Below is a timeline of Licketyspit’s work.

Click here for a short summary of the history of Licketyspit.

• 2001-2003 – Wee Stories Early Years Project

As Project Director of a new programme of work within Wee Stories Theatre Company, Virginia Radcliffe writes and directs five new plays for early years audiences: Hare & Tortoise; Wee Witches; Quangle Wangle; Molly Whuppie and A Piece of Cake.

Eight productions and six wide-ranging Scottish tours also include visits to Lyric Hammersmith, Birmingham Rep, Manchester Royal Exchange and a site-specific production for the Museum of Scotland.December 2003 – Xmas production of Molly Whuppie and exhibition about Wee Stories Early Years Project at Traverse Theatre Edinburgh.

Virginia announces plan to launch Licketyspit.

• 2004 – Licketyspit is founded by Virginia Radcliffe and Designer Catherine Lindow

2001

• 2004-2008 – Licketyspit Touring Theatre

Licketyspit produces re-mounts of 4 of the 5 plays written during the Wee Stories Early Years Project (Hare & Tortoise, Wee Witches, Quangle Wangle and Molly Whuppie) as well as 4 new ones: Magic Spaghetti, Heelie-Go-Leerie, Green Whale and Beastly Tales!

These highly successful productions regularly play to sell-out houses at major Scottish Theatres and community venues, village halls and schools across Scotland. Touring to around 10,000 per production. Molly Whuppie, Quangle Wangle and Green Whale are all Traverse Christmas shows. Other Xmas productions at NEA, Platform in EasterHouse, and Byre Theatre St Andrews.

The strong identity of this work and its branding through designer and co-founder Catherine Lindow’s popular design and illustration, enables audiences to quickly identify the new company as the one they knew. “We’ve seen all five of the Licketyspit productions so far!” (Audience member, Magic Spaghetti, 2005)

2004

2005

• 2005 – Brunton Theatre Residency

Licketyspit becomes Resident Early Years Theatre Company at Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh thanks to East Lothian Council.

• 2008 – LicketyLeap development begins

In 2008, Licketyspit obtains Creative Scotland funding to start developing an innovative new project inspired by our audiences. LicketyLeap is a piece of immersive theatre for small groups of 3-5 year olds who LEAP into the play! We knew children wanted to be ‘in’ our previous 8 shows, in this show developed in nurseries, they can!

• 2009 – LicketyLeap launches

LicketyLeap projects take place in nurseries in Easterhouse, Glasgow and East Lothian. Support from Glasgow and East Lothian Councils funds Professor Stephanie Knight, to conduct research into LicketyLeap, assessing the work’s impact on children.

• 2011 – LicketyLeap report published & large-scale funding obtained

Knight’s study, ‘Leaping into Ourselves: A Study into the layers of engagement made by early years children through Licketyspit’s immersive theatre project, LicketyLeap’ is published by Glasgow Life.
Inspiring Scotland’s Early Years Early Action Fund awards major Scottish Government investment for full-scale delivery of LicketyLeap to 800 children and their families in nurseries in four areas of multiple-deprivation, as part of a pioneering drama-led early intervention programme. Teacher evaluation demonstrates high impacts on children’s social skills, confidence, emotional literacy and problem solving as well as remarkable parental engagement levels.

2009

• 2012 – Licketyspit becomes Theatre Company in residence at North Edinburgh Arts Centre (NEA)

In our first year as Resident Company at North Edinburgh Arts, Licketyspit produces The Christmas Quangle Wangle, distributing 500 free tickets to local LicketyLeap families and nurseries.

• 2012 – Porridge & Play and the Children & Families Network

Licketyspit creates the Lickety Playcards – A set of 32 beautifully illustrated cards designed by associate artists Wrench & Franks, depicting the Licketyspit games, rhymes, songs and imaginary play activities. Licketyspit launches Porridge & Play at NEA, an inter-generational drama-led play project with a delicious communal meal and reflective drawing. The project is developed in response to feedback from LicketyLeap families saying ‘we want more like this!’

2012

• 2013 – The Adventures of LicketyLeapReport on LicketyLeap published.

Major LicketyLeap collaboration with Stepping Stones for Families and Action for Children in Glasgow.
LicketyLeap Drivers Study. Virginia presents about LicketyLeap in national and international conferences.

