Imaginate tickets on public sale
Festival of theatre for children boasts 14 productions for 2014
Up toSpeed. Photo © Eoin Carey
By Thom Dibdin
The Imaginate festival of theatre for children and young people will celebrate its 25th anniversary in May with 14 productions in venues around Edinburgh.
Tickets went on public sale through the Traverse box-office today, Monday 17 March, for the event which runs from Monday 4 to Monday 12 May.
The festival boasts several World, UK and Scottish premiers among its productions, including a new Imaginate commission from Rosalind Sydney. Up to Speed, playing at the Traverse, is a funny, moving and captivating tale aimed at the 8+ agegroup, about a boy, a girl and what it’s like to be the odd one out.
Besides the main productions, the Traverse will become a focus for family entertainment of a particularly varied and perceptive type over the final weekend of the festival, May 10 and 11, with Fringe for Families.
Festival director Tony Reekie told Æ that the idea is to create a space where theatre practitioners can experiment and familes gain a completely unique theatre experience.
“At the weekend when you had families coming along to see shows, the environment wasn’t particularly interesting,” he said. “The main hub that we have at the Traverse is lovely but the Traverse wasn’t really designed for families.
“At the beginning we looked at ways to make that place more interesting without falling back on colouring-in and face painting.
“opportunity”
“We saw that there was an opportunity to extend that development work that we do; that we could actually start to engage with artists who just had ideas and who just wanted to perhaps play about and practice them with an audience. So we created that environment where there are interesting things going on that people could interact with – but which also gave our artists the opportunity to go on a wee bit of a journey as well.”
Imaginate began life as the Scottish International Children’s Festival in 1990 with a tented weekend festival at Inverlieth Park. Although it was hugely successful there, consecutive years of torrential rain and washouts forced it to move indoors, first to Theatre Workshop and then the Traverse – and spread from a single weekend to a week-long festival.
As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations Imaginate is collecting stories and recollections of that first Festival and invites anoyone who was there to share their memories saying: “We know lots of our audiences and supporters have been with us from the very beginning (attending as a child and now bringing your own children or as parents and teachers) and we would love to hear your memories and experiences of the Festival then and now!”
You can send stories and memories to Imaginate by email or by posting them on their ImaginateUK Facebook page.
Imaginate Festival 2014 listings
Tickets from the Traverse box office: 0131 228 1404 or click through the links below to the event pages on www.traverse.co.uk
Too Many Penguins. Photo © Douglas McBride
Too Many Penguins?
Target age group: 1-4 years; Fri 9 – Mon 12 May. 45 mins.
Church Hill Theatre Studio, 33 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4DR
How many penguins are too many penguins? Mr Polaro thinks that one is more than enough, thank you very much, but Penguina wants someone to play with, so it might get crowded. 2012 Winner of the CATS best Production for Children and Young People award. (macrobert and Frozen Charlotte, Scotland). Tickets
a small story – eine kleine geschicht
Target age group: 2-4 years; Tue 6 – Sat 10. 35 mins.
Church Hill Theatre Studio, 33 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4DR
A world of objects and visual storytelling created and performed by Andy Manley (creator of White) and Ania Michaelis, in an international collaboration. (Starcatchers, Scotland and Theater o.N., Germany) Tickets
Grandad and Me
Target age group: 5+ years; Tue 6/Wed 7, Sat 10, Mon 12. 45 mins.
North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court, Edinburgh, EH4 4TZ
The story of a little girl who loses her beloved Grandad. This piece beautifully weaves together original music, choreography and animation inspired by the illustrations of Jon Bishop (AKA The Grey Earl). (The Letter J, Scotland) Tickets
Tiger Tale
Target age group: 7+ years; Mon 5 – Wed 7. 55 mins.
Festival Theatre Studio, Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BL
A high-octane dance performance about a family whose everyday world is turned upside down when a tiger comes to visit (Barrowland Ballet, Scotland) Tickets
Up to Speed
Target age group: 8+ years; Thurs 8, Sat 10 – Mon 12. 60 mins.
Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street EH1 2ED
A funny, moving and captivating tale about a boy and a girl, and what it’s like to be the odd one out. An Imaginate commission from Rosalind Sydney, created and performed by her with Laurie Brown in her first work at the festival. (Up To Speed, Scotland) Tickets
Alvin Sputnik. Photo © Michelle Robin Anderson
The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer
Target age group: 9+ years; Tue 6 – Sat 10. 45 mins.
Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street EH1 2ED
A highly imaginative fusion of animation, puppetry, projections and music, telling the tale of a quiet hero, Alvin, and the search for his lost love in the seemingly endless depths of the ocean. A remarkable pocket masterpiece of inventions, staging and performance. (The Last Great Hunt, Australia) Tickets
Saltbush – Children’s Cheering Carpet
Target ages: 4-8 years. Thurs 8 -Mon 12. 45 mins.
Festival Theatre Studio, Potterrow, Edinburgh, EH8 9BL
An interactive journey through the culture and landscape of Aboriginal Australia, celebrated through live dance, music, song and stories. Created as a collaboration between Italian, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australian artists Salbush follows the journey of two Aboriginal friends as they cross Australia on foot. (Compagnia TPO, Italy and Insite Arts, Australia) Tickets
Not Now Bernard
Target ages: 2-5 years. Wed 7/Thurs 8, Sat 10. 50 mins.
Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street EH1 2ED
Bernard’s got a problem. He’s found a monster in the back garden and his mum and dad are just too busy to notice. So Bernard tries to befriend the monster… and that doesn’t go quite to plan. Loved by children, adults and monsters for over thirty years, David McKee’s iconic picture-book is vividly brought to life on stage by (Unicorn Theatre, England) Tickets
A True Tall Tale
Target ages: 2-5 years. Wed 7/Thurs 8, Sat 10. 50 mins.
South Side Community Centre, 117 Nicolson St, Edinburgh, EH8 9ER
An extraordinary fairytale set among celestial projections, told as you watch in wonder from your hammock below. (Gruppe 38 and Carte Blanche, Denmark) Tickets
Cacoon. Photo © Till Budde
Cocoon
Target age group: 2-5 years. Tue 6 – Thurs 8. 45 mins.
Church Hill Theatre Studio, 33 Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4DR
With few words and live music. Renowned Berlin-based company Theater o.N. take their young audience on a journey, from the very beginnings of life, passing through stages of metamorphosis, from dreaming to dancing. (Theater o.N. Germany) Tickets
Tetris
Target age group: 6+ years. Thurs 8 – Sat 10. 45 mins.
North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court, Edinburgh, EH4 4TZ
A high-energy dance performance that begins as a game of interlocking shapes. (Arch 8 Dance Group, Netherlands) Tickets
O Snap
Target age group: 12+ years. Tue 6/Wed 7. 55 mins
Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street EH1 2ED
Who are we, what do we want, and where do we belong? From the makers of No Man is An Island and My True North, O Snap is a dance performance about finding your own identity in an overloaded world. a dance performance about finding your own identity in an overloaded world. (Arch 8 Dance Group, Netherlands) Tickets
Manxmouse
Target age group: 6+ years. Fri 9, Sun 11/Mon 12.
Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street EH1 2ED
Manxmouse is an adventurous play about a brave mouse featuring many puppets, animation and music. He may have failed as a mouse, but nevertheless, he succeeds very well at being Manxmouse… (Theatergroep Kwatta, Netherlands). Tickets
If Only Rosa Could Do Magic. Photo © Håvard L. Johansen
If Only Rosa Could Do Magic
Target age group: 5-9 years. Wed 7 – Sat 10. 45 mins.
Artspace, 11 Harewood Road, Edinburgh, EH16 4NT
A charming, funny and slightly bittersweet story about a girl who, some might say, has everything she could ever dream of… Rosa has the sweetest dress, the loveliest hair, lots of pink toys and as much candy as she could wish for, so why is she still sad? (Katja Brita Lindeberg, Norway). Tickets
Fringe for Families
Target age group: All. Sat 10: 11am-6pm, Sun 11, 11am-5pm.
Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street EH1 2ED
Imaginate Festival’s Family Fringe gives local artists and performers opportunities to create, perform and experiment with new ideas for family audiences. Fun-packed and full of variety, this programme of short performances is always a very popular event and takes place in the nooks, crannies and open spaces of the Traverse Café bar during the Festival weekend. Details
Tickets are on sale now, from the Traverse Box Office on 0131 228 1404 and online.
ENDS
