AN INITIATIVE which champions theatre in Scotland’s schools arrives in the Musselburgh area next week.

Pinkie St Peter’s Primary School in Musselburgh and Wallyford Primary School are on the Theatre in Schools Scotland 2017 tour.

Sponsored by The Scottish Salmon Company and Culture & Business Fund Scotland, the venture is supported by East Lothian Council.

Jason and the Argonauts by Visible Fictions will be at Wallyford Primary on Monday and Pinkie St Peter’s Primary the following day.

A quirky and exciting tale written by Robert Forrest, the show takes the audience on a journey.

Jason’s uncle isn’t exactly lovable… he’s murdered his brother (the king) and stolen the crown and now no one dares stand up to him.

Things are about to get a major shake-up though because Jason is back. After being banished as a baby, the wannabe hero returns to claim his rightful throne and make some big changes.

Up to Speed, created by Rosalind Sydney in association with Catherine Wheels, is at Wallyford Primary on Wednesday and Pinkie St Peter’s Primary the next day.

It is a moving tale about a boy and a girl, Barnaby and Jade, and what it’s like to be the odd one out.

Theatre in Schools Scotland was launched as a three-year pilot project in 2016 to create a touring and producing model with the ambition to ultimately bring one piece of high-quality theatre to every schoolchild in Scotland each year.

Shamin Akhtar, East Lothian Council’s cabinet member for education, said: “Theatre in Schools Scotland provides invaluable opportunities for children to enjoy theatre productions within their own schools. The themes of the plays complement many of the key aspects of Curriculum for Excellence and stimulate the imagination of the young audiences.”

For 2017/18, Theatre in Schools Scotland is building on the work and touring infrastructure established in the first year of the pilot and is introducing a year-long rolling programme of touring shows for Scottish primary schools.

In addition to the performances, there will be resources available online for teachers. These will include: show information; videos for teachers and children; post-show activities for teachers in the classroom and tools to help teachers and pupils evaluate the performances.

These resources are available from theatreinschools scotland.com