Articulation recently worked with Imaginate to offer five of our members a delegate experience at the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival 2026. Here, actor and theatre facilitator Liz Strange shares her experience of the event.
Articulation selected a small group of members to be delegates at Imaginate’s Edinburgh International Children’s Festival this year. Being a delegate meant we took part in a curated day of shows and small group discussions, and we also had access to all the delegate events throughout the festival which included industry discussions, networking events and work in progress performances that are not open to non-delegates.
There were many standout works in this year’s program, two of which particularly resonated with me. Although neither was an outdoor production, both embodied qualities I value in outdoor work. Rather than encouraging passive viewing, they offered more flexible and experiential ways of engaging that led to an experience that was both bespoke and collective for audiences, which connects closely to my own artistic practice.
Pals by Ellen Renton, centred the experiences of blind and visually impaired young people through a story of two childhood friends, one sighted and one visually impaired. Audiences will experience the show from inside small dens meaning they will follow the story by hearing the action taking place outside of the den they are in. I loved the relaxed soft seating and cocoon-like experience as well as the opportunities for participation, including recording a message for the character’s radio station and eating sweets at the same time that the characters were.
It Would Be Such a Shame If You Missed Out by Theater Artemis, revolved around a party taking place inside a box in the stage where only a small number of audience members could enter. It was anarchic and ridiculous. The sound design and the way it was timed to interrupt the action on stage created an infectious atmosphere where you couldn’t help but dance and where the party vibe was felt by the whole audience whether they got inside the party box or not. There were no reluctant participants. Audiences of all ages, but mostly teenagers, repeatedly stormed the stage hoping to be let into the mysterious party box.
About Liz Strange
Liz Strange is an Edinburgh-based actor, movement artist and theatre facilitator specialising in visually driven work that is devised, interactive and subversive. Her performances in public spaces gently disrupt the expectations of a social space, with a rebellious and playful connection with strangers, questioning the rules of how we’re supposed to behave in public spaces.
Liz’s latest work, Rest Wagon, will be at Surge Festival in Glasgow on 25th July and 1st August 2026. Liz is also currently in receipt of funding from Unlimited for ‘I Might Not Make It’ in collaboration with Sarah Fadel (Lebanon).
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