Even in lockdown, there’s space for a new festival in Edinburgh!
Saras Feijoo is an Edinburgh-based performance artist. She has recognised the power of being playful in performance as an opportunity for a festival. The first took place in 2018 under the name of the Edinburgh Contemporary Clown Festival, garnering praise from Scotsman critic, Joyce McMillan.
Its second outing was planned to take place live at Summerhall but instead comes in the form of online programme of events run and programmed by Feijoo with the idea of bringing the energy of play into daily lives and linking people from around the world with Edinburgh at the hub.
The programme can be accessed internationally as it goes online with the festival being open to not just theatre goers, but to anyone who is looking for a new way to interact in their daily life.
Playfulfest Artistic Director Feijoo, says, “…I believe in the power of being playful as a ‘tool’ to heal our hearts because it engages our imagination – and especially at the moment when many people are finding more time to explore creativity.”
Feijoo has been working in this field for over 15 years, during which time she has taught the art of being playful. She has trained in physical comedy theatre and has performed across Europe, South America and North America with a focus on creating theatre performances with playfulness at their core.
Joining Feijoo and some international guests will be the following workshop leaders: Tim Licata from Plutôt la Vie; Christine Devaney from Curious Seed; puppeteer Richard Medrington; Pete Baynes from Tukuo and The Unique Comedy Ukulele Orchestra. Workshops start from £3 and are open to international audiences as well as those based in the UK. As well as the workshops, the programme features storytelling, dance, and various sessions exploring the idea of playfulness.
Playfulfest, that is aimed at anyone who believes that play is the secret to happiness, has now gone online in its entirety with part of it featuring a live stream of the Plutôt la Vie show By The Seat of Your Pants.
Playfulfest runs at various times from 4th to 6th June 2020, and Early-bird tickets are available now at the 2020 Playfulfest website.
Ticket price one – Early-bird (until 28th May) £7 Full-price £12
Ticket price two (Festival Pass) – Early-bird (until 28th May) £36 Full Price £60
Ticket price three (VIP-Festival Pass) – Early-bird (until 28th May) £77 Full Price £118
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 