After 3 joyful years with children and North Edinburgh Arts, we’ve created the Creative Encounters Manifestation, a "manifesto" and "invitation" from young people to artists and adults on collaborating with children.
Have a listen and tell us what you think ⭐
https://bit.ly/48hPLAj
Our Festival is for people from all backgrounds and abilities, and we want to make everyone's experience as enjoyable as possible! ⭐
Find more access information on our website: www.imaginate.org.uk/accessibility/accessibil...
We are excited to launch the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival 2026 with a jam-packed programme of circus, dance, and theatre for young people and their families, featuring 15 productions from 9 countries. 🧡
Tickets are now on sale: https://www.imaginate.org.uk/festival/whats-on/
We are thrilled to celebrate the World Day of Theatre and Performing Arts for Children and Young People today with ASSITEJ International.
We believe that theatre is not simply entertainment for young audiences; it is a space where rights are exercised, identities are explored and voices are heard.
The new Teacher's Club cohort attended their first show together last week: A Grain of Sand by Good Chance Theatre at @traversetheatre.bsky.social. They enjoyed a pre-show discussion with the show’s creator, Elias Mattar, and a post-show discussion with members from @educatorsforpeace.bsky.social.
We are proud that our Creative Encounters project is included in the @together-sacr.bsky.social State of Children’s Rights Report 2026, along with lots of other brilliant case studies of rights-based approaches in Scotland! 🧡🏴
Read more: https://bit.ly/4aDl3mA
Two performers stand in a barrel with colourful designs on it. They are wearing colourful outfits with steampunk and circus vibes. One of the performers is holding a Theatre in Schools Scotland flag.
We’re so excited to launch TiSS at 10 🌟
For 10 years, TiSS has toured bold, inspiring, live theatre and dance productions into Scotland's schools. To celebrate, performances will be free for participating schools as part of a one-off anniversary programme from Aug 2026-June 2027! bit.ly/4tNdh1c
An orange graphic with a star and a photo of families sitting on the floor reacting to a performance. Text on the graphic reads "Family Day Partner Commissions Announcement" and includes the Aberdeen Performing Arts, OneRen, Glasgow Life Presents's Merchant City Festival, and Edinburgh International Children's Festival logos.
An orange graphic with a photo of four performers standing next to each other and smiling. Text on the graphic reads "Dreich, Drookit, and Braw" and "Julia Chan, Robyn Gray, Michelle Ross, Vee Smith in partnership with Glasgow Life Presents".
An orange graphic with a photo of a performer sitting on the floor in a corner, clutching his legs, wearing a bright pink jumper. Text on the graphic reads "Windbags" and "Ronan McMahon in partnership with OneRen".
An orange graphic with a photo of four performers taking a silly photo together where three of the four performers are wearing fake mustaches. Text on the graphic reads "Tufts" and "Kerry Cleland, Ben Winger, Katy Wilson, Ella Mackay in partnership with Aberdeen Performing Arts".
We’re thrilled to announce our Family Day Partner Commissions for the 2026 Festival, celebrating creativity, connection, and community. We look forward to sharing these unique experiences with audiences! 🌟
A room full of people sitting in circles, chatting and networking.
A room full of people sitting in circles, chatting and networking.
A room full of people sitting in circles, chatting and networking.
A room full of people standing, drinking, chatting and networking.
Local artists and theatre makers had the opportunity to meet with programmers to discuss their touring plans and ideas for new work at our Meet the Programmers event at The Studio last night.
It was wonderful to bring everyone together, facilitate conversation, and hear about developing projects. 👀
A group of artists huddled together, smiling at the camera to take a commemorative photo.
Two people sit at a table in the corner of a bothy, smiling broadly at each other.
A large, purple-tinged room with many people sitting around tables chatting and networking.
Three people sitting around a table chatting over wine and light bites.
Last week's Shifting the Stage Lab offered artist development for a group of 8 disabled, D/deaf and/or neurodivergent artists from Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Scotland.💡
Thank you to The Work Room, Nordic Culture Fund, and Nordic Culture Point for making the Lab possible. 🤝
New MiniBlog, with thanks to Katherine Rundell: Why grown-ups should watch children’s theatre… www.imaginate.org.uk/news/blog-wh... via @edchildrensfest.bsky.social
Creative Encounters team Lou Brodie and Anna Broomfield attended @thestage.co.uk Awards in London earlier this week, where their work was nominated for the Community Award.
It was a pleasure to celebrate theatre makers across the UK and to be nominated among them!
📸: David Monteith-Hodge
“Deeply listening to and collaborating with children" can lead to “reimagined social change.” - Thérèse Kearns, PhD Researcher
Read Thérèse’s reflections on the "The Children Are Now" Exhibition and Assembly at @talbotricegallery.bsky.social:
What a year we've had at Imaginate! 🌟 With Festival, Theatre in Schools Scotland, Schools and Communities Projects, and Creative Development Programme, it's been an amazing one.
