PALS

PALS is a musical theatre piece for young audiences led by Ellen Renton, about a lifelong friendship between two young girls, one sighted and one visually impaired, told through text, song, and movement. The creative team includes both visually impaired and sighted members who will work together to create a performance space that de-centres vision for an audience rarely considered in work for young audiences even within inclusive theatre.

Ellen is a poet, performer, and theatre maker based in Edinburgh.  She has worked with Imaginate before as a Jerwood Fellow and lead artist on a number of projects. PALS is an Unlimited UK Partner Award 2025 commission with Imaginate.

PALS, presented here as a work in progress, will give bibu delegates a chance to see exciting new ideas being developed for children by a Scottish-based  performance maker.

Creative Team:

• Brooke Walker - Performer
• Ellen Renton - Writer/Lead Artist
• Emilie Conway - Musician
• Lewis Hetherington - Dramaturg
• Marie-Gabrielle Koumenda - Musician
• Nandi Hudson - Performer Nik Paget-Tomlinson – Technician and Sound Design
• Nik Paget-Tomlinson – Teknisk ansvarig och ljuddesign
• Valerie Reid - Designer
• Douglas Tyrrell Bunge - documentation filmmaker 

PALS is an Unlimited UK Partner Award 2025 commission with Imaginate, made possible thanks to funding from Creative Scotland. Supported by Summerhall Arts. This work in progress showing is part of the project Shifting the Stage with funding from Nordic Culture Fund and Nordic Culture Point.