About Us

Licketyspit is a specialist early years theatre and play company based in Scotland. We believe that play is the language of children and that if adults want to deliver on children’s rights, they need to rediscover the language of play.

Our inclusive, transformative drama-led play approach is called Storyplay.

It is an approach and methodology that has come directly through consulting children aged 3-8 who experience poverty, trauma and/or isolation, over the last 20 years.

Licketyspit creates and delivers work from full-scale theatre shows to intensive, drama-led early intervention. Our projects are delivered by specially trained actor-pedagogues, and based on the Lickety Playcard Repertoire of theatre, stories, rhymes, songs and games.

Storyplay is rooted in children’s rights, community engagement, and a belief in the power of inter-generational, drama-led play. We also train volunteers and participants to co-deliver our work, as Storyplay Champions.

Our programmes include:

LicketyLeap (The Story of Margaret & Margaret)

Porridge & Play

Licketyspit’s Children & Families Network

Lickety Lab (sharing practice & developing new work)

Read our latest annual report here.

We share our approach with professionals and practitioners working with children, in the arts, and in school and nursery settings, at local, national and international level.

Licketyspit also has a repertoire of Touring Theatre Shows.

Opening doors to imaginary playworlds, to unlock the limitless possibilities of children!

Our vision

Our vision is that child-centred, inclusive theatre and drama-led play become an integral part of children’s daily lives. We believe that theatre and drama can empower children, increase their capacity to flourish and support their wellbeing. More here.

Over 100,000 children, families and teachers across Scotland have engaged with Licketyspit’s work over the last 14 years. The company has a strong sense of ownership of its work among stakeholders and continues to break new ground, connecting the arts to the wider children’s sector.

More on our vision here.

Our funders

Our principle current funders are the National Lottery Community Fund and the Robertson Trust. We are grateful to all our funder and partners, whose logos can be found at the bottom of this page.

Delivering children’s rights through play!

Watch a short film about Licketyspit’s intergenerational drama-led play for families!