Thanks to everyone, but especially the young people, who have made our year so memorable. Looking forward to 2026! 🧡
We are delighted to announce our ‘Shifting the Stage’ Lab in January! 💡
The Lab will offer professional artist development opportunities for disabled, D/deaf and/or neurodivergent artists to support the development of new disabled-led production ideas for children.
https://tinyurl.com/488mh7vc
Pamela Walker, Imaginate Senior Producer, standing in front of a screen and a branded Ziguzajg festival banner presenting a workshop.
Belinda, Chief Executive Officer, standing behind a table with a man in a blue and white sweater, presenting in front of a screen discussing Imaginate and Performances in Edinburgh.
A close up photo of Adjjima Na Patalung, Festival Director, holding a microphone and participating in a panel discussion.
Our team has been attending festivals all over the world ✈
📍 ŻiguŻajg Festival in Valletta, Malta
📍Showbox Festival in Oslo, Norway
📍 Festival Kuitólil in San Luis Potosí, Mexico
It was an honour to visit these festivals, connect with industry professionals, share our work, and be inspired! 🌟
We are thrilled to announce that our Creative Encounters project has been shortlisted for the Community Award at @thestage.co.uk Awards 2026! 🌟
This nomination reflects the importance of putting children's rights at the heart of the creative process. 🧡
The Imaginate team had a refreshing Away Day in North Berwick this week. The sea air proved the perfect environment to discuss our aims for the year, how we conceive of festival success, what a children’s rights approach looks like, and assess our priorities for the upcoming year. 🤝🌟
A Thai woman sits at a desk in a striped button-down shirt and sweater vest. A laptop and cup of tea are on the desk in front of her. On a table behind her, there is a bouquet of celebratory flowers. Posters for Edinburgh International Children's Festival productions are pinned to a bulletin board behind her.
Please join us in offering a warm welcome to Imaginate's new Festival Director, Adjjima Na Patalung, who took up her post this week! 👋
TiSS at 10 🎉
Theatre in Schools Scotland (TiSS), co-produced with NTS, marks its own major milestone: ten years of touring world class theatre directly into schools across the country.
A Home For Hamish is part of Theatre in Schools Scotland, touring to schools across the country in Oct – Nov 2025 and March 2026. There will also be public performances including at Dundee Rep, tickets on sale now.
We can’t wait for young audiences to experience ‘A Home For Hamish’. Playfully merging dance and BSL, audiences will travel across Scotland on a colourful, immersive and interactive adventure, escaping dragons, dancing with jellyfish & even climbing the tallest mountains.
We are on the look out for a new Digital Marketing Coordinator to extend the reach of Imaginate's work including #EdChildrensFest, our exciting artist development work and our schools and communities programmes. Find out more - www.imaginate.org.uk/about/vacancies/
🫧🏴 We are excited to have Buff and Sheen by Moon Slide as part of Theatre in Schools Scotland touring to Primary and Secondary ASN schools in Sep - Oct 2025. 🫧🏴
🫧 Join two two imaginative window cleaners in this comical roaming dance performance full of novelty, absurdity and slapstick humour.
We are on the look out for a new Digital Marketing Coordinator to extend the reach of Imaginate's work including #EdChildrensFest, our exciting artist development work and our schools and communities programmes. Find out more - www.imaginate.org.uk/about/vacancies/
🎉⏰ One week to go until we start performances of The Unlikely Friendship of Feather Boy and Tentacle Girl at Assembly Roxy as part of #EdFringe. 🎉⏰ Check out these stunning new images taken in the last week of rehearsals.
🎟 Tickets Available Now! 🎟 https://shorturl.at/LIdvh
📣 Are you an artist or freelancer based in Scotland? We have three funded places open to attend EXPORT/IMPORT Festival in Brussels with a group of artists and Imaginate staff. Find out more www.imaginate.org.uk/artists/opportunities/export-import-festival-call-out
Deadline - Monday 18 August
We share works in progress every year as part of #EdChildrenFest!
One of those WIP’s this year was The Runaway Pea by Bear Hug.
In this new show for young people, it’s time for dinner! But one pesky pea has decided to roll himself off the plate in search of a party!
Experience ‘FREEDOM: a living poem’ at North Edinburgh Arts this week between 10.30 - 4.30 and 10.30 - 2.30 on Wednesday and Thursday, FREE, Drop in.
📸 Brian Hartley
We are delighted to announce that Adjjima Na Patalung has been appointed as the new Festival Director for the Edinburgh International Children's Festival.
www.imaginate.org.uk/news
Photo Credit: MAPPA
@creativescots.bsky.social @edinburghcouncil.bsky.social The Scottish Goverment
