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Lyra Lyra makes live performance with and for children and young people. We are based in Craigmillar, Ed

Here is this week's weekly round-up of what all of our groups have been up to! There seemed to be a running theme of mac...
11/10/2026

Here is this week's weekly round-up of what all of our groups have been up to! There seemed to be a running theme of machine-making this week...🚜👀
Our Thursday Young Artists had fun devising short scenes using props under the studio lights (images 1-5).
The Outline invented their own human machine!
The Wednesday Young Artists all sang a song with Jo in the studio, and they also made their own human-powered machine in the theatre!
The teens had another fantastic session with Youth Theatre Arts Scotland.
And finally, the Scamps also made their machines with the help of Youth Arts Worker Fiona!

Can you hear that?It's the sound of thousands of stars falling onto My Friend Selma,  from young audience members and th...
08/10/2026

Can you hear that?
It's the sound of thousands of stars falling onto My Friend Selma, from young audience members and theatre critics alike ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It's sure to be a story to remember, so don't miss out this Friday (tomorrow!) at 3pm at Lyra to watch the friendship unfold that changed two lives forever.
Book your free tickets here:
https://www.lyra.co.uk/event-details/my-friend-selma

OPPORTUNITY REMINDER: If you are a children-focused or community arts organisation you can apply NOW to Edinburgh Counci...
08/10/2026

OPPORTUNITY REMINDER: If you are a children-focused or community arts organisation you can apply NOW to Edinburgh Council's INNOVATE FUND – even if you are not a strategic partner and even if you are not a cultural grant recipient. We fought to make the pot of money bigger and the eligibility criteria broader, so COMMUNITY-LEVEL cultural organisations can apply for immediate funding too. This is your shot – so shoot! 🌠💫⭐️🌟🤩☄🚀

Thank you to all the local news outlets covering the story to help spread the great news!

Young Artists of Scotland – Scottish Youth Theatre wants to hear from you!   If you’re a young emerging or early-career ...
06/10/2026

Young Artists of Scotland – Scottish Youth Theatre wants to hear from you!

If you’re a young emerging or early-career theatre artist based in Scotland, you could be in with the chance of winning a £50 voucher by taking part in their Young Artist Survey.

It's a challenging time to be a young artist forging a career in the current climate, so they want to understand what you would find most beneficial to best support and advocate for you and your artistic development. Tell them what. Tell them why. Tell them how. Complete the survey now to be entered into the prize draw!

https://bit.ly/SYT-young-artist-survey-2026

DEADLINE TO ENTER is 23:59 on Wednesday 4 November

03/10/2026

What connects all of these different things together?
My Friend Selma, of course!

Book your free tickets to discover the remarkable real-life story of one girl’s journey from war in Bosnia to safety in the UK, told by this Friday at Lyra:
https://www.lyra.co.uk/event-details/my-friend-selma

Last week at Lyra, our Young Artists got up to:✴️ The Outline experimented with the new rigged lights in the studio. ⏭️ ...
02/10/2026

Last week at Lyra, our Young Artists got up to:
✴️ The Outline experimented with the new rigged lights in the studio.
⏭️ Some of our teens worked with 2 Young Directors from Youth Theatre Arts Scotland
🫟 The Scamps worked on their drawing skills and did some artwork. They also played some energetic games with Kim and Jo.
🗳️ And finally, the Thursday Young Artists had their audition day where they got to vote on their new Lead Artist for the year (introduction coming soon..)

"When I was 8 years old, my dad set up a charity to help people in danger escape the war in a place called Bosnia. He br...
01/10/2026

"When I was 8 years old, my dad set up a charity to help people in danger escape the war in a place called Bosnia. He brought fifty of them over here on big coaches. We moved into an old boarding school with these refugees, to help them settle in. We lived there for four months. It was brilliant – there was a playground in my front garden, we had lots of visitors, people were always feeding me and I learnt to ride a bike! But the best thing about living there was meeting my friend Selma.​"

'My Friend Selma', the remarkable real-life story of one girl’s journey from war in Bosnia to safety in the UK, is coming to Lyra this Friday 9th of October at 3pm.

Perfect for children aged 9 - 12 and their families, you can book your FREE tickets here:
https://www.lyra.co.uk/event-details/my-friend-selma

The Creative Community Hubs Network is thrilled to welcome a  25% uplift in  council funding and an opening of the Innov...
28/09/2026

The Creative Community Hubs Network is thrilled to welcome a 25% uplift in council funding and an opening of the Innovate Fund for community-based cultural organisations like us, making art happen outside of the city centre.

Thanks to the power of joint advocacy work happening behind the scenes, Lyra, Whale Arts and North Edinburgh Arts have come together to help agree an additional £1.2 million of funding for community-based cultural organisations through the City of Edinburgh Council's new Visitor Levy funding.

Why does this matter?
Currently, just 6% of the Council’s regular cultural funding goes to community-based cultural organisations, with many professional organisations in Edinburgh’s communities locked out of the regularly funded portfolio for more than a decade.
That's about to change!

Get the full lowdown here:
https://www.digitalsentinel.net/2026/09/council-decision-marks-major-shift-for-edinburghs-community-based-culture/

Here's some of what our Young Artists got up to last week:The Outline group played the stage directions game and devised...
25/09/2026

Here's some of what our Young Artists got up to last week:
The Outline group played the stage directions game and devised a short scene using a yellow balloon as a prop.
Lyra is currently collaborating with YTAS on a Young Directors project, so we had our first session with them last week where some of our teenagers got involved.
It was an exciting week last week for our Thursday Young Artists as they started the process of choosing which Lead Artist they would like to work with.
And finally, Scamps enjoyed a campfire style sing song with Jo and her guitar.

20/09/2026

Exciting news: Slumbering Deep is coming to a screen near you.
If you're near Govanhill Baths on the 3rd of October.

Slumbering Deep is a collaboration between video/dance artist Natalia Barua (and our Engagement Artist at Lyra) with filmmaker Owa Barua and Lyra Young Artists aged 8-14 years old.

Slumbering Deep was originally commissioned as a video performance installation by Lyra in 2019 and was due to be premiered at Artspace in April 2020, just 2 weeks after the UK went into National lockdown.

Reworked as a single-screen film by the artists some years later, Slumbering Deep looks to dreams as a world for retreat, creativity and bravery; a symbol of childhood in their very essence.

Slumbering Deep has been selected by Kinetic, a new screendance platform rooted in Glasgow, for this exciting potluck screening.

More information on where and how to watch Slumbering Deep here: https://theworkroom.org.uk/events/kinetic-screenings-post-screening-discussions/

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11 Harewood Road
Edinburgh
EH164NT

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