Edinburgh’s International Children’s Festival Imaginate opens with a free Family Fringe weekend

Now in its 27th year, imaginate, Edinburgh's international children's festival, opens on Saturday 28th May with a special Family Fringe weekend at the National Museum of Scotland that will feature free performances and drop-in activities all day including live music, storytelling, hands-on arts and more. Special highlights include superheroes costume making, puppet-led yoga sessions and Sprog Rock, a concert for 2-5 year olds.

The imaginate festival is recognised as one of the best places for international programmers to find new acts of the very highest standard with this year’s programme bringing 14 shows from 9 different countries.

Incoming Imaginate Festival Director Noel Jordan said, “Imaginate Festival offers children, their teachers and families a feast of international performances for all ages and taste. We have hand-picked shows from all over the world to ensure audiences experience some of the most exciting and innovative theatre and dance on offer. This is what Imaginate is all about: Supporting and developing theatre and dance for children of the highest standard. Ensuring children in Scotland have access to experiences as good as, if not better, than what is on offer for adults. Respecting children in their own right as the people and audiences they are now, not the people they will become.”

Highlights this year include spellbinding shows such as The Great Illusionist, the story of a boy who decides to be a magician, featuring fantastic illusions and magic tricks; The Story of the Little Gentleman, a heart-warming show about a lonely man who befriends a curious dog; Go Get ‘em Kid, a high-energy toe-tapping dance piece filled with humour and flying t-shirts; and Fluff: A Story of Lost Toys, the colourful story of a family who travel the world rescuing misplaced handmade toys. And of course there’s Tales of a Grandson, from master storyteller Andy Cannon – a great and entertaining show for all the family.

This year’s imaginate festival takes place from 28 May to 5 June 2016 in various venues across Edinburgh. For more information and to book, call 0131 228 1404 or go to www.imaginate.org.uk.