KIDS
The Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, 276 9696. Katy Wilson and her merry band perform an interactive gig for under 5s and their adults. First Steps to Music Sat 28 Jun, 10am and 1pm. £5 (accompanying adults free). Wellington Church, 77 Southpark Avenue, 334 0454. Join Katie and her puppet friends for songs, percussion and live violin music. Ages 18 months–3 years. Part of West End Festival. Theatre & Dance The Worm – An Underground Adventure Sun 15 Jun, 12–1pm & 2pm-3pm. £2–£3 (accompanying adults free). The Lighthouse, 11 Mitchell Lane, 276 5360. An adventure with Wilma and William as they journey to find the elusive worm species. Ages 3–7. Looking for Nessie Sat 21 Jun, 2pm. £5.95 (children £5.75). Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre, 8–10 Balcarres Avenue, Kelvindale, 339 6185. Talking Heads puppets help you spot Nessie. Colin’s CommonHealth Games Fri 27 Jun, 11am. £6 (children £4). Lansdowne Church (Websters Theatre), 416 Great Western Road, 337 2311. Learn the nations of the Commonwealth alongside Colin, the lazy teenager who cares more about computer games than the Commonwealth Games. Ages 5–14.
EDINBURGH
Activities & Fun FREE World of Dance Wed 11 Jun, 18 Jun & 25 Jun, 5.30–6.30pm. WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove, 458 3267. Dance classes where kids aged 8+ can learn styles from across the globe. FREE Street Arts Thursdays, 6.40–8.30pm. WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove, 458 3267. Work with visual artists, musicians, photographers and dancers in the streets. Ages 8–16. FREE Create Fri 13 Jun, 20 Jun & 27 Jun, 2.15–4pm. WHALE Arts, 30 Westburn Grove, 458 3267. Drop-in arts and crafts for ages 8–14.
✽ FREE Family Fun Tryathon Sat 14 Jun, 10.30am–5pm. Meadowbank
Sports Centre, 139 London Road, 661 5351. Try 15 of the Commonwealth Games sports with Scottish sport stars, local clubs and coaching organisations. FREE Giving Nature a Home Sat 14 & Sun 15 Jun, 11am–4pm. Royal Botanic Garden, Arboretum Place, 248 2909. Family friendly nature and wildlife activities. FREE Edinburgh Badges Sat 14 Jun, 1.30–3.30pm. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. Kids design and make badges. Suitable for families. FREE Bags of Art Sun 15 Jun, 2–4pm. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art One, 75 Belford Road, 624 6200. Explore the gallery and make your own art. Ages 4–12. Sing and Sign Mon 16 Jun, Mon 23 Jun & Mon 30 Jun, 10–10.40am & 11–11.40am. family £65. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 555 7101. Signing and singing with babies. Ages 6–18 months. FREE Arthur’s Amble Mon 16 Jun & 30 Jun, 1–2.30pm. Holyrood Park, Holyrood, 652 8150. Learn all about the folk who lived and worked around Arthur’s Seat on this gentle walk. Monkey Drama Mondays, 3.30pm. £6 per session; block of five £27.50; block of ten £50. Juniper Green Parish Church Hall, 498 Lanark Road, Juniper Green, monkeydrama.co.uk See Glasgow, Activities & Fun.
✽ Pop Lock-In Sun 22 Jun, 4pm. £8 (accompanying adults free). Electric Circus, 36–39 Market Street, 226 4224. An afternoon lock-in for 4–11 year olds featuring chart tunes, a streetdance instructor, karaoke, jewellery making, plus a parents room and licensed bar. Magic School Sat 28 & Sun 29 Jun, 10am & 1.30pm. £17. City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3993. Kids magic workshops led by magician Gary
66 THE LIST 12 Jun–10 Jul 2014
Book Group Mon 16 Jun, 6pm. Blackwell’s, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8218. An hour of friendly chat about books for 8–11 year olds. FREE Mrs Mash: The Storyteller Cook Mondays, 10.30–11am. The Skylark, 241–243 High Street, 629 3037. Delicious stories and songs for ages 4+. Mac’s Munchkins Tuesdays, 10am. £2. Gorgie City Farm, 51 Gorgie Road, 337 4202. Farm-themed storytelling, crafts, play group and songs. FREE War Hero Bear Sun 22 Jun, 11–11.45am. Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, 0845 874 3001. Tale of the Polish army’s most famous member – Wotjek the Bear. Part of Polish Scottish Heritage Festival. An Audience with Bannockburn: In the Footsteps of Giants Fri 27 Jun, 1.30–3pm. £6 (£4). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Storyteller Calum Lykan tells tales of epic battles and heroic deeds.
Music FREE Our Shared Heritage Sun 22 Jun, 1–2pm. (ticketed). Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, 0845 874 3001. Music workshop for the family with a special focus on Wojtek the Soldier Bear. Part of Polish Scottish Heritage Festival.
Theatre & Dance Second Face Thu 12 Jun, 7pm. Sun 15 Jun, 5pm. £8 (£5). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. What if you had to choose between online friends and physical ones? Suitable for all ages.
