Through the The Children of Lir project, Scarlet enables young people to explore both language and physicality, and to learn how sound, physical movement, song, poetry, humour, and improvisation can be combined to express ideas and reveal hidden truths.

Scarlet & The Children of Lir

Through the The Children of Lir project, Scarlet enables young people to explore both language and physicality, and to learn how sound, physical movement, song, poetry, humour, and improvisation can be combined to express ideas and reveal hidden truths.

The Lir Myth

The Fate of the Children of Lir is a tragic and powerful story from Ireland whose central theme is magical and personal transformation. The story begins when King Lir's wife dies, leaving him to bring up four children: one girl, Fionnuala, and three boys, Aedh, Conn and Fiachra. To provide a mother for them, Lir marries his sister-in-law Aoife. All goes well for some time, but Aoife gradually becomes jealous of the children, so she changes them into four swans...

The story's themes centre on magical transformation: the children's transformation into swans; Aoife's transformation into a demon of the air; Aoife's metamorphosis from loving wife to jealous stepmother; the transforming power of song, which heals people; the power of the children's family love, which keeps them together through their hardships and the transformation from past to future, old order to new.

The Lir Project

The Children of Lir project began in 2004, with workshops in two schools, in collaboration with Jackson's Lane. The project caused an explosion of fun and activity in the schools, and helped develop core curriculum skills of confidence, teamwork and creativity. The company learnt a great deal from the insight that the pupils brought to understanding this ancient myth. The project was revived and extended for 2005, this time involving six schools, and working in collaboration with Tricycle Theatre, the Redbridge Drama Centre, and Artsdepot. Future plans include extending this work across the boroughs, as well as offering the work to schools outside London.

Lir Feedback

Teachers said:

This project is great because, having a mutual interest in the story, they are all keen to talk about it. And they play the games in the playground between workshops!

Kids who are always hearing their answers in academic work are wrong end up with low self-esteem. But, in drama, there is no right or wrong, and imagination is valued. The project's great because it?s involving the 'weaker' kids on an equal basis.

If the shyer ones can learn to build their confidence with these kinds of talking games, it?s positive for their self-esteem, plus it's going to help them in their lives.

Students said:

My imagination made it feel real. When you said it was cold, I felt cold and I shivered.

It made me go into another world. I learnt not to be shy.

It livened up my mind. I learnt to be more confident.

Workshop leaders said:

The extraordinary moments of discovery by and with the children I shall remember and treasure.

Children of Lir Artwork