Accelerator - Niroshini Thambar

Ilustration by Ailie Cohen
Ilustration by Ailie Cohen

The idea for Girl on a String started to emerge about a couple of years ago from an initial piece of writing and original music that I created in response to walking in the volcanic landscape of Holyrood Park, Edinburgh and thinking about land, identity and belonging. It is a story located in childhood which needs to be told from that perspective so I am incredibly pleased and grateful to have the support from Imaginate’s Accelerator to start bringing this idea to life as a piece of theatre.

—Niroshini Thambar

Niroshini was selected to develop Girl on a String through Imaginate's Accelerator programme.

Girl on a String was a performance idea using dance, music and visual theatre to tell the story of a young girl who feels out of place, and her connection to the things that matter to her but which are becoming increasingly distant and out of reach due to events beyond her control.

It is also a simple tale of the intrigue of discovering one end of a string and wondering where it leads to; or of unexpectedly finding yourself attached to something that could be annoying, or comical, or terrifying, or wondrous.  

Touching on universal themes of connection, belonging and loss, it explored the search for a sense of security as a child, and the things that keep you feeling connected to somewhere, something or someone that you cherish.

Girl on a String

A young girl, walking through a landscape, becomes aware of a tugging sensation at her foot. Looking down, she sees a string leading from her foot, pulsing into the soil and rock below. The string is as much part of her as flesh and blood, but as well as anchoring her, it is tethering her. What or who is at the other end of the string? Should she cut herself loose? Will it hurt?  

Should she hold on or let go? Does she have to choose?

Accelerator is supported by the PLACE programme, funded by the Scottish Government, the City of Edinburgh Council and the Edinburgh Festivals, and supported and administered by Creative Scotland.