Do you live in, or around, Wester Hailes? Starcatchers Expecting Something offers free creative play sessions for wee ones aged birth to two years old and their families, led by artists Kerry Cleland and Katy Wilson.
Every Thursday at:
Whale Arts, Wester Hailes | 11am-12.30pm
Do you live in, or around, Wester Hailes? Starcatchers Expecting Something offers free creative play sessions for wee ones aged birth to two years old, and their families, led by artists Kerry Cleland and Katy Wilson.
We love to create fun and relaxed play-spaces for adults and babies to enjoy together. We explore different art forms and themes every week and is shaped by the little ones and their grown-ups! From messy play, to a drumming, to creative movement, each session is full of exciting new things for wee ones and their adults to discover together. Each session also includes free healthy snacks and drinks.
As well as the regular sessions there are opportunities to visit and engage with cultural activities in their area. In the past, we have visited the National Museum of Scotland, Dovecot studios, The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh Zoo, and much more.
The programme takes places at Whale Arts in Wester Hailes. Come along and enjoy laid-back creative play sessions in the great outdoors with lots of different art forms and exciting materials for you and your wee ones to dive into!
To find out more about Starcatchers Expecting Something, email lead artist Kerry Cleland.
Lead Artist, Wester Hailes
Kerry loves performing in, making theatre and creating play spaces for early years audiences and children with complex additional support needs.
Lead Artist, Wester Hailes
Katy works on Expecting Something and is creator of Mixed Up.
In December, our Expecting Something group and their friends took a magical trip through the wardrobe into Narnia. Inspired by CS Lewis’ famous tale, and created by the Expecting Something group alongside some guest artists and musicians, Narnia in Wester Hailes was a magical journey full of light, colour, snow and storytelling for wee ones who discovered that ‘once a king or queen in Narnia — always a king or queen in narnia!’
I have attended many baby groups since my little boy was born and Expecting Something has been my favourite. The way they care and interest you and your little one and have so much fun whilst learning is absolutely amazing, and I am very thankful to have come along
Expecting Something has been amazing for the young mums that I work with…We have referred lots of parents to the group, all absolutely love it. The sessions they do are incredible, the mums and babies/toddlers have all gained a lot out of attending and it has inspired their creativity as well as confidence.
Evaluation of the Starcatchers project, Expecting Something, a creative engagement project for young parents and babies in Edinburgh.
A report on Starcatchers' Expecting Something project in 2021-22, working with young parents and their young children aged 0-2 years.
Update report on Starcatchers' Expecting Something project Apr-Oct 2022, working with young parents and their young children aged 0-2 years.
Building on Starcatchers’ previous experience of delivering engagement projects with vulnerable children and families, Expecting Something provided a creative intervention to build skills, confidence and self-esteem in young parents and their babies through engaging in an ongoing programme of arts and creative activities. Through the process, young parents were encouraged to develop their own social capital and in turn improve the life chances of their babies.
Over the course of 9 months, 3 blocks of 10 weekly sessions were undertaken and led by two Starcatchers Associate Artists. Sacha Kyle led the first two blocks and Hazel Darwin-Edwards led the final 10-week block. They undertook the delivery of weekly creative activity sessions working with the young parents to develop a programme that was both exciting and relevant.
The project worked with a total of 60 young adults and 30 babies over the period of 9 months. Activities were not restricted to particular art forms but were driven by the needs of the young parents and the activities they felt were of most interest to them and their babies.
By involving the young parents in the decision making process, Expecting Something gave participants a mechanism to express their views and needs as young adults who are faced with a range of barriers in achieving their life goals. Furthermore, the programme offered other benefits, including understanding the importance of play and creativity in early development and encouraging the young parents to try experiences they would not normally participate in.
Fun creative play sessions for carers and their wee ones aged birth to five years. Starcatchers Saturdays takes place every week in Wester Hailes.
Fun, creative ideas to engage little ones at home without a lot of kit, stress, nor pressure to ‘achieve’ anything.
Are you a family based in Cowdenbeath or Dunfermline? Pop along to Starcatchers’ Play and Explore! Free creative play sessions for babies’ birth to 2-years-old in Fife.
