Kids

T“

GET scanning at

the Gallery of Modern Art’s Saturday Art Club

with every medium under the sun. Sat 28 Feb welcomes artist Heather

Lynch for a specially extended session.

I Saturday Art Club Sat 27 Feb, 70am—7pm 8 Sat 28, 70am—7pm 8 2—4pm.

Edinburgh Activities and Fun cont.

Turn Off Your TV! Sun 22 Feb. 1—4pm. Free. National Gallery of Scotland. the Mound. 624 6200. In the grand tradition of that brilliant kids‘ programme frotn the 80s. Why Don 'I You." Turn off your TV set and do something less boring instead - like get down to the National Gallery and join in fatnin tours, trails and work with artist Andrew Mackenzie to create your own travel journal.

Books for Babies Sat 28 Feb. 1 lam & 1pm. Free. North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 1521 Pennywell Court. 315 2151.

98 THE LIST 19 Feb—4 Mar 2004

Free. Gallery of Modern Art, Queen Street, 229 7996.

Stories. songs and rhymes to introduce the very wee ones to books.

Glass Painting Sat 28 Feb. 1—3pm. £1.50. North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 15a Pennywell Court. 315 2151. All ages and families. Have a go at glass painting with Janet Davey.

Risk Mon l—Tue 30 Mar. Mon. Wed & Thu 10am—5pm; Tue 10am—8pm: Sun noon—5pm. Free. Royal MUseum. 2 Chambers Street. 247 4219/4422. Are you a risk taker? Find out all about what they are and why we take them in this fun interactive exhibition which includes Mission Control and a climbing wall.

Theatre 8 Dance Mum and the Monster Tue 24 & Wed 25 Feb. 10.15am & 1.30pm. £5 (£3.50). North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 15a Pennywell Court. 315 2151. Tall Stories. masters of the art of adaptation who brought you The Grujfalo. perform their latest an adventure story with a little boy. his mum and a monster.

The Bright Eyed Mariner Sat 28 Feb. 10am & 2pm. £5: fatnin ticket £18. Brunton Theatre. Ladywell Way. Musselburgh. 665 2240. Ages 9+. A new visual dance theatre performance from Tabula Rasa based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Riine of the Aneient Marine which tells of story of how a wedding dance is interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious seafarer. See preview. Exhibition

Cats . . . the Ultimate Predators Until Sun 30 May. Mon. Wed & Thu 10am—5pm; Tue 10am—8pm; Sun noon-5pm. £4 (£2.50—£3): fatnin ticket £l2. Royal Museum. 2 Chambers Street. 247 4219/4422. A family orientated exhibition dedicated to over 30 known wild cat species.

Books

Doodles and Tales Sun 29 Feb. 2—4pm. Free. National Gallery of Scotland. the Mound. 624 6200. Ages 5—9 and families. Artists and storytellers bring paintinus alive with lots of fun activities. Wee tories Story-Telling Event Sat 21 Feb. 2.30pm. Free. Blackwells (formerly James Thin South Bridge). 53—59 South Bridge. 622 8222. Ages 6+. Andy Cannon. creative director of Wee Stories. presents a story-telling session around the many myths and legends of

CHILDREN'S BOOK TOUR MICHAEL MORPURO

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

Stories in the Forest Room Sun 22 Feb. 2pm. Free. Royal Botanic Garden. Exhibition Hall. lnverleith Row. 552 7171. Join the RBGE Storytellers for tales of mystery and magic. trees and travels. Scottish Friendly Children’s Laureate Tour Thu 4 Mar. 10.30am. £5 (£3). Queen‘s Hall. Clerk Street. 668 2019. See Glasgow and panel for further details.

Film

Pieces of April (12A). Thu 26 Feb. 10.30am. The Big Scream: special screening for parents and babies. £2.50. The Cameo Cinema. 38 Home Street. 228 4141. See Film Index.

Outside the Cities

Acttvmes 8 Fun

Children’s Craft Classes Sat 21 Feb & Sat 28 Feb. 2—4pm. £4. Paisley Arts Centre. New Street. Paisley. 887 1010. Weekly craft classes for 6—1 l-year-olds exploring drawinv. painting. clay modelling and jewellery making. Booking essential.

Theatre 8 Dance

Mum and the Monster Sun 22 Feb. l 1am & 3pm. £3.50. MacRobert. University of Stirling. Stirling. ()1786 466666. See Edinburgh.

Books

Telling Tales Sat 21 Feb. Ilam. £1.50 (£1). Dundee Rep. Tay Square. Dundee. 01382 223530. Members of the Dundee Rep company tell tales old and new to kids aged 5—8.

Michael Morpurgo is the new Children’s Laureate and he’s going on a road trip. By the end of the Scottish journey he’ll have spoken to over 4000 children from Glasgow to Ullapool and performed in venues ranging from tiny village halls to grand theatres. ‘When I was given the honour to be Children’s Laureate I wanted to think of something for kids who don’t usually get a chance to meet authors,’ he says.

Having written over 100 titles (Kensuke’s Kingdom, and The Butterfly Lion, Cool! being his best known) Michael has a great well of stories to dip into and each performance draws upon different ones. ‘I don’t know what stories I’ll tell until I walk in the halls,’ he says. I feel what mood I’m in and also try to tell the stories behind my stories.’

The performance is crucial to Michael. ‘When I tell stories and perform it’s a buzz. It’s quite profound communication between reader and listener. It brings us all up short. It’s communal thinking time led by story - communicating - it’s what keeps us alive.’

Michael’s tour begins at the Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow on Sat 21 Feb and arrives at Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall to coincide with World Book Day on Thu 4 Mar. Jump on board.

I Scottish Friendly Children 's Laureate Tour. Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow, 0845 330 3507, Sat 27 Feb, 3pm; Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 0747 353 8000, Mon 23 Feb, 70.30am; Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, 0737 668 207 9, Thu 4 March, 70.30am.