• 2014 – Hare & Tortoise remounts 

Licketyspit commissioned to produce outdoor production of Hare & Tortoise for Glasgow Commonwealth Games accompanied by 3 giant puppets and ‘village games’ on Glasgow Green in collaboration with Puppet Lab. Project repeated at NEA inc local procession in collaboration Oi Musica.

Hare & Tortoise also runs at North Edinburgh Arts.

• 2015 – Porridge & Play at NEA

Weekly sessions of Porridge & Play at North Edinburgh Arts form the early development of the Big Porridge & Play community hub model

• 2016 – Molly Whuppie produced for Edinburgh Fringe run, also touring to Theatre Clwyd in wales.

2013

• 2017 – Big Porridge & Play Glasgow and Storyplay Schools pilots

BIG Lottery funding is obtained to run a three-year Porridge & Play project – Big Porridge & Play Glasgow (BPPG) in several communities around Glasgow.

Licketyspit also pilots Storyplay Schools – our bespoke programme of work to develop a story/language-rich inclusive culture, for schools tackling the poverty associated attainment gap. Pilots take place in Canal View Primary (Westerhailes, Edinburgh) and Oakwood Primary (Easterhouse, Glasgow).
Funding is also obtained for a new full-time family engagement post within the company – Creative Producer of the Children & Families Network.

Picnic & Play (site specific) and BookPlay (improvised play in the world of a story book) develop out of Porridge & Play.

2017

• 2018 – Storyplay in St Mary’s Primary and Picnic & Play

Storyplay Schools and BIG Porridge & Play Glasgow (BPPG) go from strength to strength, with a new school taking up Storyplay and an additional BPPG venue in the same community of Maryhill. Families increasingly take the lead in Storyplay sessions as Storyplay Champions.

Licketyspit trains 5 new actor-pedagogues to work on BPPG and Storyplay.

Picnic & Plays are taking place in venues such as Whale Arts (West Edinburgh), the Glasgow Riverside Museum, GOMA, Edinburgh and Glasgow Botanic Gardens, Lauriston Castle, City Art Centre, The Tall Ship and throughout the summer and into autumn!

• 2019 – Storyplay in Ibrox Primary, Riverside Primary, and BPPG Year 3. Licketyspit office moves to from North Edinburgh Arts to Community Central Hall, Maryhill, Glasgow.

2018

Big Porridge & Play Year 3 is the most successful yet, with the exciting addition of 4 Lickety Volunteers (parents and people recruited through the Scottish Refugee Council), and trips with each group to Picnic & Play venues, midway through the project.

Picnic & Play receives renewed funding from Awards For All and takes place in the Modern Art Gallery (Edinburgh) as well as existing partner venues.
Storyplay Schools goes to Ibrox and Riverside Primaries in the south of Glasgow, as well as returning to Oakwood, Canal View and St Mary’s.

Babbity Beans nursery-song pilot takes place in Glasgow. CFN Trips start – a new development, partnering with the Caravan Project and Glasgow Film Theatre.

2019

• 2020 – Storyplay in St Martha’s & Miltonbank primaries, BPPG Year 4, Storyplay Online

Storyplay starts in two new schools in north Glasgow, and continue in Oakwood and St Mary’s. Plans for BPPG Year 4 and Picnic & Plays in Community Central Hall (our new Glasgow home), the Dream Machine and Museum of Scotland are curtailed by the start of the pandemic.

Storyplay is funded to go ONLINE during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Licketyspit establishes a highly successful model of delivery over Zoom working with up to 200 participants a week, mostly isolated refugee families. Families are referred by schools, Scottish Refugee Council and friends. This work is featured in UK-wide pandemic film, Stories of Resilience.We distribute over 100 computers and tablets to help families get online, and create Making, Cooking and Exploring video series to inspire learning and play at home. Children respond with photos and videos of their own creative ventures (poems, raps, tours, sock puppets etc.) and these are documented in Over to You on our website.

We also train 2 new actor-pedagogues.

