Our Work with Children & Families
Learning and EngagementOur Work with Children & Families
As part of our Learning and Engagement activity, we present a number of year-round creative projects that engage children who are in school years up to Primary 7 with music, theatre, opera, visual art, literacy, and health and wellbeing.
Play On: Stages
Play On: Stages is a project that looked to build stages in the playgrounds of primary schools in Edinburgh in place of the stages left empty in August 2020, when the International Festival was cancelled in a live sense and moved online. Built in consultation with teachers and pupils, the structures have been designed to bring theatricality to the school and support young people to play, perform and learn outdoors.
Alongside each structure the International Festival will provide online resources and a programme of engagement activities to support creativity and learning.
More information on the stages and our full Play On: Stages resource can be found here.
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Primary 7 pupils participating in an Art of Listening workshop
Credit : Ryan Buchanan
Primary 7 pupils participating in an Art of Listening workshop
Credit : Ryan Buchanan
Primary 7 pupils participating in an Art of Listening workshop
Credit : Ryan Buchanan
Primary 7 pupils participating in an Art of Listening workshop
Credit : Ryan BuchananArt of Listening
The International Festival’s flagship classical music project.
The Art of Listening is a music-based project for Primary 7 pupils introducing them to the International Festival through song and live performance. The two-hour workshop takes place in The Hub, with transport provided to all schools attending.
Our team of artists present an engaging workshop that encourages pupils to increase their understanding of music and the role they play as listeners. Attendees are presented with an exploration of what we can hear when we listen to music, and how through a deeper understanding of this, we can engage our imaginations and develop stronger listening skills. Through live performance, practical exercises and an awareness of the skills of voice and instrument, pupils are presented the opportunity to creatively provide their response to music stimuli.
Previous Projects
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A pupil from Corstorphine Primary School hanging up a telegram she had designed as part of our Five Telegrams Schools Project to support the Aberdeen Standard Investments Opening Event: Five Telegrams in 2018
© 2018 Credit : Ian Georgeson
Pupils creating their artwork as part our Soul Boxes project for Primary 6 pupils
© 2017 Credit : Mihaela Bodlovic
Dancers from Cas Public delivering a family workshop in support of their show 9 presented at the 2019 Edinburgh International Festival
© 2019 Credit : L&E Team
Pupils showing off the stars they created as part of our Heart of Hollywood project in connection with the Aberdeen Standard Investments Opening Event: La Phil at Tynecastle
Credit : Ryan Buchanan
Pupils from Tollcross Primary School participating in our Heart of Hollywood workshops that explored film and orchestra through music making and visual art
© 2019 Credit : Ryan Buchanan
Pupils from Trinity Primary School animating their stories as part of our My Festival, My Story workshop that explored storytelling in support of 1927’s Roots, presented at the 2019 Edinburgh International Festival
© 2019 Credit : Ryan Buchanan
Pupils from Trinity Primary School creating characters for their animations as part of My Festival, My Story, a project connected to 1927’s Roots presented at the 2019 Edinburgh International Festival
© 2019 Credit : Ryan Buchanan
Winners of the 2019 Virgin Money Fireworks Concert Poster Competition with Arlene and Boogie from Forth One
© 2019 Credit : Ryan Buchanan
Primary 7 pupils from across Edinburgh enjoy the Scottish Chamber Orchestra performing in Princes Street Gardens for the Virgin Money Schools Concert 2019
© 2019 Credit : Ryan Buchanan
