12 years of creativity
What began as an experiment in Muirhouse in October 2006 as a pilot project for babies aged 0-3, a previously uncatered for audience, has gone through many different phases to emerge as an organisation that works in communities across Scotland using the arts to transform and enrich the lives of Scotland’s youngest citizens and their parents and carers.
We hope you enjoy this interactive journey through our history. Scroll down to begin the adventure.

2006

Starcatchers Pilot Project
The Starcatchers story starts in 2006 with the pilot project, which had the aims of exploring theatre for very young children in Scotland and also acted as a creative intervention between North Edinburgh Arts Centre and childcare settings in the community.
Read more2007

My House
Come and visit a very special house where all is not as it seems. Watch the rooms and chimneys grow, and see how many shapes and textures you can spot!
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Starcatchers Symposium 2007
The Starcatchers Symposium saw the conclusion of the Starcatchers Pilot Project, and looking at how children aged 0 – 3 engaged in the arts.
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Little Light
Little Light was the first performance created by artists working on the Starcatchers project at NEAC. Little Light was first performed at North Edinburgh Arts Centre in February 2007.
Read more2008

Peep
Peep was first presented at NEAC as a work in progress in March 2008 before being presented in July 2008 and again in December 2009 as part of macrobert’s Christmas programme.
Read more2009

Sacha Kyle at The Carnegie Hall/Lochgelly Centre
Artist Sacha Kyle was resident artist for Starcatchers at Tramway as part of The Inspire Project
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Hazel Darwin-Edwards at The Byre Theatre
Artist Hazel Darwin-Edwards was resident artist for Starcatchers at Tramway as part of The Inspire Project
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Tramway by Katy Wilson
Artist Katy Wilson was resident artist for Starcatchers at Tramway for four years as part of The Inspire Project
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Platform by Matt Addicott
Artist Matt Addicott was resident artist for Starcatchers at Platform for four years as part of The Inspire Project
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Archaeology
Archaeology was developed from a series of workshops run by Andy Manley and Rosie Gibson at North Edinburgh Arts Centre in June 2007 which explored the relationship between theatre and visual art.
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The Inspire Project 2009 – 2011
In 2009 Starcatchers embarked on the Inspire Project, a two year programme which saw 4 artists take up residencies in 4 different cultural venues across Scotland (Tramway, Platform, OnFife & The Byre Theatre).
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The Cloud Factory
Cloud Factory took place in the open plan library space at Platform and was created by Matt Addicott
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Elf Experiment
Elf Experiment was an exploratory performance workshop which visited nurseries across East Glasgow
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First Light
First Light was created by Matt Addicott during his residency at Platform, Glasgow as part of Starcatchers’ Inspire Project.
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The Incredible Singing Choir
The Incredible Singing Choir was a 5 minute theatre experience held in the swimming pool at Platform for babies and their adults to enjoy together.
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Sprog Rock
Sprog Rock brought together a range of musicians who hadn’t created or worked with this age group before.
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Multi-Coloured Blocks from Space
In this place you see everything for the first time, no matter what age you are, 0 to 4 years old or ten times as big as grown up adventurers.
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Round In Circles
Especially designed for babies and toddlers aged 1-3, Round in Circles immerses the audience in a world where everything is circular.
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Shake N’ Bake
Shake N’ Bake is an upbeat, humorous physical theatre show that will delight and engage the children introducing elements of fun into cooking
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Space Dust
We made a spaceship, dressed up and pretended to be aliens living in the crèche with children aged 0-4 for a week to see what the response would be and to listen to their suggestions to move the story on.
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Baby Chill
Encouraging healthy attachment and bonding between caregiver and child, BabyChill is filled with soothing music and a super soft interior to create a unique shared experience.
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Luvhart
Presented as a visually quirky and whimsical journey through the changing seasons, Luvhart is a humourous piece of physical theatre accompanied by live cello exploring what it feels like to be lonely and the importance of friendship.
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Oops a Daisy
Oops a Daisy is a live, fresh theatre experience full of movement and music! Join us for a fun, spontaneous and exciting experience for both children and parents.
Read more2010

Elf Experiment
Elf Experiment was an exploratory performance workshop which visited nurseries across East Glasgow
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First Light
First Light was created by Matt Addicott during his residency at Platform, Glasgow as part of Starcatchers’ Inspire Project.
Read more
The Incredible Singing Choir
The Incredible Singing Choir was a 5 minute theatre experience held in the swimming pool at Platform for babies and their adults to enjoy together.
Read more
Sprog Rock
Sprog Rock brought together a range of musicians who hadn’t created or worked with this age group before.
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Will You Be My Guinea Pig?
Will You Be My Guinea Pig? was an interactive installation involving live drawing, music, projection and a giant guinea pig.
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Multi-Coloured Blocks from Space
In this place you see everything for the first time, no matter what age you are, 0 to 4 years old or ten times as big as grown up adventurers.
Read more
Round In Circles
Especially designed for babies and toddlers aged 1-3, Round in Circles immerses the audience in a world where everything is circular.
Read more
Luvhart
Presented as a visually quirky and whimsical journey through the changing seasons, Luvhart is a humourous piece of physical theatre accompanied by live cello exploring what it feels like to be lonely and the importance of friendship.
Read more
Oops a Daisy
Oops a Daisy is a live, fresh theatre experience full of movement and music! Join us for a fun, spontaneous and exciting experience for both children and parents.
Read more2011

