Previews | KIDS
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CHRISTMAS CONCERT CHILDREN’S CLASSIC CONCERTS: TINSELTOWN Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sat 16 Dec; Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sun 17 Dec FESTIVE FESTIVAL EDINBURGH’S CHRISTMAS Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 17 Nov–Sat 6 Jan
Sitting on the sofa with a full stomach and watching a blockbuster movie has become as synonymous with Christmas as crackers and carols. So when Children’s Classic Concert’s dynamic hosts Owen Gunnell and Oliver Cox were putting together the programme for this year’s festive concert, they looked beyond the usual yuletide tunes. ‘We’ll be playing some famous Christmas music from the movies,’ says
Gunnell. ‘But a highlight will also be a medley of tunes from some of the most popular Hollywood musicals of all time, that we love watching at Christmas – like Frozen, Mary Poppins, Singin' in the Rain and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – featuring us both on percussion.’ Never afraid to be the butt of the joke, both Owen and Olly will be kitting
themselves out with Christmas gear. ‘We’ll both be suitably attired as usual,’ says Gunnell, ‘but we can't give too much away for now.’ The percussion-playing duo have been fronting Children’s Classic Concerts since 2008, with Owen playing the fool to Olly’s straight man. Despite, or perhaps because of, their different personalities, their obvious friendship shines through. What’s the secret to their on-stage relationship? ‘Not seeing too much of each other when we’re not working!,’ laughs Gunnell.
‘And, although we’re very different, we both share the same aims – to make every concert as good as it can be, and as entertaining as possible.’ (Kelly Apter)
The thing about running an annual seven-week event that both locals and tourists flock to, is that you can’t stand still. So, while the team behind Edinburgh’s Christmas could have rolled out the big wheel, ice rink, a few shows and yuletide markets until the end of time, they wouldn’t have been happy with themselves.
‘This is the fifth year of Underbelly producing Edinburgh’s Christmas,’ says producer Ruth Fisher, ‘and our ambition is to present refreshed and revised plans every year. In 2017, it spreads wider across the city, reaching more communities.’
New attractions for families this year include the Ice Adventure: A Journey
Through Frozen Scotland, an immersive, if chilly (the area is programmed to reach -10º) walk along George Street. ‘It’s an idea we’ve been developing for a few years and we’re delighted that Hamilton Ice Sculptors, who have over 40 years’ experience, have agreed to produce it,’ says Fisher. ‘The theme is the history of Scotland, and the Ice Adventure takes you on a tour from the mystical through to the contemporary.’ Another new feature, the Giant Advent Calendar, will be projected onto General
Register House on Princes Street, with each day showing a different Edinburgh winter scene, dating back to the 1700s. ‘We delve into a different year of the archive every day of Advent,’ explains Fisher, ‘with a soundtrack from the year in question accompanying each animation. It’s a befitting close to the year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.’ (Brian Donaldson)
NEW CLASS TRAMWEANS Tramway, Glasgow, weekly from Mon 20 Nov
You only have to watch a group of young children playing to know that imagination is not thin on the ground in pre- schoolers. One woman looking to harness that quality is artist Ruth Barker, whose new weekly class, Tramweans, will use movement, storytelling and play to channel the inherent creativity in children aged 3–5. ‘A creative outlook is an incredibly powerful and joyous
perspective to have on the world,’ says Barker. ‘And at this young age, creativity does comes naturally. But we can still work hard to support and nurture it, building it up with games and activities that encourage creative confidence and develop skills in movement and physical co-ordination.’ Barker’s activities may be shaped to bring out the best
in pre-schoolers, but she’s equally keen for the adults standing next to them to get stuck in, too. ‘The classes are aimed at getting children and their
grown-ups exploring together,’ she says. ‘So leave your inhibitions at the door – along with your shoes! All the activities will be collaborative and we hope that the grown- ups will learn as much, and have as much fun, as the wee ones.’ Each of the hour-long classes will be self-contained, so if you can’t make the full block of five sessions, you can still benefit from getting involved – both at Tramway itself and after you and your little one have left the building.
‘Families who come to the Tramweans classes are encouraged to continue to create and explore the techniques and games once they get home,’ says Barker. ‘We’ll use a minimum of equipment so that as many activities as possible can be done at home, in the park or anywhere else you have space.’ (Kelly Apter)
1 Nov 2017–31 Jan 2018 THE LIST 93