Edinburgh International Children’s Festival (EICF) has commissioned four new pieces of work from Scottish-based artists as part of its free opening family day, Family Encounters, which will take place on Saturday 25th May at the National Museum of Scotland.
The first two were selected by young people involved in Creative Encounters, while the other two were selected by a panel including staff and freelance artists and the four are as follows:
Soup by Suzi Cunningham and Alex McCabe from Moonslide will see two chefs attempting to make soup using a range of vegetables and utensils while getting into comical situations, tea-towel acrobatics and kitchen pot music making. This idea was selected by P4-P7 children from Forthview Primary School in Pilton who will work closely with the artists to develop the characters, compose music and choreograph dance routines for the final performance.
Suzi and Alex said “Working in communities to explore dance, clown, and collaborative cooking, we’ve found that this can open minds, hearts and mouths to wholesome vegetable goodness. ….”
The Boy Who Couldn’t Sit Still by Cecilia Thoden van Velzen and Cameron Prince will be a dance between a boy and the chair he’s been told to stay in. What happens when this boring kitchen chair starts moving its legs? The idea was selected by children attending Pilton Youth Project who will work with the artists to develop the boy’s incredible imagination, as well as support a puppet designer with the design of the magical chair.
Cecilia and Cam said “There is nothing more powerful than imagining something that makes the world around you more interesting. … We want to celebrate those great unseen ideas and amplify the voices of the children who came up with them.”
The Prom Pom Queen, by Kerry Cleland and collaborators Ben Winger and Katy Wilson, will involve an extravagant character offering playful pom poms around the museum. Pom poms can be anything and everything and within them is a world of opportunity. Families will be able to watch, interact or relax, and even make their own pom pom. The Prom Pom Queen costume will be designed by costume designer Alison Brown.
Kerry said “The costume will be elaborate but the play will be simple. It’s about connecting with one another, going on a journey with people and seeing where we end up. The audience informs the story. ..”
Lo-Fi Hip Hop Beetroots by Lewis Sherlock celebrates all that we love and hate about vegetables, with two giant beetroots and their carrot microphones dancing and interacting with young audiences as they roam the museum.
Lewis said “Pitch-forked as deliberately low-key, The Lo Fi Hip Hop Beetroots focus on gentle engagement with the audience whilst making fun music and lo-fi dances. They are the ultimate warm up gang – and they are good in a salad too.”
EICF runs from 25th May – 2nd June when it will offer a packed programme of circus, dance, storytelling and theatre for young people, their schools and families, as well as industry professionals.
The Festival’s full programme will be announced on 20th March. at www.imaginate.org.uk
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 