIntosh Street. Family fun day as part of Glasgow East’s Long Hot Days season. FREE Gallowgate Fun Day Fri 29 Jul, noon–4pm. Gallowgate Flats, Bluevale Street. Family gala day with
Kids
stalls and attractions, organised by FARE (Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse).
✽✽ Glasgow Show Sat 30 & Sun 31 Jul, 11.30am–5.30pm. £5 (£3; family ticket £12). Glasgow Green, Greendyke Street, glasgow.gov.uk Glasgow’s oldest park plays host to worldwide attractions such as stunt motorcycling, parachuting, a live music stage (including Jedward and Carrie Mac), Highland cattle, heavy horses and all manner of fun for kids. FREE Helenslea Fun Day Sat 30 Jul, noon–3pm. Helenslea Community Hall, 48 Methven Street, Parkhead, 556 1195. Family fun day organised by youth initiative Urban Fox. FREE Creepy Crawlies and Conservation Tue 2 Aug, 1–2.30pm. Mugdock Country Park, Craigallian Road, Milngavie, 956 6100. Parents get their hands dirty in a practical conservation workshop and children get distracted by mud and promise of minibeasts. Glasgow Rocks Basketball Camp Thu 4 Aug, noon–4pm. £25. Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena, 1445 Argyle Street, 334 4600. Scotland’s only professional basketball team welcomes kids aged 7–17 to the annual slam dunkin’ summer camp. Included in the price is coaching and games, the chance to meet some of the team players, T- shirts and goodies, and a ticket to the Rocks’ opening home game of the 2011/12 season.
PREVIEW CIRCUS SKILLS FUN SURGE FAMILY CIRCUS WEEKEND The Briggait, Glasgow, Sat 23 & Sun 24 Jul
Time was, you had to run away and join the circus if you wanted to experience the thrill of the tightrope and trapeze. These days, you can stay safe in the bosom of your family and still swing through the air and show off your sense of balance. Open to all ages and abilities, the Surge Family Circus Weekend is a
free, drop-in event being run by Conflux, as part of their week-long programme of street theatre and circus.
‘There are no age restrictions – young, old , come one come all!’ says Conflux’s education and outreach co-ordinator, Barry Henderson. ‘Last year we only ran the event for one day, but because of the success of it and the huge numbers of families it attracted, we’ve decided to make it a full weekend of activities such as juggling, mini tightropes, acrobatics and trapeze.
Conflux has enlisted the help of two Glasgow-based circus arts companies, Theatre Modo and Aerial Edge, to help them with the weekend. Given the large number and range of artists Conflux has worked with since it launched in 2009, what was it about these two that made them right for the job?
‘Both Theatre Modo and Aerial Edge are excellent providers of family events,’ says Henderson, ‘and have vast experience in working with community groups, young people and professionals. They’re great at teaching skills quickly and making sure it’s fun to learn, which is what a weekend like this should be all about. Both companies teach very different skills but each are equally rewarding to learn.’ (Kelly Apter)
21 Jul–4 Aug 2011 THE LIST 61