Imaginate Children’s Festival show to come to Renfrewshire

Imaginate – Edinburgh’s international children’s festival which runs from 28 May to 5 June – showcases the world’s best theatre and dance for children.

This year, in a bid to spread the festival magic further afield, Imaginate will be touring one of its best shows to venues across Scotland, and is coming to Paisley Arts Centre on 17 May 2016.

Go Get ‘em Kid was specially created by dance rising star Tamsyn Russell to appeal to children and those new to dance. The high-energy dance duet is filled with humour, with both dancers playing with 100 colourful t-shirts, creating shapes and testing the bonds of friendship between them. The show ends with both girls sharing the same outsized t-shirt! With a toe-tapping soundtrack, flailing hair and flying t-shirts, this show is a joy from beginning to end.

Go Get ‘em Kid was commissioned by Imaginate with support from Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund after the Festival Director spotted some of Tamsyn’s work in progress and decided it should be made into a full piece.

Tamsyn Russell, choreographer and performer said:
“Go Get ’em Kid is the first work I have made for young audiences. I wanted to make a pure contemporary dance piece which has highly technical dance vocabulary and full of energy with a diverse soundtrack. As dancers Go Get ’em Kid is so much fun to perform and I hope the audience, young and old, will enjoy its pace and humour.”

This year’s festival programme, brimming with magic, sounds and colours from all over the world, is sure to inspire and delight both the young and young-at-heart. With 14 shows from 9 different countries, the festival is recognised as one of the best places for international programmers to see work of the very highest standard. The festival opens with a Family Fringe weekend at the National Museum of Scotland with performances and free drop-in activities all day including live music, storytelling, hands-on arts and more – perfect for 0-12 year olds.

Speaking about the Festival, 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.
Because 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 they are now, not the people they will become.”