Yoyo and the Little Auk, a co-production with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, supported by Year of Stories 2022.
When a terrible storm hits a flock of birds flying thousands of miles across the ocean, one little auk lands with a plop on a clump of purple heather in Inverkithkin – smack bang in the middle of Scotland. The lost bird is found by Yoyo, a little girl who is getting ready for her favourite night of the year – the night of the Inverkithkin Ceilidh…
Yoyo & The Little Auk, narrated by actor James Cosmo (The Chronicles of Narnia, Game of Thrones, Braveheart), is brought to life with a world-class creative team including Scottish BAFTA-winning animator Gavin C Robinson, author Stewart Ennis, composer Euan Stevenson.
Yoyo & The Little Auk includes:
- Live concert experiences across Scotland with animation, interactive workshopping, and an RSNO ensemble.
- An animated concert film to watch in your nursery, classroom or living room. Free and accessible to all, in English with British Sign Language (BSL) and Gaelic (Narrated by Kathleen NicAonghais)
- Specially created digital learning resources to be used in educational/home settings by teachers and parents.
- Digital CPD/learning event for teachers and parents.
- Four virt
Created in partnership with RSNO, Scottish Book Trust, Starcatchers, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Refuweegee.
About Yoyo & the Little Auk
When a terrible storm hits a flock of birds flying thousands of miles across the ocean, one little auk lands with a plop on a clump of purple heather in Inverkithkin – a charming town smack bang in the middle of Scotland. The lost bird is found by Yoyo, a little girl who is getting ready for her favourite night of the year – the night of the Inverkithkin Ceilidh. But…Yoyo doesn’t have a costume! With the help of her grannies and grandpas – Flo, Zigzag, Yousef, and Zaina – Yoyo and the little auk descend into the cellar to brush the dust off the suitcases full of extraordinary treasures that her grandparents have brought from places where they grew up. From Kracow and Vatersay to Tehran and Bombay, the whole world comes together as Yoyo and the little auk prepare for an evening of dancing, celebration, and stories under the bright stars of Inverkithkin.
Brought to life by Euan Stevenson’s wonderful new composition and narrated by Scottish actor James Cosmo, Yoyo & The Little Auk is the perfect introduction to classical music and storytelling for children from Nursery to Primary 2 (age 3-6). Stewart Ennis’ original new story will allow you and your class to explore themes of multiculturalism, migration and Scotland’s natural world.
The digital concert film will be around 20 minutes in length.
Digital Events: Dates and Details
All sessions will take place online and are free to access. Once you sign up, you will receive a link to a password-protected webpage where the resources will be uploaded on the dates below.
3 March 2022: Sign-up from today!
Celebrate World Book Day by signing up to take part in Yoyo & The Little Auk 2022. All digital sessions are free, and everyone is welcome to join!
19 April 2022: Teacher/Parent CPD Session
Lucy Drever, animateur and workshop facilitator, will deliver a CPD session for teachers and parents, providing an introduction to the resources, useful tips and tricks and an opportunity to ask any questions. Please note this session was postponed from 29 March 2022.
22 April 2022: World Premiere of Yoyo & The Little Auk Concert Film (in English)
Yoyo & The Little Auk film goes live on World Earth Day! Tune in on 22 April or catch up later as all digital resources will be available for the rest of 2022 to engage with on-demand.
21 June 2022: World Premiere of Yoyo & The Little Auk Concert Film (in Gaelic and English with BSL)
The Gaelic and British Sign Language (BSL) versions of the Yoyo & The Little Auk film go live on Summer Solstice! Tune in on 21 June or catch up later as all digital resources will be available for the rest of 2022 to engage with on-demand.
Throughout Spring 2022: Release of Teacher & Parent Resources Between March and June, we will release several worksheets and resource packs to help you introduce young learners to Yoyo & The Little Auk. Resources release dates:
- 28 March 2022 (worksheets co-designed by Starcatchers)
- 19 April 2022 (worksheets co-designed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Lucy Drever)
- 20 June 2022 (World Refugee Day; worksheets co-designed by Refuweegee)
Throughout 2022: Live-Streamed Interactive Workshops Lucy Drever will host four virtual workshops, live-streamed straight to your classroom/living room! Expect fun games, links to the resources and opportunity to interact with some special RSNO guests. Workshop dates:
- Wednesday 20 April 2022 (celebrating World Earth Day)
- Tuesday 21 June 2022 (celebrating Summer Solstice)
- Monday 31 October 2022 (celebrating Halloween)
- Tuesday 29 November 2022 (celebrating St Andrews Day)
Live Events: Dates & Details
Live performances of Yoyo & The Little Auk will take place at Scotland’s festivals across 2022, including:
Wee Write Festival, Glasgow – World Premiere
Date: Sunday 19 June 2022
Time: 11am and 1pm
Venue: New Auditorium, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Book tickets (click on the time below):
Edinburgh International Film Festival
Date: Saturday 20 August 2022
Time: 11 am & 12.15
Venue: Filmhouse, Edinburgh
Book tickets from: Edinburgh International Film Festival Website
Haddo Arts Festival, Aberdeenshire
Date: Sunday 9 October 2022
Time: 1pm and 3pm
Venue: Haddo House Hall, Aberdeenshire
Book tickets from: Friday 26 August 2022 here.
Discovery Film Festival, Dundee
Date: Sunday 23 October 2022
Time: 11am and 1pm
Venue: Dundee Contemporary Arts
Book tickets from: Friday 2 September 2022 h
Watch this space for further dates announced soon!
