2014

Imaginate Festival

Tiger Tale by Barrowland Ballet made its Festival debut in 2014. It tells the story of a tiger that disrupts the every-day routine of a troubled family in a performance The Herald called “high-octane […] the thrilling complexities of the choreography look effortless”. It returns to the Festival in 2019 as Playful Tiger, reworked for children and young people who are profoundly autistic and mainly non-verbal. The Paul Hamlyn Foundation supported a research and development process that created opportunities for the work to be influenced by the children’s own responses, and Artistic Director Natasha Gilmore will offer insights from the journey as part of a discussion with 2019 delegates.

Accessibility initiatives have underpinned the Children’s Festival’s 30 year history and shaped the nature of Imaginate’s creative development programmes. Duncan says: “The whole thing was about: how do we make this so that everyone can come and see it?”

Watch the trailer for Barrowland Ballet’s Playful Tiger

Did you know…?

There has been a travel subsidy ever since the first Festival in 1990. In the early years it was funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and aided by a discount offered by local transport operators.

Between 1998 and 2001 the Festival offered a 100% refund on travel costs for all schools visiting the Festival!

Today the travel subsidy provides a 100% refund for special schools and groups, and an 80% refund for state nursery, primary and secondary schools and groups – all thanks to the Festival’s generous sponsors and donors.

Outstanding programming

In 2014 Imaginate won the CATS Whiskers! Standing for Critics’ Award for Theatre in Scotland, it’s an occasional award that recognises “outstanding contributions” to theatre. Imaginate received the prize “for 25 years of excellent programming”, with the jury commenting: “It is, quite simply, impossible to conceive of the existing children’s theatre sector in Scotland without Imaginate”.

Katja Brita Lindeberg - If Only Rosa Could Do Magic
Barrowland Ballet - Tiger Tale
Teatret Gruppe Carte Blanche - True Tall Tale
Unicorn Theatre - Not Now Bernard
Theatergroep Kwatta - Manxmouse
Theater o.N. - Cocoon fŸr Kinder ab 2 Jahre und ihre Erwachsenen Man wŠhnt sich noch in einem sanften Traum, als es plštzlich Šchzt und krŠchzt und knackt und ein geheimnisvolles Wesen Ð gar nicht mehr so sanft Ð in die Welt einbricht. Und nun? Die Schauspielerin Minouche Petrusch und der Musiker Karlo Hackenberger nehmen die kleinen Zuschauer auf eine Reise mit: von den AnfŠngen Ÿber verschiedene Phasen der Verwandlung zu Entfaltung und Freiheit. Fast ohne Sprache, in klaren Bildern und sinnlichen VorgŠngen erkunden sie den Weg vom Traum zum Tanz. Wo wir schutzlos scheinen, kann uns ein Panzer helfen. Doch er macht uns unbeweglich. Werfen wir ihn ab, sind wir leicht und frei. Doch wir werden auch verletzlich. Wie kann ich stark sein und trotzdem weich? GefŠ§ und Bewegung zugleich? Die Spielerin probiert es aus. Die Kinder werden zu Komplizen in ihrem Spiel mit den Mšglichkeiten des Hierseins. Spiel: Minouche Petrusch, Karlo Hackenberger Regie: Ania Michaelis BŸhne und KostŸm: Tina Schulle Licht: GŸnther Lindner Dramaturgie: Dagmar Domršs Assistenz: Vera Strobel Produktion: Eva-Karen Tittmann
The Letter J - Grandad and Me
The Last Great Hunt - Alvin Sputnik
Rosalind Sydney - Up to Speed
Starcatchers and Theater o.N. - A Small Story
Compagnia TPO and Insite Arts - Saltbush
Arch 8 - Tetris
Arch 8 - O Snap