Organisation Overview
What is Imaginate?
Imaginate is the national organisation in Scotland which develops, presents and celebrates professional theatre and dance for children and young people. Imaginate believes that all children have the right to experience inspiring theatre and dance regardless of their background, circumstances, access needs or location. Imaginate’s work falls into three strands.
- The Edinburgh International Children’s Festival: an annual celebration of exceptional theatre and dance for young audiences, attracting over 18,000 people each year.
- A year-round schools programme to inspire children and teachers through live performance, including participatory projects led by artists, as well as Theatre in Schools Scotland, a national touring programme delivered in partnership with the National Theatre of Scotland.
- A programme to support the creative development of artists and freelancers involved in the young audiences sector, through a range of events, residencies, workshops, mentoring, professional development programmes and international projects.
What is the Edinburgh International Children's Festival?
The Children’s Festival presents exceptional theatre and dance performances for children and young people aged 0-15 yrs with performances that are deeply engaging, innovative and inspiring. The nine-day festival attracts a loyal audience of 18,000 schools, families and industry delegates from approx. 30 countries, and opens with a Family Day of free pop-up performances and arts activities at the National Museum of Scotland.
The excellent programming, curated by a Festival Director who travels the world to select the best shows, ensures children are watching work that is high-quality, relevant, reflects their identities and stories or inspires and expands their world.
Renowned journalist and theatre critic Joyce McMillan said in The Scotsman “If you want a glorious weekend of thoughtful fun in Edinburgh, then there’s no better way to spend it than revelling in the range and creativity of what is one of the world’s premiere children’s theatre festivals.”
Where is Imaginate based and what area does it serve?
Imaginate is based in Edinburgh (30B Grindlay Street, EH3 9AX) and although the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival is presented in Edinburgh, the Festival on Tour takes some of the productions to venues across Scotland in the lead up to the Festival. Imaginate also has a global reputation for presenting exceptional international works and fostering collaborations and attracts artists and programmers from over 30 countries to the Festival.
Imaginate serves the whole of Scotland through year-round projects supporting artists to create work for young audiences and inspiring schools with creative projects and performances. This includes co-producing Theatre in Schools Scotland, which presents exciting performances in schools all over Scotland.
Is Imaginate a charity or commercial organisation?
Imaginate is a charity (Charity No. SC016437) and relies on grants, ticket income and donations to deliver its programmes.
What impact does Imaginate have on its audiences and stakeholders?
The impact of watching and talking about theatre and dance can be deep and lasting for children. Live performances stretch their imaginations, help develop empathy, broaden their horizons and provide a safe space to think about complex ideas.
Reducing barriers
Imaginate ensures that children from all backgrounds can experience high-quality performances, so that socio-economic factors, location or disability don't prevent any child from accessing inspiring theatre and dance. For example, the Festival Accessibility Programme and Imaginate’s work in schools enable more children from disadvantaged backgrounds to benefit from theatre and dance experiences. This is especially important as research shows that watching and talking about theatre and dance can be one of the tools in closing the educational attainment gap between children from low-income households and those from wealthier backgrounds, and in improving children’s mental health.
In a climate of increasing social division, performances can help children to broaden their horizons.
High-quality theatre and dance can offer a window into other cultures, voices, stories and ways of seeing the world. The productions that Imaginate presents and supports provide compellingly told stories designed to challenge and inspire young minds. Productions dealing with complex themes – like climate change, gender identity, loss or family breakdown – can offer a gateway for children into reflecting on these topics in a safe, accessible way. Imaginate also supports artists from under-represented backgrounds to make work for children, thus increasing the diversity perspectives that children see onstage.
Creativity is a vital skill in today’s job market
Creativity, imagination and emotional intelligence are key skills for today’s fast-evolving job market. Imaginate provides opportunities for children to imagine a different world, and helps them develop skills such as creative problem solving, thinking outside conventional boundaries and collaborative approaches that will be essential as they develop and make their marks on the world.
Artists need support to create inspiring performances
Scotland has developed an international reputation for making high-quality theatre and dance for young audiences, but this reputation is not secure. By supporting artists at all levels of their careers, and by targeting opportunities for those under-represented in the young audiences sector, Imaginate helps more artists from more diverse backgrounds to make innovative theatre and dance for children. As the national organisation which champions young audiences, Imaginate also plays a central role in advocating for the importance of funding the arts for children and young people.