Raising the curtain is fun for all

Capital Theatres, the independent charity that manages Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre, King’s Theatre and The Studio, has risen to the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic.

Raise the Curtain, a new wide-ranging programme of activities which anyone can engage with online is designed to fill the theatre void.

The programme includes creative play for toddlers and contactless afternoon teas for those a little older.

Contactless Afternoon Parties are intended for people living with dementia, their families and supporters.

In a partnership with Cake My Day, free afternoon teas will be delivered to those taking part. These will be contact-free delivery to the front door, all in time for the audience to assemble and watch the performance by the Capital Theatres House Band online.

Tea and Jam is Capital Theatres' usual monthly celebration of music making for all ages, which has also moved online.

Professional musician Gus Harrower leads the jam on the last Friday of the month from 11am.

Play Days is for all ages 6+ with instruction in arts and crafts, from costume making to script and lyric writing. On 6 July they have a panto theme.

Wee Creatives is for families with pre-schoolers. The sessions will include craft activities based on the theatres' upcoming stage shows. There will be how-to videos by different engagement artists with things like making a bird feeder, mixing up your own playdough and also some Zoom sessions which involves more interaction.

There is no charge and booking is first come, first served.

Earlier in the year Capital Theatres put out a call for contributions to Joy to the Moment which will be shown throughout the year.

This was a shout out to all creatives for mini performances to be part of a film for those who are unable to go outside.

The project is the idea of Gracie Irvine, a pupil at The Edinburgh Steiner School, who was worried about people who are isolating or are in care settings. Gracie wanted to find a way to entertain them even though they themselves cannot go outside.

Gracie's call asked for people to record themselves doing something creative outdoors.

This was intended to include dance, music, singing, poetry, comedy, art or anything creative done outdoors. The intention was that anyone from the household could contribute to the video, whether families or flatmates.

The recordings are up to fifteen minutes long and a series of films will be edited and produced from all this creative content.