ABOUT US
Artistic Director/Producer: Virginia Radcliffe - virginia_licketyspit.com
Amanda Liddle: General Manager - amanda_licketyspit.com
Beth Harvey: Outreach Associate - beth_licketyspit.com
CONTACT US
Licketyspit, North Edinburgh Arts Centre, 15a Pennywell Court,
Edinburgh, EH4 4TZ
Tel: 0131 332 0410/2096
Mobile: 07970 749138
Email: info_licketyspit.com
Associate Artists: Vivienne Grahame, Tim Brinkhurst, Ali Maclaurin, Catherine Lindow,
Mary MacMaster, Johnny Austin,
Board Members: Martin Duffield, Liz Smith, Sara Macaulay, Patricia McGuinness, Johnny Austin, Olivia Roper.
Licketyspit is a Company Ltd by Guarantee. Company # SC262580 Charity # : SC 035154
History
Licketyspit was launched in 2004 following the completion of the ground-breaking Wee Stories Early Years project (2001-3).
Licketyspit Production Listings
2004: Wee Witches Scottish tour, The Christmas Quangle Wangle (Traverse)
2005: Magic Spaghetti Scottish tour (in Promenade)
2006: Molly Whuppie tour and Byre Theatre (Xmas); Green Whale (Traverse, Xmas)
2007: Green Whale Scottish tour / Wee Witches Greater Easter House Arts (Xmas)
2008: Heelie-go-Leerie tour / Molly Whuppie (Xmas as above) LicketyTale Wee Witches
2009: Hare & Tortoise tour / LicketyTale Molly Whuppie / LicketyLeap development/ LicketyTale Molly Whuppie Sweden/Ireland
2010: Leaping into Ourselves Study/ Magic Spaghetti Scottish tour
2011: Publication & launch Leaping into Ourselves/Company development
Practice
Licketyspit's work is developed with the target audience of 3-7 year olds: usually with a nursery group, a P1/2 group and a group with additional needs.
The company rehearse in different schools abnd nurseries on each new project, enabling us to develop relationships with new groups for each production. The process for each show varies but generally the artists will go between rehearsal room, school and computer! from the earliest stages and throughout the creative process.
'What I found, through the early workshops we did, was that work for this audience is very complex. There is a huge range of understanding among children of the same age and even more when ranged from 3 - 7 years. Therefore, every show must work at very simple level but also have more complex layers for children who want them,' says Virginia.
'Children of this age love language. Its one of the main things they're engaged in learning about. They don't mind not understanding everything they hear as long as they don't feel lost and alienated. Early Years children are well used to mapping their way through adult conversations and trying to make sense of them. They also find language extremely stimulating and of course love the rhymes, rhythms, and sounds of words whether or not they understand them literally.
'We are frequently surprised by the aspects of the shows that children particularly connect with. I suppose because we are adults! Which is why the workshops are so key. Often childrens responses to the developing work will send us in new directions we hadn't anticipated. This connection with the audience is inspiring and keeps us rigorous about the work .It also means that other children quickly connect with the finished shows. We're very happy that our audiences feel a real sense of ownership about our shows and I think this is why.
There are many common factors in all of Licketyspit productions. The story works on a range of levels, no one section or scene is too long, there is a lot of humour, there is a rapport with the audience (no fourth wall), strong visuals, music, catchy songs, poems and opportunities for joining in.
Many of the above elements make licketyspit's work very accessible to children with additional needs.
