KIDS
FREE Provand’s in the Frame Sat 16 Feb, 1pm. People’s Palace & Winter Gardens, Glasgow Green, 276 0788. Find out more about the oldest house in Glasgow. FREE Provand’s in the Frame Sat 16 Feb, 1pm. St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, 2 Castle Street, 276 1625. See above. FREE Vintage Photo Shoot Sat 16 & Sun 17 Feb, 1.30–3.30pm. Riverside Museum, 100 Pointhouse Place, 287 2660. Have a vintage photo shoot – complete with costumes and props – and print the results out at home.
✽ FREE Tramway Family Day: The Big Idea Sun 17 Feb, 12–4pm.
Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330 3501. Family-friendly day of workshops, installations and performances. FREE Steam Power Sun 17 Feb, 1–3pm. Glasgow Museums Resource Centre, 200 Woodhead Road, 276 9300. Create a steam powered putt-putt engine and learn about steam power through the years. Ages 7+.
Books & Storytelling Darren Shan: Zom-B Underground Thu 24 Jan, 6–8pm. £3. Waterstones, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. Shan signs copies of the second in his (kid-friendly!) zombie apocalypse series. FREE The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit Storytelling Fri 25 Jan & 8 Feb, 1.30pm. Scotland Street School Museum, 225 Scotland Street, 287 0500. Storytelling to accompany the Peter Rabbit exhibition. FREE Storytelling in British Sign Language Sat 26 Jan, 2pm. Scotland Street School Museum, 225 Scotland Street, 287 0500. Stories old and new come to life for kids who use BSL. Tall Tales Sat 26 Jan & 9 Feb, 10– 11am. £6 per child + adult. Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. Interactive storytelling session with movement, mime and props. Ages 3–5. Family Storytime: Tales From Around The World Sat 26 & Sun 27 Jan, 9 & 10 Feb, 10.30am & 12.30pm. £5 (under 2s free; family £15). Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 552 3988. Interactive storytelling sessions for families with children under 7 years.
✽ FREE Robert Burns Weekend Events Sat 26 & Sun 27 Jan, 2pm.
People’s Palace & Winter Gardens, Glasgow Green, 276 0788. Poems, stories and songs with a Rabbie Burns theme, plus art and poetry workshops. FREE Walking Tours: Storytelling Walk Sun 27 Jan, 2pm. Burrell Collection, 2060 Pollokshaws Road, 287 2550. Winter tales on a walk around the park.
Music Teen Star Music Contest Sat 9 Feb, 2.30–5.30pm. £5. City Halls, Candleriggs, 353 8000. Auditions for a new music contest for teens and pre- teens. Theatre & Dance Take a Stand Fri 25 Jan, 6pm & 7pm & 8pm. Sat 26 Jan, 2pm & 3pm & 4pm. £3.50. Platform, The Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, 276 9696. A new play giving a view of how young people see their schools these days. Ages 12+. I Spy With PC Mckay Sat 26 Jan, 2pm. Children £5.50 (adults £5.95). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Help PC Mckay solve the mystery of Robert’s dog and Randolph’s wand! Ages 3+. FREE River Dreaming Mon 28 & Tue 29 Jan, times tbc. Scottish Youth Theatre, Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, 552 3988. A story inspired by Australia’s Swan River. Oscar And The Lost City Of The Incas Sat 2 Feb, 2pm & 4pm. Children £5.50 (adults £5.95). Scottish Mask and
70 THE LIST 24 Jan–21 Feb 2013
1155. See preview, left. FREE My Favourite Space Sat 9 Feb, 10.30am–1pm. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. Use oil pastels and collage materials to make a favourite space of your own. Chinese New Year Sun 10 Feb, 9am–4pm. Included in admission; some activities may incur a small charge. Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. Celebrate the Year of the Snake with activities, stories, arts and crafts. Meerkat Birthday Bash Tue 12 Feb, 9am–4pm. Included in admission. Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. Birthday fun for two of the zoo’s meerkat clan. Snugglebugs Fri 15 Feb, 10.30– 11.30am. £2 as well as zoo admission. Edinburgh Zoo, Corstorphine Road, 334 9171. Start your day the way you mean to go on with loads of energy from singing, dancing and movement, followed by arts and crafts. Ages 6 months–5 years. FREE Chinking Chimes Sat 16 Feb, 10.30am–12.30pm. Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate, 529 4143. Create a wind chime from wood or sparkling beads. FREE White and Black Sat 16 Feb, 10.30am–1pm. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. Workshop in drawing on white paper with black chalk, exploring freedom of line. FREE Scotland’s Rainforest Sat 16 & Sun 17 Feb, 1–4pm. Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2909. Explore the world of lichens that live on Scotland’s West Coast. Ages 5+.
Books & Storytelling The Twa Rabbies Sat 26 Jan, 11am– noon. £6 (£4). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. An evening of tall tales, songs and poems from Scotland’s Bard. Ages 6+. We’ll A’ Be Proud O’ Robin Sat 26 Jan, 2–3pm. £5 (£3). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Lively versions of the songs, poems and stories of Robert Burns, presented by a colourful cast of dolls. Ages 5+. FREE Blackwells Teenage Book Group Sun 3 Feb, 2pm. Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. The group discusses The Owl Service by Alan Garner.