2020

• 2021 – BPPG Year 5, Storyplay for the Planet, Lickety Mums, Family Art Voyage, Women’s Aid Storyplay Pilot, Have Your Say Through Play, Storyplay City, Refugee Festival

This is a very significant year for Licketyspit. In-person sessions recommence, outdoors. Sessions with our online community take place parks across Glasgow for our Children & Families Network. As part of the community engagement in Cop26, we run a series of sessions exploring climate change with children at primary schools in the East End of Glasgow.

We also start LicketyMums sessions on zoom, in response to parent mental health needs and Family Art Voyage online workshops with visiting dance, music and visual artists chosen by children.

In an exciting development of our practice sharing, we are commissioned by Scottish Women’s Aid to deliver an online training and co-delivery programme to children, mothers & family workers in Women’s Aid centres across Scotland.

We also deliver the first of a 3 year project of Storyplay City sessions supported by the Glasgow Communities Fund.

Our new Have Your Say Through Play child consultation sessions inform Scottish Government decision making for vulnerable families during the pandemic.

We run sessions with Storyplay Champion children to help them prepare to host new hub sessions in 2022. Children make a film to welcome new participants.

2021

• 2022 – BPPG Year 6, 3 new Porridge & Play Hubs and first Storyplay Festival

As part of the Scottish Government’s New Scots Integration Project, Licketyspit is funded to develop 3 new Porridge & Play hubs in the communities of Bridgeton, Castlemilk and Cranhill where many of our Online families live. This project includes weekly community sessions, Picnic & Play trips to Troon Beach and Loch Lomond for the first time, as well as the Hunterian Museum and the Riverside Museum. We collaborate with local education and charities including Indigo Childcare, Cranhill Development Trust and Church House and deliver taster sessions at local schools and nurseries.

This project also includes the first Storyplay Festival in Dassie Park, with over 200 people from all 6 of our community hubs and online coming to play and eat together.

On top of that, we host the first ever Licketyspit Christmas Ceilidh!

We train 3 new actor-pedagogues.

2022

• 2023 – BPPG Year 7, Storyplay City, Lickety Mums, Christmas Ceilidh, Refugee Festival Collab

 Now all incorporated into Big Porridge & Play Glasgow, and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, Porridge & Play sessions continue in Bridgeton, Castlemilk, Cranhill, Govan, Maryhill, Whiteinch and online. We also continue to deliver our annual school tasters. We move from Ruchill to nearby Maryhill due to the closure of Ruchill Community Centre. Castlemilk sessions move to Castlemilk library where we develop the Bookplay links established at the Whiteinch Library sessions.

Lickety Mums, Storyplay City sessions continue, together with the second ceilidh.

We run another Refugee Festival event, this time at the Hidden Gardens in collaboration with food collective Kin Kitchen. This features outdoor storyplay, a multicultural picnic and the unforgettable Potato Parade!

2023

• 2024 – BPPG Year 8, IPA Conference in Glasgow with families, Lickety Movers

Porridge & Play sessions continue in Bridgeton, Castlemilk, Cranhill, Govan, Maryhill, Whiteinch and online.

Licketyspit takes a group of 11 child and parent Storyplay Champions to present and deliver Storyplay at the International Play Associate Conference in Glasgow.

Lead Actor-Pedagogue and Associate Artist Itxaso Moreno trains with Conta Kids and leads on Lickety Movers, a new project for parents and babies-5 year olds focussing on creative movement.

The second Licketyspit Storyplay Festival takes place at new partner space The Children’s Wood. Hosted by Licketyspit families from all over Glasgow the festival features a giant picnic, dressing-up, crafts, Hub Dens and giant Storyplay games!

We run another Refugee Festival event at Hidden Gardens.

2024

• 2025 – BPPG Year 9, Forest Storyplay, Picnic & Play

Porridge & Play sessions continue in Bridgeton, Castlemilk, Whiteinch and online.

In school holidays, we also run Forest Storyplay sessions in collaboration with Glasgow Children’s Wood and Picnic & Play trips for these families and our other hub families (Cranhill, Maryhill and Govan) to Balloch and Troon beach.

Forest Storyplay includes outdoor Storyplay in nature, breadmaking and fire-lighting around the campfire, toasting marshmallows and learning about respecting the outdoor world.

We host the third Licketyspit Christmas Ceilidh.

2025