✽ The Spokesmen Sat 14 & Sun 15 Jun, 12.30pm & 6pm. Mon 16 Jun,
10am & 1.30pm. £8. Cammo Estate, Cammo Visitor Centre, Cammo Road, 447 7145. See review, page 65. Eleanor the Adventurer and the Land of Spendiferous Hats Sat 14 Jun, 3pm. Sun 15 Jun, 2pm. £8 (£5). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Performed by Strange Town actors aged 8–10. For all ages. The Singing Kettle: Fantastic Funfair Sun 15 Jun, noon & 3pm. £13 (family £48). Edinburgh Festival Theatre, 13–29 Nicolson Street, 529 6000. The Kettle gang head to the funfair singing old songs and new. Baby Loves Disco Sun 22 Jun, 1pm. £8. Electric Circus, 36–39 Market Street, 226 4224. Babies, toddlers, pre-schoolers and parents get their groove on. Colonel Custard: Magical Mayhem Sat 28 Jun–Fri 4 Jul, 5pm. £11 (£9; children £6; family £28). Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. Juggling, levitation, unicycling, magic and plenty of slapstick. Part of Edinburgh International Magic Festival.
OUTSIDE THE CITIES
Festival ✽ National Festival of Youth Theatre Fri 4 Jul–Mon 7 Jul,
Times and prices vary. Rothes Halls, Kingdom Centre, Glenrothes, 01592 611 101. Showcasing the creative work of youth theatre groups from across Scotland plus over 40 workshops.
Books & Storytelling ✽ FREE Marathon Storytelling Challenge Sun 15 Jun, 11am.
Linlithgow Palace, Kirkgate, Linlithgow, 01506 842896. See Glasgow, Books. See preview, left
✽ FREE Marathon Storytelling Challenge Sun 6 Jul, Times tbc.
The Peak Sports Village, Stirling Sports Village, Forthside Way, Stirling, 01786 273555. See Glasgow, Books. See preview, left.
Theatre & Dance ✽ The Spokesmen Tue 24 Jun– Thu 26 Jun, 10am & 6pm. £8. The Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy, See review, page 65.
STORYTELLING TOUR THE MARATHON STORYTELLING CYCLE CHALLENGE Children’s Wood, Glasgow, Fri 13 Jun, then touring
Having a new child changes your life in many unexpected ways, but one pleasant side effect most modern parents won’t have foreseen is just how familiar it makes you with the works of former Children’s Laureate, Julia Donaldson.
For celebrated Scottish actor, performer and parent Tam Dean Burn, however, the work of the Glasgow-based author of The Gruffalo is about to change his year in a big way.
In a tie-in with this summer’s Commonwealth Games, he’ll be setting out for the next six weeks to cycle across Scotland, stopping multiple times per day to read Donaldson’s books, poems and plays to local children. The aim being to have worked his way around all 195 of her works by the time the tour ends in Glasgow.
‘I’ve been reading a lot of Julia’s books lately anyway,’ says Burn, ‘in a place called the Children’s Wood in the West End of Glasgow. It’s been part of a campaign to save North Kelvin Meadow from developers, which Julia’s been hugely supportive of.’
Starting at the Children’s Wood with a version of Superworm, Burn
will tour schools, libraries, village halls and some less traditional venues with a small band featuring his partner Emma on flute and Andy Alston from Del Amitri on accordion, before returning to Glasgow to tour the city during the Games. ‘I’m looking forward to A Squash and a Squeeze the most,’ he says. ‘It comes from an old Yiddish story, I think. I like the way she’s tapped into something deep that stretches back, and that the whole family can learn from these stories. They’ve got power, as well as being funny and inventive.’ (David Pollock) ■ See booksonabike.com for full listings and venue updates.
James. Ages 7–10. Part of Edinburgh International Magic Festival. Athlete Puppets Sat 28 Jun, 10.30am–12.30pm & 1.30–3.30pm. £5. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Learn how to make a simple stringed marionette and decorate it in a Commonwealth country’s colours. The Root of the Matter Sun 29 Jun, 10.30am–12.30pm. £5. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Learn how to identify trees and make a scrapbook of your findings. Summer Performance Projects: Create a Play in Five Days Mon 30 Jun–Fri 4 Jul, 10am–4pm. £99 for full week. Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 30–36 Dalmeny Street, Leith, 629 0292. Work with creative types to create a play in just five days. For ages 8–10. Mini French Wed 2 Jul & 9 Jul, 10–10.40am. £40 for full course.
Marchmont St Giles’ Church, 1a Kilgraston Road, 447 4359. Fun French lessons focusing on songs and nursery rhymes. Ages 0–4. Fairytale Fridge Magnets Mon 7 Jul, 10.30am–12.30pm. £5. Lauriston Castle, 2a Cramond Road South, 529 3963. Create a set of fairytale fridge magnets with artist Stephanie Walker.
Books & Storytelling ✽ FREE Marathon Storytelling Challenge Sat 14 Jun, Times tbc. Craigmillar Library, 7 Niddrie Marischal Gardens, 529 5597. See Glasgow, Books. See preview, above.
✽ FREE Marathon Storytelling Challenge Sat 14 Jun, Times tbc. Princes Street Gardens, Princes Street Gardens, 07930308108. See Glasgow, Books. See preview, above. FREE Blackwell’s Children’s