✽ FREE Stories of Scandinavia Sat 9 & Mon 11 Feb, 11am–4pm.
Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Explore the wonders of Scandinavian folk tales through workshops, music and storytelling. FREE The Blackwell Children’s Book Group Mon 11 Feb, 6pm. Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. An hour of friendly chat about books for 8–11-year-olds. Tiny Tales Tue 12 Feb, 10–10.40am & 11.30am–12.10pm. £5. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Special stories to warm your heart. Ages 1–3. Play Dead! Fri 15 Feb, 11am & 2pm. £6 (£4). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Classic Scottish and German fairy tales, adding a modern twist, songs and a handful of gruesome fun. Ages 5+. FREE Talking Trees Storytelling Sun 17 Feb, 2–3.30pm. Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2909. Adults and children alike are transported to a magical land far, far away. Ages 5+.
Music Scottish Chamber Orchestra Family Concert: A Little Book of Monsters Sat 9 Feb, 3pm. £10–£29 (£5–£27; under 16s free). Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228 1155. A monster- themed concert for ages 6+. See preview. The Singing Kettle: Fairytale Castle Sun 17 Feb, noon & 3pm. £13. Edinburgh Festival Theatre, 13–29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000. All your favourite fairytales brought to life by the gang, with song, music and laughter for all.
FAMILY CONCERT A LITTLE BOOK OF MONSTERS Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 9 Feb
‘I thought he was the funniest man I’d ever met,’ recalls composer Stephen Deazley of the first time he was introduced to writer Matt Harvey. Deazley later found himself laughing out loud to Harvey’s poetry, attracting some odd looks in an Edinburgh café, and knew he’d found the perfect lyricist for his work.
‘Neither of us is interested in squeaky clean children’s literature or art,’ says Deazley, ‘or things that grown-ups ascribe to children in terms of what they think they’ll like. We both try, as much as we can in our mid-40s, to get inside the heads of nine- and ten-year-olds.
The first time Deazley and Harvey ventured into the mind of the average primary school child, they came up with The Songbook of Unsingable Songs. Now they’re back with an equally bizarre set of songs, based on group of monsters Harvey has dreamed up. ‘But not regular ones,’ says Deazley, ‘really snotty ones, horrible grim ones, monsters that do grizzly things.’
The duo’s new creation, A Little Book of Monsters, will be performed by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and sung by over 250 children from nine primary schools across Edinburgh which Deazley has pulled together into ‘a giant chorus’.
Following a day of free monster-themed family activities, the piece itself will form part of a wider bill featuring Paul Patterson’s setting of two Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl, a section of Grieg’s Peer Gynt, and an additional piece by Deazley and Harvey entitled The Hideous Bloat.
‘A good, honest, wicked, disrespectful attitude in terms of work for children persists across the whole event,’ says Deazley, ‘which I thoroughly approve of.’ (Kelly Apter)
Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. The story of Oscar the mouse, whose best friend Bluebell disappears unexpectedly. Ages 3+.
✽ Baby Loves Disco Sun 3 Feb, 2–5pm. £8 per adult + child.
Mansion House, The Glasshouse, 20 Glassford Street, 553 4888. A chance for kids aged six months–seven years (and their parents) to get their grooves on.
EDINBURGH Activities & Fun FREE We Dance Thu 24 & 31 Jan, 7, 14 & 21 Feb, 3.45–4.30pm & 4.45–5.30pm. Wed 30 Jan & 6, 13 & 20 Feb, 10.30–11.15am. North Edinburgh Arts Centre, 15a Pennywell Court, 315 2151. Dance lessons for all ages incorporating a range of different styles. Ages 3–5 on Wed at 10.30am; ages 7–9 on Thu at 3.45pm and ages 10–12 on Thu at 4.45pm. FREE Shapes In Nature Sat 26 Jan, 10.30am–1pm. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. Collage workshop, using patches of colour to create objects. FREE Who is in the Big Top? Sat 26 Jan, 10.30am–12.30pm & 1.30–3pm. Museum of Childhood, 42 High Street,
529 4142. Create some clowns and acrobats in your own mini big top. Happy Ears Sat 26 Jan & 2, 9 & 16 Feb, 10–10.45am. £5 per session. Calton Centre, 121 Montgomery Street, 07778 117333. Music group for dads/male carers and their little ones. Ages 0–15 months from 10am; ages 15 months–4 years from 11am. FREE It’s Summer Down Under! Sat 26 & Sun 27 Jan, 12.30–3.30pm. Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2909. Arts and crafts session in honour of Australia Day. Teach Me How To . . . Sat 26 Jan, 2–8pm. £2 (children free). LifeCare, 2 Cheyne Street, 07528 410237. Embrace a new hobby at this day of workshops. FREE Scrolls and Quills! Sat 2 Feb, 10.30am–12.30pm & 1.30–3.30pm. Museum of Edinburgh, Huntly House, 142 Canongate, 529 4143. Try writing with quills, pen and ink to create your own mysterious sealed scroll. FREE Installation Art Sat 2 Feb, 10.30am–1pm. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. Create an artwork inspired by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham’s Red Playing Games 1.
✽ FREE A Little Book of Monsters Family Day, 10.30am–
3pm. Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 228