International Symposium 2011
Starcatchers hosts the second International Symposium reflecting on the work of the Inspire project and other key developments in arts and Early Years in Scotland.
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THIS SUCKS!
Professor Katy and Doctor Matt have tried almost everything they can think of to make the biggest Hoover the world has ever seen.
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Multi-Coloured Blocks from Space
A visual art and sound installation for babies and toddlers aged 0-2 and their families
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The Attic
The Attic was created by Hazel Darwin-Edwards during the Inspire Project at the Byre Theatre, Saint Andrews, and explores the relationship between a young girl, Lucy, and her Grandmother, as they rummage through suitcases and boxes up the dusty attic.
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The Forgotten Forest
After being approached by Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Starcatchers delivered a 5-month residency which saw the creation of an installation space in the John Hope Gateway
Read more2012

The Playground
Following on from the huge success of the Starcatchers Inspire project, The Playground was born.
Read more2013

Creative Skills Phase 1
Received funding to deliver pilot programme of Creative Skills training for Early Years professionals and childcare students. This programme was designed to encourage and nurture creativity in order to enhance children’s experiences of education from a very young age.
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Nickum 2013/14
Nickum was a residency project in collaboration with the RSNO which saw artists Abigail Sinar and Hazel Darwin-Edwards explore music and drama with children in two nurseries in Aberdeen.
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Expecting Something Pilot
Starcatchers and the Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) in Edinburgh were awarded funding through the Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation for a new project called Expecting Something in 2013/14.
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Too Many Cooks
An inventive, playful and sensory experience for 2-5 year olds, where pots and pans cook up melodies and food becomes fun.
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Sonic Playground
Welcome to the Sonic Playground, an interactive installation for young children aged 2+ and their carers
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Yarla and the Winter Wood
Filled with music, song and animation, Yarla and the Winter Wood is a multi-sensory story for 6 months – 3 years, that children and adults alike will find enchanting
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The News + Weather
The News + Weather is an entertaining programme of news and current affairs stories devised by the three- to five-year-olds in Falkirk and Glasgow, giving a child’s eye view of their world.
Read more2014

Blue Block Studio 2014
Blue Block Studio was an exciting, innovative programme of creative play and storytelling for babies and young children aged 0-4 and their grown-ups which visited 10 communities across Scotland as part of the Culture 2014 programme celebrating the Commonwealth Games.
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Yellow Valley
Yellow Valley is a loveable, contemporary, musical-storytelling performance, created especially for children aged 2 to 4 years old, inspired by Kenyan children’s book Who’s Calling by Charity Waciuma.
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Sprog Rock
Sprog Rock received funding from Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative to go on tour and find new band members of all ages.
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A Small Story
A beautiful and intricate show bringing everyday objects to life for those aged 2 and over by Andy Manley & Ania Michealis
Read more2015

Play This Way
On Wednesday 18 November 2015 we helped The Scottish Government and Aileen Campbell MSP launch a new book by Tim Archbold called ‘Play This Way’, along with the help of children from Royal Mile Primary School.
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Hup
A quirky quartet of playful musicians create an enchanting classical music experience for 0 – 24 month olds and their grown ups.
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Creative Skills Phase 2
We deliver a series of ground-breaking Creative Skills training courses for Early Years workers and students in a number of local authorities across Scotland
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The Shape of Things
In 2015, we developed a work in progress called The Shape of Things to a group of parents and babies in Edinburgh. We secured funding from Creative Scotland to tour the new re-developed piece for 6 months – 2 year olds in Autumn 2016.
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The Creative Revolution
Starcatchers celebrates the Creative Revolution Day at the Festival Theatre in March 2015
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Expecting Something 2015/17
Expecting Something works with new, young and expectant parents under 25 and their babies in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh and Lochgelly, Fife, providing a weekly safe space to spend time with their babies and peers whilst engaging in artist-lead creative activities.
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Wee Wanders
Starcatchers worked with the National Galleries of Scotland on a new pilot project called Wee Wanders with help from the children, staff and parents at Canal View Nursery School.
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Talking Tales
Andy Cannon delivers a pilot project looking at playful ways to explore language and support language development with children aged 0-3 using stories and storytelling.
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Moving Matters: Play, Create, Imagine
Creative movement artist Skye Reynolds led a 5 month residency project at Hillend Children’s Centre in Greenock which aims to explore the impact consistent creative movement sessions has on the children, parents and staff.
Read more2016

Toddle Tours with National Gallery Scotland
In Spring 2016 we offered 8 Toddle Tour sessions between the National Gallery of Scotland and the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art (MOD1) which included creative play activities designed for children aged 2-5 to enjoy with their adult.
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Blue Block Studio Tour
After its initial success as part of the Culture 2014 programme, Blue Block Studio was toured in 2016 to Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh
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Moving Matters: Play, Create, Imagine
Creative movement artist Skye Reynolds led a 5 month residency project at Hillend Children’s Centre in Greenock which aims to explore the impact consistent creative movement sessions has on the children, parents and staff.
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Hup Fringe 2016
After its success in 2015/16, Hup was programmed to perform at the Festival Fringe 2016 at the EICC under the banner of Pleasance Kids.
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