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BBC tent 2016 is now open…

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So, today the lovely BBC tent opened in its brand new location and it is looking as beautiful as ever, the luscious green grass is back, as are the deckchairs; the new space feels roomier and has an incredible backdrop of Edinburgh Castle !

They have a host of free children’s events going on over the next few weeks- which can be seen here, but to kick things off, this weekend:

Saturday 6th they have Digital Toybox from 10.30 , so go along and build electronic gadgets and have a go at 3D printing. Digital Toybox offer ‘mobile makerspaces’ based in City of Edinburgh Libraries and encourage young people to learn new skills through projects presented in a hands on and high impact way.

On Sunday 8th they have Edinburgh Art Festival Dazzle Ship Art Table  again from 10.30 which  is inspired by the Edinburgh Art Festival Dazzle Ship Scotland docked down in Leith. Create your own dazzle ship designs, boats and objects made up of geometric shapes, patterns and colours as seen in the dazzle ships of WW1.

 

I’ve said it before….

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…but do try and catch it while you can !! The Lords of Strut:The Family Show, is only on for another ten performances and please don’t miss out ! We enjoyed yet another hour of mayhem with these two loveable Irish brothers  – Famous Seamus and Sean-tastic. Featuring some rather funky dancing, some lovely lycra and impressive acrobatics, it’s a chaotic, fun, quirky and very very funny show – my cheeks still hurt from all the laughing !!  On until the 14th August….(see review here )

Fantastic first day…

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So, after reading all the programmes, watching the venues being built and seeing hundreds of posters appear all over the city, yesterday I managed to head to the festival and see some shows !!

We had a great day, I’ll be posting some reviews soon, so please keep checking back to that page.

Firstly we saw Captain Flinn and The Pirate Dinosaurs 2: The Magic Cutlass, which was fun and energetic and a great show for wee ones, it has a little bit of everything: catchy songs, dinosaurs, puppets and a few surprises !

kidzone Then we headed along to check out the kidzone at the Pleasance, which was as great as always. We did some of the arts and crafts – you can see what’s on offer in the photo, and prices start at £1 which I think is fantastic value in the festival – it was busy and lots of little ones were enjoying being creative there !

 

morgan and west

To finish off our first day we headed along to see Morgan & West’s Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show for Kids (and Childish Grown-Ups!) – which was brilliant – they are such a fantastic and quick witted duo and know exactly how to pitch things for kids. There was plenty of audience participation and lots of magic to keep everyone guessing – it’s well worth checking out and was very busy today, so get your tickets early !

Circus Hub 2016 – It’s back !

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Last year was the first year for Underbelly’s Circus Hub, and I’m delighted it is returning for 2016 with an even bigger programme of circus and physical theatre !

Located on The Meadows, Underbelly’s Circus Hub is made up of two big tops, the Lafayette and The Beauty. The two venues are named after one of the world’s most famous circus performers and illusionists, (The Great Lafayette and his dog Beauty, who famously both died in Edinburgh in 1911) and promise to present us with spectacular and technically ambitious circus work .

Fantastically there are some children’s shows included in the programme and some family friendly treats too, but what looks even better are the Family Circus Workshops – meaning you and your children can actually run away with the circus and learn some skills! Happening every day from the 8th-21st August (except 15th) From aerial to juggling, hula-hooping to acrobatics. There’s all the fun of the fair in these great taster sessions designed for parents and their kids. Taught by experts from Edinburgh’s new circus centre Full Cirqle. Places are limited so book now! Workshops last for 60 minutes and each ticket admits one adult and one child.  Be quick – some workshops are sold out already ….

Bedtime Stories – New for this year, this show looks great – combining circus with story telling. Immerse yourself in a magical journey. Celebrate that magical time of the day when stresses and strains of life melt away and enter a world of imagination and dreams with Bedtime Stories. Tucked up with your family in a bedroom installation, take this chance to unwind and be dazzled with circus, theatre, dance and projections from circus pioneers Upswing.   4th – 22nd August

Trash Test Dummies – Woo hoo ! These guys are returning and I loved the show last year (see my review here). This trio of lovable clowns can do amazing things with the wheely bin ! It is definitely worth checking out, with great music and fantastic circus and acrobatic skills it’s suitable for all the family.  4th – 21st August

The Hogswallops – Also returning to Edinburgh this year, The Hogswallops is a fun and quirky circus show, inspired by Roald Dahl’s The Twits. Watch the domestic adventures of a chaotic family of misfits, and be inspired by the specially composed live score.

Pleasance Kidzone 2016

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The Pleasance Kidzone is like an oasis during the hectic festival for parents…it’s full of craft activities, puppet shows, toys, picnic tables, a buggy park and thankfully some food stalls for that all important cup of coffee !

This year they promise some new treats with the amazing scene machine, monstrous monster-making and kite creating workshops as well as the usual daily crafty activities, and this year we are lucky enough to get double as the Pleasance will be at the EICC with kids shows there too – fantastic !

Information about all of the 18 children’s shows that the Pleasance are hosting this year can be found here ,some of my top picks are :

The Snail and the Whale – Tall Stories do wonderful children’s theatre, and this is no exception. A delightful and gentle version of this well loved book about a tiny snail longing to see the world by Julia Donaldson, featuring beautiful songs, live music and some surprises too !

 

The Cat In The Hat – From the moment his tall, red and white striped hat appears around the door, Sally and her brother know that the Cat is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met. Returning to the festival this year, this is a great and fully entertaining show for little ones, providing lots to look at and plenty of laughs.

 

The Many Doors of Frank Feelbad – This interactive performance looks intriguing and imaginative. Frank is an inquisitive chap with a big problem: what’s happened to Mum? Join Frank on his adventure to find her. There’ll be scavenger hunts, puzzles to solve and even some dancing to dubstep. Dealing sensitively with grief and loss, the show asks how we cope when things go missing.

The Amazing Scene Machine Does Aardinburgh ! – Celebrate Aardman’s 40th birthday with expert Aardman modelmaker Jim Parkyn and his Amazing Scene Machine. Help create a very special 3D clay painting of Edinburgh featuring some of Aardman’s stars including Morph, Shaun the Sheep, Wallace and Gromit – and your own cast of Aardman-esque people and creatures.