26 Sep 2016
Platform Associate Artist Geraldine Heaney will be sharing some of the work she has Made in Easterhouse
Platform Associate Artist Geraldine Heaney will be sharing some of the work she has Made in Easterhouse
Platform and Starcatchers both celebrate their 20th anniversaries in 2026 and as part of a series of activities to mark the special occasion, launched a call out in late 2025 to commission an artist to develop a new and original activity for early years audiences.
This forms part of Made in Easterhouse 20:26 at Platform - a programme of work featuring 26 creative projects marking the 20th anniversary.
We are delighted to announce that artist Fiona Manson was selected for the project and has joined Platform as the Resident Play Cafe Artist, leading some of the weekly Play Café sessions on Saturdays.
Play Café is an early years group for 0-5yrs which takes place every Saturday morning at Platform. Alongside a different creative activity each week – music, dance, theatre, arts or crafts – healthy drinks and snacks are also provided. The class is offered on a Pay-What-You-Like basis, where participants decide what to pay by way of donation.
Fiona: “I’m so excited to be the Play Cafe Resident Artist. My favourite place to make and create is Platform because it’s the friendliest venue on earth!
“Play Cafe is awesome and I’ve taken my own kids in the past. To me, it’s a place where you can relax, have fun and be creative with you kids together.
“Come and meet Ferdinand! He’s my little owl friend but he needs your help to learn how to fly! He was made by the super talented puppet maker Fergus Dunnet and I’m so excited to be collaborating with Fergus during this residency. We’ll be exploring flying, nature and home with the young people who come to Play Cafe, as they get to meet and play with my owl puppet friend Ferdinand!
“Thank you to Platform and Starcatchers for this opportunity to play and create. I’ve been really inspired by recent, inventive productions created for babies by Scottish artists and Starcatchers”.
“I hope I can create something fun and unique and can’t wait to try out my ideas at Play Cafe! We’re going to have a great time exploring and creating together.”
Eoin McKenzie, Music and Performance Programmer at Platform: "We're totally delighted to welcome Fiona Manson as our Resident Play Cafe artist. Fiona's warmth, playfulness, and care for the people she works with are a brilliant fit for Play Cafe and the families who spend time here at Platform each week.
“What's especially exciting is the way Fiona's work creates space for children and adults to explore together through play, shared stories, and live performance.
We're really looking forward to seeing how Fiona and collaborator Fergus Dunnet bring Ferdinand's world to life here at Platform over the coming months - I'm sure it'll be an absolute treat for everyone who gets a chance to come along".”
Find out more about Play Café here.
