list.co.uk/kids Previews | KIDS
MUSIC WORLD PIPE BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS Glasgow Green, Fri 14 & Sat 15 Aug FESTIVAL GLASGOW SCIENCE FESTIVAL Various venues, Glasgow, Thu 4–Sun 14 Jun
Some go for the drums, some for the Kids Zone, some just for the kilts. But whatever you go to the World Pipe Band Championships for, you’ll have plenty of company. Each year, over 200 bands from around the world converge on Glasgow Green for the highlight in the piping calendar, plus over 30,000 visitors. ‘The Worlds attract a wide range of audiences,’ says Ian Embelton, chief
executive of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association. ‘There are those who come to appreciate the enormous skill and dedication of world-class musicians competing for prizes, to visitors to Scotland and to the family audiences who make a whole day of it.’
As well as the music workshops, activities and entertainment in the Kids Zone, young people are very much at the heart of the championships themselves, and have been for generations. ‘The majority of the bands have younger members and very young supporters whose families are already steeped in the traditions of pipe bands,’ says Embelton. ‘They will be the lifeblood of those bands for generations to come. We want the Worlds to be accessible to every age group in the hope that we will continue to grow audiences and encourage participation, ensuring pipe bands continue to thrive wherever there is interest.’ (Kelly Apter)
Think you could survive in the wild? There’s only one (civilised) way to find out: join the RSPB in Kelvingrove Park and try building your own den, cooking outdoors and finding out how the rest of the animal kingdom manages it on a daily basis, while we’re all cosy indoors. ‘The Science of Survival’ is just one of several fun events taking place at a free drop-in weekend for all ages at Kelvingrove during Glasgow Science Festival. Many of the events tie in with the festival’s main aim since launching in 2007: to highlight the work of cutting-edge scientists on our doorstep. To that end, Kelvingrove will be playing host to leading researchers who will help
visitors explore the journey seafood makes from the ocean to your stomach, talk enthusiastically about their search for prehistoric beasts in Scotland, and take you inside the surprisingly beautiful workings of a nerve cell.
‘Our weekend at Kelvingrove is a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on and discover some of the amazing science happ ening right here in Glasgow, straight from the mouths of the scientists doing the research,’ says Glasgow Science Festival director, Dr Deborah McNeill. ‘Families can try yoga and learn the science behind those stretches, meet a dinosaur hunter, compare themselves to athletes at the sports science roadshow and build a map of where they live with citizen science mapping. From the weans to your granny, there really is something for everyone.’ (Kelly Apter)
FESTIVAL MAGICFEST Summerhall, Edinburgh, Fri 26 Jun–Sat 4 Jul
We all love a good trick or mindblowing feat of illusionism. There are even some of you who can’t get enough of people appearing to hammer nails through their own heads. But what does MagicFest have up its sleeve for kids and families this year? A fair bit, as it happens, with a family adventure called Magic Quest and a friendly competition entitled War of the Wizards taking centre stage.
‘The children’s programme at MagicFest has grown each year, and in 2014 the children’s workshops all sold out, so there’s definitely a lot of kids out there who want to learn magic,’ states Kevin McMahon (pictured), one third of Edinburgh’s Colour Ham comedy-magic gang and the founder of MagicFest. ‘Generally, magic is always popular with kids, from Roald Dahl to Dynamo to Harry Potter. Dreaming of having special powers is just what kids do and that’s what magic is all about.’
Magic Quest and War of the Wizards might be very
different events but both aim to be positive experiences for the kids involved. War of the Wizards will give young people the chance to show off their magic skills in front of a warm and friendly audience. And while there is an element of competition involved, all participants receive some kind of reward as well as feedback after their performance. ‘In Magic Quest, you have to work together to solve
problems, overcome obstacles, even fight a dragon!’ explains McMahon who has his own show, Quantum Magic, at the festival. ‘It was inspired by the event we had last year at Camera Obscura, called Tower of Illusion. We wanted to make an event that places you inside a magical adventure and this is what we came up with. It’s fun and fast moving with a few surprises along the way.’ (Brian Donaldson)
4 Jun–3 Sep 2015 THE LIST 77