News: Festival

Bamboozled by the Festival. Here is Fiona Ferguson's quick guide to being a delegate

With less than a month to go to the launch of the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival on 21 April, two productions from the many times re-drafted programme have been announced. Both are brand new commissions by exciting companies and artists based in Scotland, and are supported by the Scottish Government Festivals Expo Fund.

Artist Xana Marwick reflects on the recent horrific murder of Sarah Everard and its relevance to her new play Thrown, which she is writing as part of Imaginate's Accelerator programme.

We are pleased to confirm that we are planning an exciting festival for next year, and that it will go ahead in one form or another from 25 May - 6 June.

Belinda McElhinney has been appointed as Imaginate's new Chief Executive, starting on 1 February 2021. She succeeds Paul Fitzpatrick who is leaving Imaginate to take up the post of Director of Creative Engagement at the National Theatre of Scotland.

Alongside 11 other children’s arts organisations we’re calling for arts and creativity to be at the heart of every child’s life – artists or ‘creative practitioners’ should be part of the core team around every child!

If like us, you have missed the festivals this month, we encourage you to make the most of these rainy days to enjoy some beautiful, challenging and exciting content available online at the moment.

After nearly six years at the helm, Imaginate’s Chief Executive Paul Fitzpatrick is to leave to take up the newly created post of Director of Creative Engagement at the National Theatre of Scotland.

Artists Jim Manganello and Lucy Ireland talk about what they have learnt and (un)learnt while developing their new Untitled Discotheque Project.

As life continues in lockdown for many of us and for some taking the first tentative steps out of restrictions, we thought it might be a great time to share some new digital adventures with you from around the world.

Imaginate Chief Executive Paul Fitzpatrick reflects on what theatre and dance can bring to children in these stressful times - UPDATED

Vince Virr is a dance artist based in Scotland who has performed at the Children's Festival many times. Here he reflects on his experience being in lockdown in two countries, China and now Scotland, and what he has learned from that.

Read about the PUSH and PUSH+ artists programmed as part of the this year's krokusfestival as the connections between partners and artists continues to grow.

The PUSH+ Home Lab finished at Showbox Festival in December 2019 in a programme that explored Home through performances and discussions that included a number of artists from PUSH. Here the Scenekunstbruket team reflect on that.

At Imaginate we are grappling with how to respond to the climate crisis and reduce the amount we fly, while retaining our international outlook. Read on to find out why, and how you can help.

Birds of Paradise recently did an Imaginate residency with Pilrig Park School at the end of 2019, here Artistic Director Robert Gale talks about the experience and what they learned.

We are delighted to announce that Belinda McElhinney has been appointed to undertake a PhD over the next three-year in partnership with the University of Aberdeen, on the following topic: Valuing Young Audience: how children experience and value live theatre and dance, and why it matters. This research project seeks to explore and evidence the value of watching theatre and dance for children as audience members in a school setting and in an arts venue. It will use a combination of ethnographic tools including participant observation, semi-structured interviews and workshops to engage with children, teachers, parents and artists to understand the children’s experiences.